BT Update May 2019
You’ll already be aware that BT is working towards all telephone communications moving to IP by 2025. And that means that Special Services devices in customer’s homes, such as Intruder Alarms, will need to connect through our new BT Smart Hub 2. Existing telephone sockets will no longer work when a customer moves over to a Digital Voice service.
IP networks are fundamentally different to the traditional analogue telephone network so it is important to understand the impact on Special Services. So testing Special Services equipment is key to understanding how it works over the new all IP network.
To support this BT opened up a test lab last year to test products and explore the new possibilities for innovative services that can be provided over Digital Voice. Many alarm manufacturers and signalling providers have already been to the lab and tested their equipment on consumer digital lines. But we’re now inviting them back to the lab to test on our newly installed BT business lines.
Vendors can test their equipment to ensure compatibility with the all IP network, they can also test using the analogue telephone adaptor on the BT Smart Hub 2 and determine if it is suitable to use.
At the same time we’re still working to identify customer lines on which a Special Service device is being used to avoid migrating customers before they are ready. We’re doing this by asking all Alarm Receiving Centres to provide us with their dial-in numbers. These are the numbers programmed into Special Services devices to dial when they are activated. From these numbers we can identify telephone lines that have dialled these numbers and flag up customers that may have a special service device.
Using this information will help us minimise any issues customers might have in changing to all IP and help us make sure no one is left vulnerable from the changeover – So if you’re an Alarm Receiving Centre and haven’t yet provided your dial in numbers please send us them as soon as possible.
It’s important to remember that whilst we intend to move all of our customers to all IP by 2025 the changeover starts now, so it’s important to start planning and make sure you’re ready for the change. btplc.com/digitalserviceslab