Circuit switched connection meaning

In telecoms contracts and regulatory materials, a circuit‑switched connection is a temporary, dedicated end‑to‑end path set up on demand between two or more endpoints, giving the user exclusive, fixed bandwidth for the duration of the call or session. It is not generally defined in legislation or case law; rather, it is a descriptive technical term used across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland in service descriptions, SLAs and interconnection agreements. Circuit switching is characteristic of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and ISDN voice services, where pricing, capacity and service levels are often specified per line or per channel and performance is predictable (for example, low latency and no contention). By contrast, most modern voice services are now packet‑switched (IP/VoIP). UK and Irish providers are migrating from circuit‑switched PSTN/ISDN to all‑IP networks, which can trigger contractual and regulatory considerations, including service variation and migration clauses, customer notifications, number portability, access to emergency services, and continuity for alarms, lifts and telecare devices. Usage and meaning are broadly consistent across the UK and Ireland; relevant regulators include Ofcom (UK) and ComReg (Ireland). See also packet‑switched connection.