Care companies at fault in digital landline crisis, claims Virgin Media O2
Virgin Media O2 has denied that telecoms companies are putting the elderly at risk with the rollout of digital landlines, claiming private care providers and local authorities are to blame for issues with the switch over.
The telecoms giant said it was doing “everything we can to identify and support vulnerable customers”, but was being let down by councils and companies that provide personal alarms.
Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) said “telecare” companies, which provide emergency alarms to the elderly and disabled, and local governments were not doing enough to prepare for the digital switch, leaving elderly and vulnerable at risk.
Rob Orr, Virgin Media O2’s chief operating officer, said councils and telecare companies needed to “step up” amid concerns about outages of alarms caused by the digital landline technology.
Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Orr said: “Since this switchover programme started, we have made repeated efforts to inform local authorities and telecare companies of our plans.
“While some have been forthcoming and collaborative, often engagement is too slow or doesn’t occur at all. Only a tenth of local authorities contacted do engage ahead of migrations and this number is even less for telecare companies.”
It follows reports of a number of “serious incidents” linked to personal alarms for the elderly or disabled failing after the switch to digital landlines. The technology leaves personal alarms vulnerable to failure in power cuts or if internet coverage fails.
Michelle Donelan, the Technology Secretary, summoned telecoms providers including VMO2, BT, TalkTalk and Sky to a meeting last week to demand action. BT and Virgin Media paused their roll-out of digital landlines on Monday in response.
However, VMO2 has hit back and argued that the industry is being held responsible for services and equipment it does not provide.
Mr Orr highlighted the continued lack of clarity over who is responsible for the wellbeing of the estimated 1.8 million people in the UK who rely on personal alarms for urgent medical help.
The alarms, which are often worn around the wrist or neck, are connected to the user’s landline and automatically call a response centre when triggered.
But there are questions over the reliability of the service as telecoms providers tear out old copper phone lines and replace them with digital equivalents, with the aim of switching millions of UK homes by December 2025.
The fact that digital phone services rely on internet connections means they may fail when there is a power cut or other network disruption. By contrast, copper phone lines typically continue to work even during power cuts.
VMO2 called on the Government to create a new telecare charter similar to the one signed by telecom operators, or to create new rules to ensure nobody is left behind.
The company said local authorities and telecare providers must form data-sharing agreements with phone and internet companies and put alarm numbers on a centralised database.
It added that it was up to providers of emergency alarms to ensure their equipment was compatible with digital landlines and keep working during a power cut.
Mr Orr said: “As the telecoms industry has rightly been held accountable to get this switchover right for everyone, it’s crucial the same logic applies to the full playing field.”
Alyson Scurfield, chief executive of TEC Services Association, which represents telecare providers, insisted the industry was responding.
She said: “The telecare sector is very concerned about the impact of power failures on digital landlines and is adopting alternative and battery-backed mobile connections to address these concerns.
“However, this in turn requires assurances on the reliability of mobile networks, which are also evolving from 2G, 3G to 5G, and TSA is pressing for quality standards around reliability here too.”
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, digital connectivity spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “Councils are managing the impact of the transition on their communities as best they can, including by raising awareness and supporting vulnerable people using telecare devices, to ensure there is no interruption to their service.
“We continue to call for greater awareness, data sharing, testing and coordination from government, so that the wider public is prepared for the potential impact on homes and businesses.”
Dennis Reed, chairman of senior citizens group Silver Voices, said: “Telecare issues are only one of the many problems faced by vulnerable people with digital voice. Others include cost, the basic unreliability of the internet, and loss of communication during power cuts, particularly where mobile signals are weak.”
He said promises about safeguarding telecare users were “not worth the paper they are written on” unless elderly and disabled people were allowed to opt-out easily.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, added: “Home phones are a lifeline for older people who don’t use computers, don’t use a mobile, or live in an area with poor connectivity at the best of times and, in particular, for those who rely on their landline for a telecare emergency alarm.
“No-one, especially a telecare user, should be expected to switch to a new digital system unless and until they are happy to do so, and everything is in place to ensure continued phone access.”
There are dozens of companies that provide telecare devices across the UK, many of which are owned by or linked to local authorities.
A spokesman for the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, said: “We’ve stepped in to make sure forced switchovers do not take place without enhanced protections for the most vulnerable as providers deliver a new digital network which will be fit for purpose for decades to come.
“We are already working with telecare companies and local authorities on this industry-led rollout to see what more can be done to make sure the right safeguards are in place.”
As phone lines switch to digital, local authorities need to step up
By Rob Orr, chief operating officer at Virgin Media O2
This country is in the middle of one of the largest upgrades to telecoms infrastructure in its history. With old copper phone lines becoming less resilient and reaching end of life, vital work is taking place to safeguard services for the future.
Understandably, focus has been on the role of telecoms companies as they undertake this digital switchover. However, the ultimate success of this programme requires others to also step up and take action.
Although the majority of people need to do very little, certain groups, particularly those relying on specialist care equipment, need additional support.
Operators already have a range of measures in place but, to be blunt, there’s clearly more that can, should and will be done.
Recently Virgin Media, alongside others in the telecoms industry, met with Government and signed a new charter underpinned by a series of commitments that include pausing non-voluntary migrations and reviewing processes to ensure those who most need it are better supported.
While we welcome this step forward, it is notable that key groups are still absent from the discussion.
Since this switchover programme started, we have made repeated efforts to inform local authorities and telecare companies of our plans. We’ve created a bespoke testing centre for alarm companies to ensure equipment works over the new lines and have written directly to local authorities, many of whom we work successfully with in other areas like network expansion, well in advance of switchovers starting.
While some have been forthcoming and collaborative, often engagement is too slow or doesn’t occur at all. Only a tenth of local authorities contacted do engage ahead of migrations and this number is even less for telecare companies. A central list of telecare providers exists through a central trade body, but this isn’t exhaustive. We believe around one in 10 telecare providers are missing, making engagement almost impossible.
We do everything we can to identify and support vulnerable customers, but we can’t do this alone.
To help tackle this gap and ensure we all get this switchover right, I’m urging the Government to create a similar charter for telecare companies and local authorities, or for rules to be mandated, if necessary, to help ensure nobody is left behind.
To be effective this charter should include three key points.
Firstly, all local authorities and telecare providers must be required to work with telecoms companies to form data sharing arrangements and put alarm numbers onto a centralised database so all efforts can be made to identify vulnerable users.
Secondly, telecare providers must ensure their equipment is compatible with a digital landline and keeps working during a power cut, just as telecoms companies are required to do for the physical phone line.
Finally, local authorities should make sure they are meeting their duty of care obligations and proactively provide advice, support, and information to local residents ahead of any switchover activity occurring.
At a broader level, much like the digital TV switchover between 2007 and 2012, Government, together with local authorities, key consumer groups and telecoms companies, could play a key role in coordinating trusted awareness campaigns, particularly those that reach the elderly and vulnerable.
As the telecoms industry has rightly been held accountable to get this switchover right for everyone, it’s crucial the same logic applies to the full playing field. As we work to improve, we ask other key players to get in touch, come forward and do the same.
Without local authorities and telecare providers engaging and fulfilling their responsibility, there’s a danger that the UK never quite finds its digital voice.
