Leaving this to the last-minute risks operational downtime, LOSING YOUR PHONE NUMBERS, broken security systems, and disrupted customer payments.
Below is your actionable business checklist and an optimized migration framework.
The Business PSTN Audit & Migration Checklist
1. Identify Connected Hardware (Beyond Voice)
Do not assume only your desk phones use the copper network. Physically audit your premises to locate and catalog every device connected to a phone socket or ISDN line:
• Security & Safety: Fire alarms, burglar alarms, CCTV systems, and lift emergency phones.
• Operations: Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) card terminals, fax machines, and legacy dial-up telemetry systems.
• Access Control: Gate buzzers, intercoms, and remote door entry systems.
2. Review Your Telecoms Infrastructure
• Locate your main telephone distribution point or server room.
• Identify if you are running an older PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system that relies on ISDN channels.
• Contact your hardware vendors to find out if your current systems can be fitted with an IP card/ATA adapter or if they require a complete digital replacement.
3. Assess Your Broadband Capacity
Digital voice solutions rely entirely on your internet connection.
• Bandwidth: Ensure your office broadband has the capacity to handle simultaneous voice calls alongside your daily data traffic. A single VoIP call typically requires around 100 Kbps of symmetrical bandwidth.
• Resilience: Invest in a backup connectivity option (such as a secondary broadband line from a different provider or a 4G/5G cellular failover router) to keep your phones online if your primary internet goes down.
4. Choose Your Digital Replacement
Work with a trusted business telecoms provider to select the model that fits your operations:
• Cloud Hosted VoIP: Perfect for remote or hybrid teams. This routes calls via an app on laptops and smartphones, or through modern IP desk phones.
• SIP Trunking: If you have a modern, on-premise PBX system that you want to keep, SIP trunks can connect your existing setup to the digital network via your internet line. If you are not ready to move to the cloud fully, or you need to sweat your asset for longer, speak to us about how we help
• bridge the gap between your current hardware and the digital future.