Swisscom info and facts
Berne, 27 April 2017
Here are the answers to the 15 most frequently asked questions of our customers.
A filter for advertising calls, name displaying for incoming calls, customised blocking of unsolicited numbers – today’s customer needs can no longer be satisfied by our current century-old fixed network telephony system. Swisscom is therefore switching to IP - and thus to a single transmission technology for telephony, Internet, data and TV. IP is a proven technology that is used worldwide, while conventional fixed network telephony has reached the end of its useful life. As fewer spare parts are stocked as a result, it will be impossible to support the technology in the medium term.
No, no customer’s fixed network connection will be simply shut down. Swisscom will personally notify all customers in advance and support their switch to IP. However, Swisscom recommends business customers especially to switch to IP as quickly as possible.
Swisscom is already in the process of switching the outdated infrastructure to IP at specific locations. Beginning in 2018, customer lines will be switched completely to IP in larger regions of Switzerland to push ahead with dismantling of the old network infrastructure in those areas. The switch will allow the regions to benefit from advanced communication options. Swisscom is starting with the four major regions of Solothurn/Biel/Jura, Schaffhausen/Winterthur/Frauenfeld, Balsthal/Olten/areas of Aargau/Oberaargau and Rapperswil/Jona/Glarus. Further regions are in the pipeline and will be duly announced.
Residential customers:
the majority of residential customers have already switched to IP and enjoy the benefits of IP technology, including filtering advertising calls, HD voice quality and name display. Swisscom will personally contact the remaining residential customers and support their switch to IP. In most cases this is easy. The fixed-network telephone is plugged directly into the router.
Business customers:
the switch takes more time for business customers and is spread over different phases: raising an inventory, project organisation, developing a future solution design and migration to IP. The majority of these projects will be completed for business customers with the switch to IP in 2017. We recommend business customers to switch to IP before the end of 2017, as they will enjoy better availability of resources from partner companies and special application providers (lift phones, alarm systems).
Once the switch to All IP is due, Swisscom will get in touch with you and you will receive a router free of charge which can be connected to your existing telephone line. You will connect your telephone to this and everything will continue to operate as normal. If you like, our Swisscom Friends neighbourhood support or a service engineer can help you with the switch. You will also be able to take advantage of lots of new services, like improved voice quality in HD or the option of blocking unsolicited callers or advertising calls. Currently, you automatically benefit from all All IP if you switch to Swisscom Line basic (telephone line), Swisscom Line plus (telephone line with unlimited calls) or inOne with Swisscom TV for example.
More than 1.6 million Swisscom customers (as of April 2016) have already switched to IP. They use products like Swisscom Line basic (telephone line), Swisscom Line plus (telephone line with unlimited calls), Swisscom TV 2.0, Vivo packages, My SME Office, Smart Business Connect or inOne. If your fixed network telephone is plugged directly into the router, you are already on IP. If you are unsure, you can call our toll free number 0800 882 002 for information.
Callfilter (protection again unsolicited advertising calls), HD voice quality, personalised blacklists, name display of all numbers registered in local.ch and options like using the fixed network on the move via smartphone or holding two calls at the same time. Swisscom Line plus subscribers can make unlimited calls at a monthly flat rate, also without Internet or TV.
If you already have a router for the Internet and/or television (Internet Box) you will now plug your fixed network telephone into it as well. If you only had a fixed network connection up to now, you will receive a free router for the switch. It fulfils the function of a base station, also for many newer DECT mobile phones: it recognises mobile phones at the touch of a button and connects them automatically. This makes the base station superfluous.
Most residential customers use ISDN in a combination of ISDN and analogue telephones (e.g. analogue DECT phone). You can continue to use these devices with IP. However, classic ISDN phones can no longer be used with current IP packages for residential customers. IP products with several speech channels and phone numbers (MultiLINE option) are available for these customers. Swisscom discourages all customers from using ISDN phones with the new IP fixed network telephony and recommends directly switching to IP fixed network phones in order to enjoy all the benefits of IP telephony like the Callfilter, HD Voice, name display, personal blacklist etc. Swisscom supports all customers with their switch from ISDN to IP by adapting their home installation free of charge (worth CHF 249.–).
As part of the new basic service MultiLine option, a router with ISDN interface will be available to residential customers as per 01.01.2018; not however for packages like Vivo or inOne, for instance. Customers cannot perform switching to such ISDN/IP combi-solutions themselves, but need a service engineer who will perform the installation adjustments for a charge. If a customer later decides to switch to IP, they will require a service engineer a second time to switch the installation entirely to IP.
Swisscom has made the SIP credentials available since April 2017 so that customers can also use routers from other providers. However, Swisscom recommends its customers to continue using the Swisscom router after release of the SIP credentials. These are fully tested. Swisscom vouches for the quality and security of these products. Furthermore the “Setting up SIP credentials on other routers” option is not supported as a service and is only recommended for technically versed customers.
This “Internet-Box light” requires 5 watts. This is the same as a low-energy LED light, which costs a maximum of 2 cents per day to run. Incidentally, replacing traditional fixed network technology with the additional routers will actually result in a net energy saving.
In the event of power failure, customers can reroute their fixed network number to another number directly in the Customer Center or via the hotline so they can still be reached. The number that you will be connected to in an emergency can be changed at any time. Do so easily via your customer account management at http://swisscom.ch/login
As of June double protection in the event of a power or network failure is available with the Swisscom Line basic and the fail-safe guarantee option: a battery ensures that the router works for the fixed network connection even in the event of power failure.
The mobile fail-safe feature ensures that calls are rerouted to the mobile network in the event of a fixed network failure. Making calls is thus guaranteed even in case of emergencies. This solution was primarily developed for analogue emergency telephony, like lift phones or the emergency devices of senior citizens, for instance. Customers can thus easily continue to use their analogue emergency devices on IP.
Find out all you need to know about the new fail-safe guarantee product at: www.swisscom.ch/fail-safe
Yes, the best-known example was when cable and SRG’s terrestrial transmission (“through the air”) replaced analogue TV. When this took place gradually in the middle of the 2000s, most television sets were not yet set up for the new technology – customers had to purchase a DVB-T reception box themselves.
Hotlines for general questions:
Residential customers please call 0800 800 800 / SME customers 0800 055 055 / Enterprise customers 800 800 900. General info about All IP and special applications (lift phones, alarm systems, building services control systems etc.)
Internet: http://www.swisscom.ch/ip
All IP for SME customers: www.swisscom.ch/ip-sme
All IP for Enterprise customers: https://www.swisscom.ch/en/business/enterprise/themen/work-smart/all-ip.html