My 101-year-old father was left without a landline and a functioning panic button after BT switched his phone service from analogue to digital without warning us. BT had informed us that the contract was about to finish, and asked me to contact them about renewing. I duly called and was, at no time, advised to contact the panic button provider, or told of the possible need for adaptors to connect analogue phones to the new service. After four hours on the phone to BT when the service failed, I was informed that digital adaptors were required to ensure our phones worked. Four days later, these had still not arrived and BT said it was unable to expedite the delivery. My father, who is registered blind and has only 30% hearing, was without his panic button for five days until the care line team attended and got it working.
TB, Birmingham
Your father’s predicament shows the human cost of the transfer of analogue telephone lines to an internet-based service. Since September, customers who start, or renew, contracts have been switched to Digital Voice, which requires a broadband router. However, the new technology poses a threat to vulnerable users since digital landlines do not function during power cuts and some fall buttons are incompatible.
Campaigners have criticised the speed of the rollout, which was originally planned to be completed at the end of next year. The government has twice required providers to delay the deadline after reports of “serious incidents” involving failed panic buttons. BT recently signed up to a charter pledging, among other things, not to migrate panic button users unless their device is compatible with digital landlines, and to provide battery back-up solutions in case there is a power cut.
It seems these commitments were ignored when your father’s service was switched over, and the consequences for him could have been catastrophic. As it was, you had to spend the five days at his side in case of an emergency.
The landline was restored after contact from the Observer and your father, who was not on BT’s priority repair scheme, has been marked as vulnerable. BT says: “We’re very sorry the customer’s experience fell below the usual high standard we strive to provide our customers. We have agreed a goodwill gesture to acknowledge his experience.”
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