CRITICAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS UPDATE
Canada’s Telus is on track to retire its copper network by early 2023
Demands for higher speed technology i.e. Fibre Optics have created new market demands which is part is being met by Canadian Carriers’ roll-outs, yet positive and negation factors must be evaluated. Similar to what was announced by Telus last Fall, other Major Canadian Telecom Carriers are also planning to end their support of copper facilities across their networks. Businesses large and small must now prepare to set in place critical plans to evaluate the potential impact on their businesses. Many business owners unfortunately are unaware these changes are here. On the positive side, fibre to the building or curb, meets consumers’ demand for high-speed internet, and in the process, it has led the Carriers to recognize that copper can no longer meet consumers’ requirements and is more costly to maintain, thus the end of the copper road is here! On the negative side, moving forward relying on converged IP for Voice, Data Processing, Security, and Internet connectivity via a single piece of Fibre can be frightening – it means companies of all sizes must undertake a thorough review of the potential impact of no longer being able to rely on copper services. Here is a list of items to consider and some potential benefits in the converged workspace. Give these careful thought as you assess your requirement going forward. Ideas of consideration/concern for carriers ending the use of copper- Fire and Security Alarm lines
- Possible upgrades needed for existing PBXs or Key Systems to support SIP Trunks and remote IP voice
- ADSL/HDSL services (remote office internet or other Inter-office services)
- Requirements for additional internet bandwidth for supporting Voice using SIP trunks
- Additional Security requirements to support Voice (encryption)
- TI over 2 pairs of copper being used for voice services
- Off-premises extensions (OPX – Analog phones and or monitoring devices)
- Potential that existing voice equipment is EOL (end of life) or EOS (end of support) which perhaps, unknowingly are in effect or shortly in the future. Financial exposure of investing in required upgrades
- Is your IT support team ready or capable of the implications of voice requirements on your network?
- Are you contracted with the Carrier for copper service for an extended period, which may force you to use their IP infrastructure, SIP trunks, etc. as a less than favorable price point, also forcing you to upgrade at the last minute?
- Lower overall cost of Trunks (SIP)
- Substantially lower Toll cost for calls outside of North America and literally no cost for WEB video calls.
- Ability to enable usage of the trunks or add trunks from anywhere in Canada
- Ability to roll trunks over to other offices in different time zone and in the case of adverse business conditions like fire, flood, or weather conditions.
- In most cases LD calls across Canada are toll-free and the ability in many cases allow toll-free across the continental USA – Lowers cost!
- Additional lines can be added/removed quickly for seasonal peaks
- IP-enabled voice infrastructure allows remote Voice, Video conference, and Presence indication of staff from anywhere, any time, on any device (Smartphone, PC, or IP telephones).
- Allow you to engage new workers from anywhere in the world – No more distance limits!
- Ability to add remote local city telephone numbers for remote workers working in those areas to create a true local presence to clients
- Ability to support wideband audio quality not possible over copper lines