BT urges CNI to switch from copper to digital by 2025

BT is urging providers of the UK's critical national infrastructure (CNI) to transition from the ageing analogue copper network to digital connectivity by the end of December 2025.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is scheduled for retirement by the end of January 2027, with BT forecasting increased faults and maintenance difficulties due to its advancing age. Recent data shows that 60% of BT's CNI customers currently operate without a clear plan to begin migrating away from the legacy network, raising concerns about the potential risks to essential public services.

As part of the transition from analogue to digital, providers across various sectors such as healthcare, water, energy, and emergency services are being urged to review their current technology estate. BT recommends that these providers test any impacted devices and transition to digital networks in order to ensure continued service reliability.

Bas Burger, CEO - Business at BT, stated: "With the ageing copper landline network becoming increasingly fragile, it's simply too risky to run the UK's essential public services on outdated networks. BT is committed to moving these services onto future-proofed modern connectivity well ahead of the closure of the analogue copper network - but we can't do it alone."

The transition impacts a broad range of systems integral to public safety and everyday operations. These include water monitoring sensors, emergency phone lines, fire alarms, and older payment systems, which are increasingly vulnerable due to reliance on the unstable analogue network.

According to BT, transitioning to digital networks provides advantages such as enhanced stability, security, and connectivity efficiency. Digital systems can further offer operational benefits through features like improved scam protection and faster connection speeds compared to their analogue counterparts.

Existing plans show varying levels of preparedness across industries for this transition. As of December 2024, significant progress has been observed in some sectors, with 80% of BT's energy industry customers and 64% of water industry customers having begun or are well into their migration efforts.

The UK Government's recent announcement of the PSTN Critical National Infrastructure Charter aligns with this transition. This Charter outlines the precautions that communication providers and network operators will adopt to assist in moving away from the legacy network, safeguarding any business reliant on CNI services.

"We're urging all Critical National Infrastructure providers to act now to help protect their services and reap the long-term benefits of going digital," Burger continued. "Waiting until the analogue switch-off is too late. We're working with customers to review their technology estate, test their critical devices and switch to more reliable connectivity by the end of 2025."

The full transition from analogue copper to digital networks is a nation-wide undertaking, with BT having already facilitated the migration of almost 300,000 business lines in 2024. The move is characterised as a once-in-a-generation initiative aimed at future-proofing communications infrastructure in the UK.

BT's efforts are part of a broader strategy to enhance the efficiency and resilience of the UK's connectivity infrastructure, projected to reduce energy consumption significantly, making substantial contributions to sustainability goals.