A UK lobby group has criticised plans to completely retire the UK’s copper wire landline network and replace it with a digital system. Most households with landline phones will have made the switch by January 2027 after plans to make the change were announced back in 2017. It comes as BT reveals that 94 locations are set for a major switch-off, with exchanges expected to impact around 960,000 premises across the country.
Once these upgrades happen, households will need to switch to a broadband-powered phone, utilising Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to connect calls. Dennis Reed, director at Silver Voices, a membership organisation representing senior citizens in the UK, has blasted the plans and argues that copper landlines are more reliable in emergency situations.
« We’ve been campaigning hard against this for two to three years now because we are extremely worried about the impact on older people and people in rural areas, » he told the Daily Express.
He added: « Unless you have a mobile phone or a mobile signal, you are pretty stuck if there is a power cut and the digital telephone goes down with the internet. »
Dennis argues that elderly people will be put in danger amid the changeover, sharing concerns that they won’t be able to make emergency calls when power cuts occur and internet connections go down.
« We advise people to contact their supplier as soon as they get a notice that says they are going to be switched over to say, ‘Look, this is going to present me with particular problems because I don’t have a mobile phone, I don’t have internet. What are you going to do about me?’, » Dennis said.
He highlighted reported plans by telephone companies to supply back-up battery packs for emergencies, but is concerned about people who aren’t very digitally literate and might be unable to figure out how to work them.
« It’s an inferior alternative. The landline is reliable, whereas internet signals, as we all know from our home experiences, are not so reliable, » he added.
« They can go down, and signals can drop out. »
Dennis said if « all else fails », people will have no choice but to contact their MPs about their concerns.
Age UK, a charity for older people, has worked to reassure elderly people across the country amid the switchover from the traditional landline system to a digital one. They urged people to contact their provider if they have concerns.
Nadine Kennedy, policy manager at Age UK, told the Daily Express: « We are particularly stressing this for anybody who has a telecare alarm, so that’s a pendant alarm in case of a fall. Those people mustn’t be moved to a digital system until it’s confirmed that their system is working properly.
« The other issue is that telephone providers must offer a battery backup unit or a mobile phone for emergency calls free of charge if somebody is dependent on a landline. »
A petition set up by Dennis on Change.org, which calls for « forced digital switchovers » to be stopped, has reached close to 100,000 signatures. He revealed that Silver Voices has taken a more hardened approach to the issue than Age UK, and wrote on the petition page that the change poses « severe safety implications »
A BT spokesperson told The Daily Express: « The transition from analogue to digital landlines is an essential upgrade because the decades-old technology is increasingly unreliable and no longer fit for purpose.
« We understand the concerns raised and want to reassure customers that as the UK moves to a more future-proofed network, BT is committed to supporting them every step of the way. This includes free in-home assistance, battery back-up units, and hybrid phones to keep people connected during power cuts for those who need them.
« We’re working closely with local authorities, the telecare industry, charities, and community groups to ensure customers – especially those with additional needs – receive tailored support. Anyone with questions or concerns about the switchover should contact their landline provider, who can make sure they have the right solutions in place. »
BT said it’s working with charities and representative bodies such as Age UK, Independent Age, Which?, Department of Health and Social Care and Rural Services Network, among others, which make up its Digital Voice Advisory Group. It says that Silver Voices was previously part of that group but stepped away.
The company added that it’s « taking a region-by-region approach for vulnerable customers », and says it has been raising awareness of the switchover on a regional basis, supported by local events, advertising campaigns and working with local charity partners, key industry groups and stakeholders.
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