BT has halted its plans to axe landlines, admitting it got things wrong.
The telecoms giant said it made the decision to pause the Digital Voice rollout because of concerns that up to half a million elderly people faced being isolated in the move to force all homes online. However, BT stressed that this was just a temporary halt to the programme, which would be resumed once steps were in place to address customers' concerns.
Pensioners groups have criticised the move by BT to force all homes online, affecting those who rely on traditional landline phones to communicate. And telecoms regulator Ofcom raised concerns that emergency alarms might stop working if the digital changeover came into effect as planned in 2025.
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A spokesperson from BT said: It’s clear from what some customers are telling us that we underestimated the impact this technology upgrade would have on certain customer groups. We got it wrong by going too early, and for this we’re sorry. We’ll aim to restart the programme, once we’re more confident that the right products and solutions are in place that will provide more resilient connectivity."
The Digital Voice switchover will see the traditional handset replaced by a new 'digital' phone powered by electricity that relies on the internet for calls to be made. The regulator said BT’s digital phone rollout will render many devices useless, as safety gadgets such as panic alarms, which use analogue phone lines, will cease to function. The devices typically are strapped to a wrist or worn on a pendant around the neck in case of a fall or serious medical incident, such as a stroke or heart attack.
Some 1.5 million BT customers have already had their old landlines replaced with new digital systems and around 15% of landlines are now accessed over broadband, up from 8% last year, according to Ofcom.
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, criticised BT's communication of the rollout, saying: “Public communications about the switchover have been poor to date and urgently need attention. Older people need to know from their telecoms provider, Ofcom and the Government what will happen when, and what their options are."
Ofgem has told the telecom companies their “triaging of vulnerable consumers has been inadequate, and the advice received inaccurate”. It raised concerns that many customers were unaware their phone lines were being replaced and that their devices would stop operating until a few days before their landlines were switched off.
Customers face upgrading to new devices that work with the new technology, or replacing them with more costly alternatives, such as alarms that use mobile sim networks to make emergency calls, rather than over the landline. Ofcom has stressed that telecoms providers have an obligation to ensure these households have access to the emergency services, which may be fulfilled by providing a free mobile phone to customers. But experts fear millions more do not have a mobile phone or do not know how to use one properly.
Jan Shortt, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said: "BT has no idea that many older people do not want a fancy smartphone or cannot afford one – and rely on their landline as a lifeline. It is wrong to discriminate against those – primarily the elderly – who are not wired up to the internet.'
The BT spokesman said the rollout would resume once the issues had been ironed out.
“The upgrade of the rapidly ageing analogue landline phones is a critical national industry programme that carries very important and significant long-term benefits for the UK. Digitising the UK’s future is a crucial mission for the industry, and we’re determined to get it right," he said.
