(qlmbusinessnews.com Tues. 21st May, 2024) London, UK —
BT Postpones Internet-Based Landline Rollout Amidst Safety Fears for Vulnerable Customers
BT has significantly delayed its plans to transition customers from traditional copper-based landlines to internet-based services, responding to concerns raised by vulnerable individuals.
The switchover was paused at the end of last year following incidents where telecare devices, reliant on landlines, ceased functioning. Nearly two million people in the UK use personal alarms that depend on these traditional landlines.
BT, also managing EE customers, has now abandoned its initial deadline of completing the national switchover by the end of 2025, instead targeting the end of January 2027.
However, a campaign group representing elderly people has criticised the revised timeline as merely a “token concession.”
“The delay is just over a year, which we don’t believe is sufficient to ensure adequate safeguards for vulnerable customers,” stated Dennis Reed, head of Silver Voices. “BT and other telecom firms haven't even properly defined what constitutes a vulnerable customer. We believe the deadline of January 2027 is premature.”
The move is controversial as it implies that outages, which are frequent in some rural areas, could render landline phones non-functional. This poses a risk to customers relying on personal alarms, potentially leaving them disconnected and without vital services.
Revised Plan
BT explained that the new timetable follows a series of enhancements aimed at better protecting vulnerable customers and those with additional needs.
“The urgency for switching customers onto digital services grows daily as the 40-year-old analogue landline technology becomes increasingly fragile,” said Howard Watson, BT's head of security and networks. “Managing customer migrations from analogue to digital swiftly and smoothly, while ensuring necessary provisions for customers with additional needs, is critically important.”
BT has committed to safeguarding vulnerable customers, once identified, and plans to provide “resilient solutions” for those dependent on their landlines. These measures include offering free battery backup units and hybrid phones that can operate on both broadband and mobile networks.
Despite these efforts, some campaign groups argue that the solutions remain confusing.
“For many older people or those who require a simple landline that operates even during power cuts, more needs to be done to explain the changes,” said Elizabeth Anderson, head of the Digital Poverty Alliance. “Questions remain about who will pay for new phones, battery packs, or other equipment, and how people will be supported to learn new skills or behaviours, such as keeping emergency backups charged 24/7.”
The initiative is part of BT's digital voice changeover plan, which mandates all households to have an internet connection. It remains unclear whether other telecom firms will follow suit.
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