Landline switchover could cut people off in emergency, minister warned
Plans to switch to digital landlines by January could leave remote areas of the UK vulnerable, MPs say.
By BBC News
MPs have warned that the UK’s switch from traditional landlines to digital phone services could leave people in remote areas unable to call for help during a power cut or severe weather.
Telephone operators aim to complete the move from the copper-wire network to an internet-based system by the end of January next year.
Traditional landlines can continue working during a power cut because they do not rely on mains electricity. Digital landlines generally use a broadband router, meaning the service can stop if the power supply fails.
Torcuil Crichton, the Labour MP for the Western Isles, said some island communities already faced poor internet and mobile coverage.
“When the power goes out people don't have the phone, they don't have the internet and often they don't have a mobile signal either,” he told MPs.
He urged security minister Dan Jarvis to ensure telecoms companies improved the resilience of digital services in isolated communities.
Mr Crichton said people in some areas could be “isolated from their neighbours” while emergency help was a long distance away, particularly during severe storms.
Similar concerns were raised by MPs representing parts of the West Country and the Lake District.
Conservative MP Julian Lewis questioned whether there was a sufficient back-up system if digital phone services failed during a cyber attack, storm or other emergency. He said the old copper network could have provided useful resilience.
Mr Jarvis said he would examine the concern. He also told MPs from the West Country that the issue would be discussed at a government resilience summit due to take place in Cornwall next month.
The minister said he would raise concerns about telecommunications companies with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
“Our telephone networks are a vital part of our critical national infrastructure,” Mr Jarvis said, adding that they support emergency responses during weather-related crises and help keep people connected.
Telecoms providers have been offering battery back-up packs to vulnerable customers. These can keep a digital landline working for an hour or more, although MPs questioned whether that would be enough during prolonged outages.