There are situations where digital landlines can malfunction, like a power outage. According to a charter that phone carriers have ratified, customers may only switch from analog to digital lines if doing so has no effect on telecare.
The UK is currently transitioning to digital landlines, a process that primarily entails replacing equipment at exchanges rather than in individual homes. Although information on the switchover has been made public by telecom firms and Ofcom, the industry watchdog, some people who rely on their analog landline are concerned.
After taking notice of the incidents where the telecare devises failed, Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan contacted telecom firms, including Sky, BT, Virgin Media O2 and TalkTalk.
The companies have come to an agreement on a new charter, whereby they promise not to move clients to a digital network until they are certain that they will be safe. Donelan stated that phone companies "agreed that the right thing to do is to temporarily pause all non-voluntary, managed migrations to a digital landline where there is any risk that a customer's telecare service will not continue to work."
The phone companies also committed to:
- Additional checks on consumers who have already been transferred to ensure they do not have telecare equipment the phone provider was not aware of.
- Not transfer consumers to a digital landline without assurance that a compatible telecare solution is in place.
Donelan said, "The recent issues families have had to endure are unacceptable and [the] agreements will help to protect consumers in future."
According to phone companies, aged and vulnerable clients might not be aware that the transition is taking place, and they are not always sure who has a telecare equipment.
They have advised local authorities and telecare services to share the data they have in their devices. Also, these phone companies have asked telecare firms to test their devices to confirm they will work properly following the change-over.
Communication services company like the BT group has taken several measures to protect telecare and other vulnerable users, reliant on a landline during a power outage, such as providing battery backup units and hybrid phones with an integrated battery that can convert to a mobile network.
In a blog post, director at BT Consumer, Lucy Baker wrote, "Over the past week, we've been informed about incidents involving telecare users from another communications provider who had been switched to a digital landline."
