Today's councils and public services face a set of unique challenges – and the need to evolve to respond to whatever comes next weighs heavy. As we saw through lockdown, this often means rapid adoption of new technology to change ways of working and better meet evolving community needs.
Future-proofing the public sector and building resilient operations is not a new concept; talk to anyone working in national or local government and you'll find they're committed to delivering the best possible service – today and tomorrow. Indeed, BT's recent research revealed more than a third (39%) of councils see future-proofing as a top three priority.
Where budgets are tight, future-proofed organisations are more likely to have the financial foundations and the agility to respond to new scenarios, ideas and ways of serving the public. Going digital enables councils to respond faster to community demand and open the door to lasting change. This said, one technological advancement councils are yet to embrace fully is the move from the outdated PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) to fully digital connectivity (known as all-IP). Yet it's a move that will transform public sector operations.
A major national upgrade
Due to its age, the traditional phone network uses a lot of power, is increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain and simply can't support the digital tools and services councils need today. Supported by the UK government, the switch is a once-in-a-lifetime upgrade, replacing legacy 20th century infrastructure with a modern, digital network. The move opens the door to flexible working technology like Unified Communications or hosted voice. It's the future of work, offering more choice, faster speeds, better reliability and simplified communications.
But it's not just about phonelines. With millions of devices using PSTN lines to provide basic data communication, organisations must act now to get ahead and shift their communications to the cloud or digital service before the full switch-off in 2025.
So it's particularly alarming that while a staggering 79% of council organisational leaders assume the move will be easy, just 4% of councils on average have started moving communications to IP tech.
Getting ahead of roadblocks
A central problem for the public sector is miscommunication when planning the move. 51% of organisational leaders and 49% of IT staff report inconsistent strategies and execution across different sites.
Interestingly, councils were the least aligned group when considering who is driving the switch to IP technology. 43% of council leaders believe they are responsible, but an equal percentage of IT managers claimed their teams were leading the migration. Against the current economic climate, migration cost is another barrier as council budget cuts put increased pressure on local government to deliver essential services.
Nevertheless, at a time when digital transformation is critical, councils are united in believing IP technology will improve reliability, enhance connectivity, and deliver more simplified communications. IT teams and leadership must unite, define roles and responsibilities, and communicate effectively.
Planning ahead
So what's next? As a first step, councils need to understand which of their communications still rely on the PSTN – from phone lines to CCTV and alarm systems. This will likely mean collaborating with service providers to make use of dedicated testing labs, which can review any non-voice devices that currently plug into an existing analogue wall socket (these will need to be compatible with IP to work after 2025). And once councils are sure they're setting everything up correctly to minimise disruption, they can work to find an appropriate digital alternative.
This process can be daunting, especially with the switch-off looming, so partnering with a vendor with dedicated migration specialists, and a professional services team that can audit, design, develop and deploy solutions is key. Escalating the project and collaborating in-house – as well as with external experts – will minimise disruption, give organisations time to enjoy the benefits of IP solutions sooner and prepare for the next generation of public sector technology.
Modernising our national infrastructure in this way will unlock a host of benefits for the public sector: improving operations, alleviating stressors for workers and attracting fresh talent. Ultimately, this move is an investment in an organisation's people and the communities it serves. And the time to act is now.
Ashish Gupta is managing director, corporate and public sector, BT
