BT Group has announced a revision to its timetable for moving all customers – consumers and businesses – off the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and onto digital landlines. The move seeks to better protect vulnerable customers and those with additional needs, including telecare users.

BT Group’s Consumer division has re-started switching zero-use landline customers who have a broadband connection to its Digital Voice landline service. This follows an industry-wide pause and the introduction of the Government’s Charter to protect vulnerable customers, especially telecare users, while making the switch from analogue to digital landlines.

BT Consumer customers (except landline-only customers, those who use telecare or who have additional needs) will be contacted and offered the chance to switch to a digital landline, where available.

The revised approach will result in a single switch for the majority of customers (businesses and consumers) – from copper to fibre – with all customers now expected to have moved off the old analogue PSTN by the end of January 2027.

Howard Watson, chief security and networks officer, BT Group, said: “The urgency for switching customers onto digital services grows by the day because the 40-year-old analogue landline technology is increasingly fragile. Managing customer migrations from analogue to digital as quickly and smoothly as possible, while making the necessary provisions for those customers with additional needs, including telecare users, is critically important.

“Our priority remains doing this safely and the work we’re doing with our peers, local authorities, telecare providers and key Government organisations is key. But more needs to be done and we need all local authorities and telecare providers to share with us the phone lines where they know there’s a telecare user.”

Is there a risk in delaying the switch?

Last month, a report that was initially published by The Telegraph, raised concerns about potential delays in the ongoing transition from BT and Openreach’s analogue line services to Internet Protocol-based networks.

The shift to digital networks is part of an industry-led initiative driven by the retirement of copper lines in favour of full fibre (FTTP) and the increasing prevalence of modern communication services. 

However, the move away from legacy analogue services comes with challenges. Many ISPs are introducing IP-based digital phone services, requiring a broadband connection and potentially posing issues for users with older alarm or telecare monitoring systems.

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With nearly two million users of these vital systems in the UK, including elderly and disabled individuals, ensuring compatibility with digital networks is critical.

Meanwhile, according to a report from business broadband internet service provider Gamma, along with the Centre of Economics Business Research, 29% of the 400 UK businesses it surveyed are completely unaware of the upcoming move. This number rises to 54% for businesses that are directly impacted.