Your existing technology

What is it

What is changing

Line Rental

Provides basic access to the BT Openreach network through your local exchange.

From 2008, BT’s remaining incumbent advantage will be lost as alternative operators can offer exactly the same line rental services and features.

Local Loop Unbundling (LLU)

Allows other network operators to provide your lines and manage the connection from your local exchange.

Several suppliers have announced that they will soon be providing their own line rental services. Opening up lines to improved competition will generate a wider variety of features from more suppliers. But LLU still remains very location dependant.

Broadband

Uses your existing phone line to deliver Internet services.

Broadband speeds are growing exponentially and connections of up to 8Mb are already available. Recent improvements have led to business grade quality services.

What is it

What is changing

A high bandwidth, dedicated, point to point connection used for voice or data.

Leased lines can now be used for both high-speed voice and data. However, Broadband is quickly catching up at significantly lower cost.

Provides a very high speed, dedicated IP connection for both voice and data.

Ethernet is becoming more popular as bandwidth requirements grow due to an increase in applications such as VoIP.

What is it

What is changing

Mobile network technologies; GSM for voice traffic and GPRS and 3G for data connectivity.

The networks themselves aren’t converging but the devices are. Single device solutions are key to many of the latest handset ranges.

Uses a local GSM connection to route mobile calls through your PBX to achieve cost efficiencies.

Many fixed and mobile network operators have invested in local GSM licences but we’ve only seen limited product solutions so far.

Routes office to mobile calls directly to the mobile networks to reduce costs.

Also virtual private mobile networks allow you to select the right mobile network to avoid mobile interconnect charges.

WiFi / WiMax

Removes the wires altogether. WiFi can be used privately, for corporate network access in the office, or publicly from a hot-spot.

WiMax is a larger scale version of WiFi. Any users within a WiMax district can connect wirelessly. In the future we could be seeing offices in WiMax areas needing no cabling at all.