BT stops offering traditional landlines - despite fears elderly will be cut off

04 September 2023 , 12:49

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Dennis Reed, director of the organisation Silver Voices

BT is no longer providing landline connections to most new customers.

People joining BT from this week may have to plug their landline phone into a broadband router. The firm aims to replace the existing copper wire system with Digital Voice phones by 2025, with around 10 million households still to switch.

The copper wire system that has existed since Victorian times needs to be replaced as it is no longer fit for our modern era. But critics point out that digital phones are cut off in power or internet outages.

There are also worries the switch will leave older people in the lurch should they face problems with broadband connection or power cuts. Around 95% of over-65s have a landline - trusted, legacy technology which works in these instances.

Margaret Boden has had issued with her Digital Voice phone

Digital Voice needs a broadband connection and electricity for it to work. Dennis Reed, director of the organisation Silver Voices says that since the roll-out was restarted by BT this summer following a pause of around a year, he has been contacted by several members who have experienced problems.

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Mr Reed said: "We have had a continuous stream of emails from people saying they are dissatisfied with having been switched over, many of whom are over 70 - despite the fact people in this age group should only have been moved on a voluntary basis."

Silver Voices, which campaigns on issues affecting older people, now want to see another pause on the rollout until the problems are ironed out. Mr Reed added: "BT have said they aren't moving people who don't have broadband yet, but a lot of older customers still have broadband so they can send emails, yet they still rely on their landlines and they don't want to transfer to an unreliable alternative.

"We would like to see the pause resumed because of the concerns that have been raised, if not I can see increasing public concern about this."

Digital Voice started being rolled out by BT in 2018, but was paused four years later, when storms affected people in rural areas and they were cut off from their landlines for several days. One major problem, with the storms being a case in point, is that while analogue phones still work in the event of a power outage or broadband going down, Digital Voice devices do not.

This is something 75-year-old Margaret Boden and her husband Derek have experienced since moving to their new home in September 2021, when BT installed Digital Voice along with their new broadband. The retired charity CEO, of Dromore, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, said: "The first time we realised the phone didn't work during a power cut was when we woke up to one in November 2021.

"Since then we've had other power outages where the same thing has happened. The problem is, where we live our mobile reception is very poor so when our Digital Voice phone goes down we can't rely on a mobile, which is a major worry for us."

Meanwhile, Paul Andrews, a 68-year-old company director from Tenterden Kent, is among those who has had numerous problems since his landline was switched to Digital Voice. He said: "When broadband has gone down the phone doesn't work, same for power cuts. I managed to get my 94-year-old mum stopped from being switched, as it would have left her very vulnerable."

Last week, a poll for The Mirror found 90% of people disagreed with the move from the analogue system to Digital Voice technology. The switchover also means that if people want to have a landline phone, they must have a broadband connection installed.

However, according to consumer watchdog Which? there are currently about a million voice-only customers, some of whom will not have any access to broadband. Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: "While going digital offers some important advantages - such as a clearer connection - it’s essential that no-one gets left behind in the move away from traditional landlines.

"All providers must put clear plans in place to make sure everyone has the help they need such as giving proper notice ahead of switching and providing extra assistance if needed."

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A spokesperson for telecoms regulator Ofcom said: "We know some people depend on their landline and that’s why we have set clear expectations on phone companies around the switch to digital calls.
"Identifying people who may be at risk because they rely on their landline is crucial. We expect companies to communicate effectively with these customers and make sure they get the support they need.”

BT said customers with additional needs would get a back-up battery pack, which others could buy. It said only fibre-enabled homes will be offered digital connections and that vulnerable users will not be switched yet.

A spokesperson for BT said: “We understand that for many, particularly those with additional needs, the landline is a lifeline. We want to be sure that everyone remains connected. For Digital Voice customers with additional needs, including those who identify as vulnerable and those who live in an area without mobile signal, we will provide a battery back-up unit free of charge. Customers without additional needs can also choose to purchase a battery back-up unit."

Natasha Wynarczyk