Innovation in Home and Work Phones

No so long ago desk phones were an essential part of business communication in every office, but over time and especially post pandemic, it has been replaced in many cases by the mobile and laptop communication using software such as Zoom or Teams.

Many telecoms companies in Europe are retiring PTSN and ISDN services The PTSN (Public Switch Telephone Network) gave us what we all know as a landline. This is the fixed phone connection that many of us used at home or work.  Similarly ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network phone services will be switched off because it’s now outdated and can’t manage modern business communications.

Change

Change has already come in the United States where a 2022 National Health Interview Survey, reveals 72.6% of adults (about 186 million) and 81.9% of children (nearly 60 million) lived in households that did not have a landline telephone but did have at least one wireless telephone

In Ireland the proportion of households with a fixed line telephone has fallen steadily since 2004, when 86.9% of households had a fixed line telephone in their home. By 2019 this had reduced to 59.2% of households – Source – Central Statistics Office.

What next?

Home and work phone and broadband services are changing, as steps are taken to enhance and upgrade the technologies on Irish networks over time. These enhancements are not unique to Ireland and are happening all around the world.  

As change happens VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology will allow us make calls over an internet connection. This can be done using a computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet or any other electronic mobile communication device. 

As fibre broadband becomes an increasingly available technology, and fixed landlines decrease, VoIP services will be in more demand in years ahead. Consumers should see lower costs for calls particularly international calls

Desk phones service over broadband

You can still keep your home phone service over your fibre broadband internet. A home phone service over fibre broadband (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)), can still use a standard telephone handset, but it will be plugged into the internet modem instead of into a socket in the wall.

If you need new equipment your service provider should arrange to supply the equipment needed to keep your landline phone working – for example, a new modem, new telephone handset or if you need a new broadband service installed, your provider may be able to advise you.

Recycling Old Phone Equipment

Landline or desk telephones should not be placed in the green or black bin. Landline telephones are made with chemicals and hazardous materials found in plastics, circuit boards and batteries. These materials are dangerous when placed in landfills because they can leach into water supplies.

For environmental sustainability, it’s important that desktop phones are recycled when they reach end of life. Recycle IT can collect phones from business organisations for safe recycling, possibly in combination with other computer or IT waste. All the old telephone waste will be sent for authorised electrical waste recycling, and none will go to landfill.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning, not-for-profit social enterprise established to create employment and promote environmental awareness through recycling and reuse. We work in partnership with WEEE Ireland and are authorized by your local authority to provide electrical, electronic and pure metal recycling collections across Dublin since 2007. Recycle IT are fully compliant for WEEE Recycling with permit details available here.