Landline switchover could cut people off in emergency, minister warned

The landline switchover is the UK’s move from traditional analogue phone services to internet-based digital services. Operators aim to complete it by the end of January next year. The change matters because the government says the old analogue network is becoming increasingly unreliable.

Instead of carrying calls through copper-wire cables, the new service uses a digital connection. In many homes, that connection runs through equipment such as a router. The router needs mains electricity, unlike the traditional phone network. This creates a new risk during power cuts, especially where mobile coverage is weak.

The government and operators say digital landlines will offer a more reliable service overall. However, MPs from remote areas want stronger safeguards before the copper network is scrapped. BT OpenReach is supplying vulnerable customers with backup batteries, while the government says providers must offer free units to vulnerable telecare users. The switchover’s success depends on resilience during storms and other emergencies.

Digital landlines can fail during a power cut because the equipment delivering the service, including a home router, depends on mains electricity. When the router loses power, the phone service may stop too. The traditional network is different because it does not rely on mains electricity at the customer’s home.

MP Markus Campbell-Savours described an elderly person living alone in an isolated Lake District valley. A storm could cut power to the router overnight. The modest backup battery might then fail, while the mobile mast could also stop working. That combination would leave the person unable to raise an alarm, according to the concern he raised.

Providers are giving vulnerable customers backup battery packs, but Torcuil Crichton said they may last only an hour or more and are not adequate for severe conditions. MPs want a stronger solution for remote communities. The government has promised to examine the issue through its resilience work and discussions with telecoms firms.

People most at risk are those who are vulnerable, isolated or dependent on communications for urgent help. The article specifically highlights elderly residents living alone, telecare users and people separated from neighbours. Residents of remote parts of the Western Isles, the West Country and the Lake District raised particular concerns.

Torcuil Crichton described island communities where a power cut could remove the phone, internet and mobile signal together. Markus Campbell-Savours gave the example of an elderly person alone in an isolated Lake District valley. If the router battery and mobile mast failed, that person might have no way to raise an alarm. An ambulance could also be an hour away.

These risks become sharper during storms and other emergencies. MPs said mobile providers may not be able to keep signals operating in severe weather. They want telecoms companies and ministers to protect communities “on the edge” before copper lines are removed. The government says the concerns will be considered at a resilience summit and through work with the responsible department.

BT OpenReach has been giving backup battery packs to vulnerable customers whose digital landlines could stop during a power cut. The article states that these batteries can keep landline phones operating for an hour or more. The government also says communication providers must provide a free backup battery unit to vulnerable customers, such as telecare users.

The batteries work by supplying temporary power to the equipment needed for the digital phone service. They are not a permanent replacement for mains electricity. Once the battery runs down, the landline may stop unless power is restored. Other infrastructure, including a mobile mast, could also fail during a storm.

Torcuil Crichton said a battery lasting an hour or more was “simply not adequate” for isolated island communities. Markus Campbell-Savours raised a similar concern about an elderly person whose battery failed overnight. The article does not give a longer guaranteed duration, so resilience beyond that period remains an unresolved issue.

The article does not identify a specific alternative for contacting emergency services after the router, mobile mast and landline have all lost power. It therefore cannot confirm that another reliable communication method would remain available in that situation. This gap is central to the MPs’ concerns about the switchover.

In the Western Isles, Torcuil Crichton said a power cut could remove the phone, internet and mobile signal at the same time. In the Lake District example, the router battery and mobile mast could both fail. The examples show several possible routes to help disappearing together, rather than presenting a tested replacement.

The article points to preparation and resilience measures instead of naming another emergency channel. Vulnerable customers can receive backup batteries, and the government’s Be Ready campaign advises people to contact their provider about migration. MPs want a new technological solution, while ministers plan further discussions with telecoms companies and a resilience summit.

Telecoms companies have a direct role in keeping digital phone services available during emergencies. The government says providers must give vulnerable customers, including telecare users, a free backup battery unit. MPs also want firms to improve their ability to maintain digital and mobile services during storms, outages and other emergencies.

The article highlights the limits of current protection. BT OpenReach’s batteries can keep phones working for an hour or more, but Torcuil Crichton said this was inadequate for isolated communities. Mobile providers may also struggle to keep signals operating during storms. These weaknesses can leave people without a way to call for help.

The government must examine the risks and coordinate a resilient switchover. Dan Jarvis promised to look closely at concerns about backup systems, raise telecoms issues with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and address them at a resilience summit. He called telephone networks vital critical national infrastructure supporting emergency services.

Traditional copper landlines can continue working during a power cut because the network does not rely on mains electricity at the user’s home. The article describes this independence as a built-in resilience advantage. That is why MPs are concerned about losing the copper network before an equally dependable replacement is available.

Digital services work differently. The phone connection is internet-based and normally passes through equipment such as a router. A power cut can switch off that equipment, stopping the digital landline. A backup battery can temporarily power it, but BT OpenReach says the packs supplied to vulnerable customers last for an hour or more. After that, service may fail if electricity has not returned.

This difference matters most in isolated places. A storm could cut mains power, drain the router battery and disrupt a mobile mast. MPs from the Western Isles, West Country and Lake District want stronger protections. The government says the digital network should be more reliable overall, but its emergency resilience is still being examined.