What is the PSTN Stop-Sell?
From the 5th September 2023 Openreach will no longer allow ‘legacy products’ to be ordered, or transferred from one provider to another.
These products primarily are PSTN and ISDN landlines – copper lines giving you a geographic phone number. Also included are some broadband products such as ADSL2+ which uses a copper line.
How will this affect you?
If you need a new telephone line, an extra ISDN channel, a stopped line restarted, or a new ADSL2+ broadband you will not be able to order one.
In addition to this, existing services will have to remain with the current provider until they are replaced with new technology.
What can you do instead?
If you need a new landline telephone number, or a new broadband connection call the AF office and speak to our telecoms team – our specialists can review the options available to you, and help you take advantage of the new technology – fibre broadband, and VoIP (Voice over the Internet Protocol).
If your property cannot get fibre there is an appeal process with Openreach, but also, we can look at 4G / 5G mobile broadband and other non-Openreach services as part of our analysis.
Why is this happening?
The Stop-Sell is part of the progress towards the PSTN Switch-Off, which happens in December 2025.
We recommend anyone with a PSTN line deals with the changeover sooner rather than later, to benefit from the cost savings and to avoid a last minute rush when stocks of hardware will be under pressure.
If you currently have your lines or broadband with us we will contact you to help you make the change.
If you use another telecoms provider, we still have a small window of opportunity to get your lines over to AF before the Stop-Sell takes effect – move to us now, so we can help you later.
Contact the AF telecoms team via telecoms@af.farm to discuss your options now.
We’re here to help.
