How telecoms equipment suppliers can prepare for the WLR stop sell

The ISDN and PSTN switch off, taking place in December 2025, will mark the biggest change in the telecoms sector for over 30 years. The plan will see the UK become ‘fully fibre’, with all copper-based connectivity switched off. In preparation for the 2025 deadline, all communication providers will be required to stop selling new supplies of Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) from 5th September 2023.

For businesses supplying telecoms equipment, the stop sell means that all WLR-reliant hardware will become obsolete once the UK’s networks are entirely switched to FFTP. So, how can telecoms resellers prepare for the stop sell, and retain their customers up to, and after, the 2025 switch off?

Simon Fabb, director of channel-only funding service, Lease Group, discusses:

“Many UK organisations are feeling daunted at the prospect of the ISDN and PSTN switch off. It’s understandable – as it will be a complete overhaul of our telecoms system, requiring businesses to upgrade their internet connectivity and purchase new equipment.”

“Companies will be looking to telecoms providers to support them in the transition to hosted telephony. So, make sure your customers are knowledgeable about the switch.”

“Huge Growth Potential”

“We’re currently supporting over 500 telecoms resellers with the move to VoIP, arming them with a finance solution that covers all elements of hardware, service and even licences. In fact, there is huge growth potential for resellers in the face of the stop-sell.”

“For the first time, telecoms resellers can package a single direct debit for the entire solution, and receive the full contracted revenue on the day of installation. Historically, customers would need two bills, one for the hardware lease, one for line rental.”

“This provides our Partners with an opportunity to generate serious cash upfront. As an example, with leasing, the full contracted revenue on a 36, 60, or even 84-month hosted telephony solution can be paid to the reseller upfront. That’s a huge advantage for resellers in growth mode.”

“Another benefit for offering a lease on the entire hosted solution is that the customer repayment risk passes to Lease Group, so there’s no need to lose sleep over missed payments or customers falling into administration.”

“At Lease Group, we have hundreds of partners from the telecoms sector that use our white-labelled leasing portal to offer leasing deals to their customers. When choosing a leasing portal, make sure you choose one that can deliver instant online credit decisions, allows you to scale and offers fast payouts upon project completion.”