Temporary Reprieve

MARCH 2022

On 29 March 2022 BT issued a press release stating that the programme of conversion to VoIP would be paused.

The following extracts from the press release explain BT's position:

"We also recognise we have more work to do on getting better back-up solutions in place for when things disrupt the service like storms and power cuts."

"So, we are pausing all further Digital Voice switch-overs for customers who don’t want to move to the new technology straight away."

"This will be a pause to part of the programme. We will aim to re-start once we have key solutions in place to provide our customers with more resilient connectivity. These include:

Hybrid phones that can switch to a mobile network and have an in-built, long-lasting battery.
The option of longer-lasting battery back-up units for customers who want or need them.
Providing in-home ‘mobile landlines’ for people without broadband.
Addressing so-called mobile ‘not-spots’, with continued investment in the Shared Rural Network. We’ve recently announced a further 1,500 locations that will get better coverage as a result.
Launching an awareness campaign so that our customers better understand the need to switch.
Continuing to proactively engage the related industries - like healthcare pendants and burglar alarm providers to ensure our most vulnerable customers continue to get the service they need.
And we’re continuing to work on other things, too, including advancements to scam-call shielding and fraud reduction tools, that we know are becoming ever more important to our users of landlines.

There are some exceptions

There are some customers for whom our Digital Voice rollout will continue. This includes those using our Fibre Voice Access broadband package, which means they receive voice services over their fibre broadband. This is a legacy product which needs to be upgraded to Digital Voice.

We will also continue our rollout for customers in Salisbury and Mildenhall, where Openreach has been working closely with BT and other providers to trial the retirement and withdrawal of old, analogue landline technology. It’s important we continue this work so that we learn how to upgrade customers in the smoothest, most efficient way.

And what about our Enterprise customers? They will be upgraded to a different, business-grade IP voice product so are not affected by this temporary pause. BT’s Enterprise business will begin to proactively contact customers in phases over the coming months to advise on timescales and process for upgrading to new Digital Voice and broadband products."

Full text of the press release can be found here.

MAY 2024

On 20 May 2024 BT issued a further press release announcing a revised timetable for moving customers to VoIP. The following are extracts from the press release:

"BT Group has announced a revision to its timetable for moving all customers – consumers and businesses – off the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and onto digital landlines. The move follows the introduction of a series of improvements to the programme to better protect vulnerable customers and those with additional needs, including telecare users.

BT Group’s Consumer division has re-started switching zero-use landline customers who have a broadband connection to its Digital Voice landline service. This follows an industry-wide pause and the introduction of the Government’s Charter to protect vulnerable customers, especially telecare users, while making the switch from analogue to digital landlines.

BT Consumer customers (except landline-only customers, those who use telecare or who have additional needs) will be contacted and offered the chance to switch to a digital landline provided over full fibre broadband, where available. This move aligns with BT Group’s wider strategy to build and connect customers to its future-proof, full fibre broadband, which will be available to 25 million premises by the end of 2026."

"The revised approach will result in a single switch for the majority of customers (businesses and consumers) – from copper to fibre - with all customers now expected to have moved off the old analogue PSTN by the end of January 2027."

"In January BT Consumer led the formation of the Telecare Action Board (TAB), which has brought together around 30 organisations from Government, the telecoms and telecare sectors, industry bodies, local authorities and regulatory stakeholders to identify and protect telecare users and those with additional needs before they switch to digital.

Coming together was the first step, collaborating was the second. The whole industry must now step up to deliver for customers in the spirit of the Charter, providing the transparency which is critical to the success of this programme. So far, only around a quarter of local authorities and telecare providers have disclosed which phone lines have telecare devices on them; it's now imperative that every single one of these organisations do the same so that these customers receive the right support at the right time.

A gradual approach to switching

April 2024, BT Consumer resumed non-voluntary migrations for customers who have not used their landline in the last 12 months, who do not identify as vulnerable or have additional needs, have not contacted an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) in the last 24 months and live in an area where a data sharing agreement - which identifies vulnerable customers and detects alarm numbers is in place with the Local Authority or Telecare provider. Switching them to a digital landline provided over full fibre where available on an opt out basis initially.

From Summer 2024, BT Consumer will ramp-up non-voluntary migrations for customers who do not identify as vulnerable or have additional needs, in areas where data sharing agreements have been signed with the local authority or telecare provider.

For customers who don’t use broadband, which includes landline-only consumer customers and business customers with specialist connectivity requirements, including some alarms, lift and emergency lines, ATMs and payment terminals, the company is working on an interim, dedicated landline service¹ designed to keep these customers connected while moving them off the analogue PSTN.

New equipment will be installed in local telephone exchanges that will allow consumer and business customers who do not have broadband to use their landline in the same way as they do today until a digital solution becomes available or 2030, if that comes sooner. Trials have already begun with a nationwide rollout for eligible customers expected this Autumn.

From Spring 2025, BT Consumer will contact customers who identify as vulnerable or with additional needs about the switch in areas where data sharing agreements with Local Authorities or Telecare companies are in place and in-home support for telecare users is available.

All customers will be contacted at least four weeks in advance before making the switch, to ensure they are ready to move to a digital landline. Engineering appointments will be made ahead of the switch and additional support will be provided on the day to ensure that customers are left with a working telecare device."

"Continued support for customers

The company will continue to maintain its strict policies to protect telecare users and vulnerable customers where they are made aware of their status and will continue to provide resilient solutions to customers who are dependent on their landline. These include:

Providing free battery back-up units to customers with additional needs, such as those with health pendants, or who are over 70 or without mobile coverage. Battery back-up units enable calls in the event of a power outage and later this year, we will launch an advanced battery back-up unit outlasting most power cuts, with a battery life that far exceeds the minimum Ofcom requirements.
Offering customers a hybrid phone with a battery back-up of eight hours and enabling calls over the mobile network in the event of a power outage.
Continued investment in our leading 4G network, which is on course to pass 90% of the UK’s geographic landmass by the mid-2020s, building additional resilience into our core network and providing reliable connectivity to rural communities through the Shared Rural Network programme.
Engineering appointments for all customers who identify as vulnerable and have additional needs, with the ability to nominate a family member, friend or carer to help them through the switch, who will receive all the information about switching on the customers behalf. Vulnerable customers will automatically receive the equipment they need and they won’t be switched until they have spoken to an advisor and booked an appointment.
In home support for telecare users, known as ‘Prove IP Telecare’, due to launch in Spring next year where an Openreach engineer will support a customer through the switch from an analogue to digital landline and will make sure that the telecare device is working before leaving the property. If the telecare device isn’t working, then the engineer will switch the customer back to an analogue landline.

BT Consumer will not move any of its customers who are known to be vulnerable or with additional needs until Spring 2025 at the earliest, once the necessary data sharing agreements with Local Authorities or Telecare companies are in place and in-home support for telecare users is available."

^"1 The dedicated landline service is not compatible with broadband and will allow customers without broadband to stay connected."

Full text of this press release can be found here.