We’ve got your number: BT’s move will see up to 29 million households switch from traditional handsets to new digital handsets
Telecom giant BT will quietly resume its controversial roll-out of digital home phones, preventing customers from calling emergency services in the event of a power cut, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Thanks to BT’s so-called ‘digital voice’ project, up to 29 million households will switch from traditional handsets to new digital handsets that are connected to the electricity grid and require a broadband connection.
That means if there’s a power outage, the phone line will also stop working, leaving households unable to call ‘999’ for emergency services on their landlines.
Those who wear health pendants at home may find that their device does not work when connected to a landline phone, while fire and burglar alarm systems linked to emergency phone lines may also stop working.
Digital phones must be connected to the electricity grid, which adds to household bills. BT had to pause the rollout last April, following an investigation by the MoS. Thanks to our reports, industry watchdog Ofcom was alerted to the serious flaws in BT’s plan and intervened.
Still, the telecom giant says it will resume the rollout next month. It has pledged not to force the most vulnerable to switch for at least a year – and that it will provide support to those who need it. In a post published on a BT blog, the telecom giant admitted it was “expanding our trials” in April.
Initially it will only target those with full fiber broadband – from this summer the rollout will be expanded region by region.
It claims that, after consulting a ‘digital voting advisory group’, those over the age of 70 or wearing a health tag will not be targeted until next year. Customers who do not use the internet and customers who do not have mobile coverage in their area will also receive a 12-month extension.
Geva Blackett, an independent councilor in Aberdeenshire – an area where storms last year left hundreds of homes out of power for days – believes delaying the rollout has not solved anything.
“BT still doesn’t understand what a lifeline traditional phone lines can be for the most vulnerable,” she says. “We are not against progress, but we cannot support this dangerous change, as people could lose their lives if they become isolated and unable to connect with others.”
Blackett believes areas where there is no cell phone reception should have a signal before the rollout can resume.
BT had previously said that during a power cut, if the landline goes down, customers should use their mobile phones – an insult to the six million adults who don’t have one. About 1.5 million households do not use the internet either. BT now says it will connect those customers free of charge – just charges for using landlines and not for going online.
Once households transition, the vast majority of existing telephones will become obsolete. BT says it will provide a free handset to affected households to ease the switch.
But customers still end up paying for this free equipment through their phone bill, which will rise by 14 percent next month. Even telephone customers with half a contract are affected by this rate increase. The costs for renting a telephone line do not change due to the switch.
Pay-as-you-go customers pay £23.05 per month, rising to £26.35 in April. Phone numbers remain unchanged. BT charges £30 for an extra digital handset, or £45 if you want call blocking and answering machine too.
Most won’t notice much of a difference in sound quality with the new digital phone lines – and in some cases it may even be more noticeable.
But if the internet goes down, the power goes out, or you unplug, the phone line goes down. Dennis Reed, director of senior citizen group Silver Voices, says: ‘No senior citizen should be left without a working landline for emergencies or an alarm system that is incompatible with this new technology.’
Reed adds: “BT promises people won’t be left behind without a safety net after the switchover – so no one is stranded without being able to communicate. We keep this commitment.’
Ofcom has told BT it must ensure customers can contact emergency services if a power cut lasts more than an hour.
BT charges £85 for power-pack batteries that provide backup. However, you can insist that it provides a free unit if you are vulnerable and live in an isolated community. BT can also provide free hybrid phones that can switch from internet to mobile signals if there’s a power cut, although chargers still rely on electricity.
Consumer expert Martyn James says: ‘It’s unbelievable how badly the rollout of digital voice is being handled. It’s like BT isn’t ready and doesn’t want to publicize what’s going on. It seems determined to keep the whole program secret.’
BT has so far tackled two million homes, but has an initial target of ten million by 2025. A total of 29 million homes are due to go digital as part of the government’s ‘public switched telephone network’. The rollout started four years ago, but progress is slow.
While BT owns the vast majority of the telephone line and internet network across Britain, other providers such as Virgin Media are also involved in the digital switchover. Virgin has five million customers and is about a quarter through its digital program.
BT said: ‘Since we paused the digital voice program last year, we’ve listened to our customers’ questions, concerns and specific needs to ensure we have the right options and equipment available. We understand that any change can be distressing. That’s why we’re here to support you every step of the way – to make the experience as seamless as possible.”
If you feel that a telecom provider is bullying you into switching against your needs, you can report it to Ofcom on 0300 123 3333.
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