Event Roundup – Calling Children’s Services and Education: Are you ready for the Digital Switchover?
On April 28th techUK hosted a webinar on the digital phone switchover and what it might mean for schools, universities and children’s services in both the private sector and those maintained by local authorities. Watch the recording here:
Summary
Sarah Shepherd, who leads on techUK’s work in the digital phone switchover, introduced the webinar, emphasizing the importance of the digital phone switchover and its impact on schools and other educational settings. She highlighted the need for a two-way conversation and encouraged attendees to ask questions and share their experiences and any concerns they might have. Austin Earl then explained how techUK is involved in the education and edtech world – for more information on this please contact him on [email protected].
Department for Education - Heather and Lara from the Department for Education (DfE) discussed the importance of conducting a whole site survey audit to identify services using PSTN lines. They emphasized the need to consolidate services onto alternative networks and highlighted the benefits of remote management and cost savings as well as easier software updates. For more information on support available from the DfE – including the “Get Help Buying for Schools” service which offers advice for schools needing to procure new services see:
- Get help buying for schools: Buying for schools: get free help from procurement specialists - GOV.UK
- Digital and technology standards: Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges - Guidance - GOV.UK
- Plan technology for your school: Plan technology for your school - GOV.UK
PSTN webinar DfE slides.pdf
Openreach – John Livermore set out the different options available for moving off the PSTN network including full fiber, fiber to the cabinet and ADSL services – emphasizing the importance of chooding the right option based on availability and needs. He introduced the CLAP framework (Communication, Logistics, Adjustments, and Power) to help ensure that all aspects of the transition are considered and managed effectively.
Openreach Presentation - UK Analogue to Digital Switchover.pdf
Virgin Media O2 Migration Process: David Christie from Virgin Media O2 discussed the need to move customers off analogue lines and the importance of collaboration in evaluating existing infrastructure. Since the PSTN is aging and increasingly unreliable, he stressed that doing nothing was not an option. He provided real-life examples of successful migrations - such as an organization that replaced all desk phones with digital solutions, resulting in cost savings and improved power efficiency or the implementation of call-back features to assist financially vulnerable callers - and emphasized the need to find the right connectivity partner.
techUK_Children's Services Digital Switchover_VMO2 Slides
BT Business Support: Graham Passmore from BT Business highlighted the importance of auditing existing systems to identify all services using PSTN lines and understand which services are critical and which can be discontinued or replaced and understanding edge cases. He discussed the professional managed services offered by BT to assist customers in the migration process and the availability of the pre-digital phone line as a temporary solution for customers who need more time to transition to digital services. This solution allows customers to retain their legacy PSTN devices while planning their migration.
techUK_Children's Services Digital Switchover_BT Slides
4C Strategies – Paul Ridge and Nick Cassidy shared their experience as independent consultants helping organizations through digital transformation. They emphasized the importance of auditing existing systems to identify all services using PSTN lines. This includes reviewing billing records, conducting site walkthroughs, and documenting all findings. Paul and Nick stressed the importance of engaging with service providers early in the process to understand the options available and to plan the migration effectively. This includes discussing potential solutions and timelines and testing early to ensure a smooth transition.
techUK_Children's Services Digital Switchover_4C Slides
Department for Science Innovation and Technology – Jack Heald from DSIT explained the government's role in coordinating the response to the PSTN switch-off. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the migration happens safely and effectively, particularly for vulnerable customers and critical national infrastructure.
Case Study: Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust: Ben Ford from Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust shared their experience of migrating from copper to fiber services. He highlighted the significant cost savings, improved connectivity, and operational efficiencies achieved through the project.
Key recommendations to ensure a smooth and successful digital transformation:
- PSTN Switch Off Audit: Conduct a comprehensive audit of all PSTN lines and devices in the schools to identify which services are using copper lines and need to be transitioned.
- Digital Strategy Development: Develop a digital strategy that includes the transition from PSTN to digital services, ensuring alignment with the DfE's digital and technology standards.
- Supplier Engagement: Engage with current communication providers to discuss the transition plan from PSTN to digital services and ensure all necessary steps are taken.
- Critical Services Identification: Identify and document all critical services that rely on PSTN lines, such as fire alarms, security systems, and lift alarms, and plan their transition to digital alternatives.
- Technology Standards Self-Assessment: Complete the self-assessment using the DfE's Plan Technology for your School service to identify gaps and receive actionable recommendations for digital infrastructure improvements.
For more information on techUK’s work in the Digital Phone Switchover please contact Sarah at: [email protected] and for more information on education and edtech please contact Austin at: [email protected].
Sarah Shepherd
Austin Earl
Austin leads techUK’s Education and EdTech programme, shaping strategies that support the digital transformation of schools, colleges, and universities. His work focuses on strengthening the UK’s education technology ecosystem, enhancing core technology foundations, and advancing the adoption of emerging technologies to improve educational outcomes.
Austin also chairs the EdTech Advisory Panel for AI in Education, contributing to national discussions on the future of EdTech, AI, and the UK's Education system.