Deaths spark concern over digital phone switchover

TWO vulnerable people died shortly after their health alarms failed, raising concerns over the looming switch-off of analogue phone lines.

Telecoms providers including BT and Virgin Media O2 are overhauling Britain’s antiquated copper landline phone network under “switch-off ” plans to move to digital phones that work over the internet by the end of 2025.

It has been confirmed two Virgin Media O2 customers died several days after health pendants failed to function, following the switching off of their old landlines towards the end of last year. The incidents caused the company to temporarily halt its roll-out of digital lines. Both of the deceased Virgin Media O2 customers are understood to have had underlying health conditions.

Virgin Media O2 said it did not provide the telecare devices to the deceased customers and that it had no reason to believe that their being disconnected played any role in the deaths.

The Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has cautioned that it does not hold information on whether the device failures were “a significant contributing factor or cause of death”.

A DSIT spokesman said: “We’ve been clear these provider failings are unacceptable. That’s why we stepped in to secure agreements with the biggest network providers and operators and strengthen protections for vulnerable consumers, meaning the majority of the telecoms industry is now signed up.”

A Virgin Media O2 spokesman said: “At the point these types of migrations do resume, additional checks will take place in the home to ensure landlines are active and that telecare providers are aware of any alarm unit issues.”