Western Morning News (Saturday)
Phone customers need a landline
BT was right to U-turn on its plan to shut down landlines, says Ian Handford
IT was wonderful news to hear British Telecom announce they are to reverse their earlier decision to close down all copper based landlines by 2025. BT is putting on hold the controversial decision, following a backlash from 29 million telephone users, including many private and business users who currently retain a live landline connection.
It seems the traditional, copper based telephone wire system is viewed by BT as obsolete and costly to maintain, which is why by 2025 they wanted to phase out landlines in favour of digital systems.
The problem with abandoning all landlines is that there are consequences. I currently possess a mobile phone but it is rarely on and in 20 years has sent only one text.
Being resistant to modern day technology means I rely on landlines, yet even for those who enjoy modern technology there will be difficulties when the main electricity gets interrupted.
Power cuts and weather storms like ‘Arwen’ and ‘Eunice’, which recently downed a huge number of power lines throughout the Westcountry, left many without a phone service too.
It led to the head of BT’s Consumer Division, Marc Allera, admitting the storms highlighted new issues that BT had not foreseen.
“We are holding our hands up, we are sorry, we have got a few things wrong and will need to make changes,” he said, adding that BT had underestimated “the disruptive impact this upgrade would have on some customers”.
Even Government Shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds remarked: “It is extremely concerning to hear reports of customers being cut off from their landline, particularly for older and vulnerable ones who rely on that service to contact relatives or get medical attention – or of course in an emergency.”
The case of one pensioner in a village with no access to a mobile phone was cited, when fire broke out at his home. Unknowingly, BT had “switched” his landline, and so with no possibility of contact to any 999 emergency service he eventually lost his home to the fire.
Another consequence for everyone when using the internet is that without electric power, most phone systems and computers become inoperable, unless some form of battery backup is available. Virgin telephones suggested they could offer “emergency back-up lines” to anyone relying on a landline who had no mobile phone. Meanwhile, BT offered upgrades to customers with landline contracts and/or households with no fibre cabling, though of course their reversal of the decision means the offer is currently postponed.
The traditional copper based landline telephone service started in 1878 when the National Telephone Company partnered with the GPO. Various transformations took place, including through the Post Office Reform legislation of 1932.
The Post Office continued to remain a department within Central Government, with a Postmaster General in Cabinet as Secretary of State. No lesser person than Anthony Wedgewood-Benn MP – as Postmaster General – then ensured the institution was nationalised, with five divisions created in the Post Office Act 1969. One became a telecommunications division. Now the Post Office became a public corporation.
By 1980 the Post Office (Communications) was renamed British Telecom (BT) although still remaining part of the Post Office nationally. By 1982 the Secretary of State had opened up the telephone market to full competition, the result of which saw BT granting a licence to Cable and Wireless Company, which ensured in 1981 a fully competitive public telecommunications network emerged through its subsidiary “Mercury Communications”.
By 1984, 50% of BT was owned by the public and it was clear a freely open service would result. A partnership BT and Mercury Communications (of so-called retail independent companies) could then bulk-buy telecommunication packages and equipment for selling to all private and business users. With its BT trading name established, numerous partnerships were now formed here and abroad, which included MCI Communication Corporation and Global Concert, until finally, in 2,000, AT&T arrived on the scene.
Concert 21 was launched in 2004, bringing the future of the BT Network into focus to transform the communications sector this century. It involves replacing all existing networks and enabling all communication devices – including PCs and home phones – an ability to link to any communication device. With BT OpenReach established in 2005, it transforms the traditional company into a modern day technological network, which ultimately will provide every sort of “tailored solution” even for luddites like me.
Ian L Handford a former Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is currently Chairman of Torbay Civic Society.
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