RESIDENTS in County Durham have branded plans from telecoms company BT to axe all traditional landline devices as “insanity” after highlighting the importance of the potentially ‘lifesaving’ pieces of equipment.
The changeover, which is expected to come into effect in 2025 from the technology firm, will see landline devices, that we’ve become used to, being phased out in favour of online-enabled phones.
According to BT, the new phones will need to be connected to the internet to make any calls to other devices and will need to be powered by electricity mains.
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Despite the company making the bold claims at the start of last month, the plans to introduce the digital phone in just under three years has been widely criticised by campaigners for elderly charities, as well as vulnerable people both locally and nationally.
In County Durham, the news about BT axing landline phones hasn’t gone down well with residents who rely on their landline devices, and those that have used the pieces of technology in emergencies.
Having experienced power shortages through Storm Arwen, with some going 13 days without electricity and heating, a landline phone was the only thing that remained working for some residents in County Durham.
Peter Stephenson, from Bishop Auckland, was thrust into an unimaginable situation on the morning of November 28 last year when his wife, Heather, suffered a heart attack at home, which tragically coordinated with the power outages that hit 240,000 homes in the North East.
With his electricity turned off and a small generator providing a little comfort to Mr Stephenson, both his mobile and internet services were disabled during his ‘time of need’.
The Bishop Auckland resident turned to his landline and managed to call the emergency services on the device, who talked him through CPR, assessed the situation and dispatched paramedics to the scene.
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After eight minutes of CPR, Peter’s wife started breathing again, shortly followed by the first paramedic.
Further help arrived a few minutes after, where Heather was transferred to University Hospital North Durham for treatment and given a 50-50 chance of living.
Sadly, Heather didn’t make it through the treatment and died of brain damage during the seizure, but now that just over a month has gone by since her death, Mr Stephenson says that the landline acted as a “comfort” that he wouldn’t have had if BT continues with the switch to digital phones.
He said: “Without the resilience of the BT landline system. I would have been entirely alone and not had the support of emergency services. I urge BT to take this issue seriously and as a matter of urgency.
“Having the landline allowed palliative care and my family to touch and hold her hands as she passed.”
As well as taking aim at BT, Mr Stephenson has also accused North Durham MP, Richard Holden, of “not showing concern” for saving landlines in his constituency.
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Mr Stephenson added: “I have since written to Richard Holden, my MP, and am left with the impression that his office is not concerned regarding the decision to withdraw BT landlines, or it is unaware of the future impact that may have in his constituency.”
Over the last few months, Mr Stephenson hasn’t been the only County Durham resident to object to the digital switch that BT is proposing.
Greg Round from St John's Chapel in Weardale is also "seriously concerned about BT Digital Voice" as the power cut caused by Storm Arwen made him realise how “useless" digital devices would be without electricity if a repeat of the storm happened.
He said: "No-one in a rural area should be forced into having this until they have found a satisfactory way of backing it up," he says.
A petition calling on BT Openreach to discontinue the digital rollout in Weardale, County Durham has more than 550 signatures.
The petition, which was set up three weeks ago by resident Malcolm Read, says: “Telephone services are moving to a digital service which is dependent on the local electrical supply to operate.
Read more: BT face angry backlash from campaigners after axing landline phones
“Traditional services operate using power from the telephone exchange, meaning that at times of local power outage, the new services does not operate - leaving people unable to summon, or offer, help.
“We feel that in light of the prolonged power outage following Storm Arwen BT Openreach should discontinue adoption of digital telephones as the sole means of communication, especially in remote areas.
“We call on BT Openreach to ensure that traditional telephone services are maintained.”
Following the concerns raised by County Durham residents, BT Openreach, which manages the UK’s phone and internet network, has confirmed that it’s still looking to retire traditional landlines by December 2025.
That means home phone providers, such as BT, Sky and Virgin Media O2, will move customers to a digital technology known as “voice over internet protocol” (VoIP), which carries calls over a broadband connection.
Unlike traditional landlines, such systems are entirely reliant on mains electricity. Ofcom, which regulates the telecoms industry, says that in the event of a power cut most people will be able to rely on a mobile phone.
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However, it estimates that about 50,000 properties would not be able to make a call indoors.
Many households living in remote or rural areas, like parts of County Durham, argue that reliance on mobile phones during an emergency is no good in places where mobile reception is patchy or when storms have damaged masts or cut off power.
Ofcom said: “We have set clear expectations on phone companies around the switch to digital calls. They should communicate effectively with customers and identify people who may be at risk because they depend on their landline. Those customers should be offered a free solution, such as battery backup or a mobile phone that works in the area.”
In response to the concerns raised, a spokesperson for BT said: “If a customer is prone to power cuts and has no means of making a call in an emergency, then there are battery packs available which can power your equipment for over an hour.
"We’ll provide these for free for customers flagged as vulnerable on our system. If any customer has any concerns, they should speak to us, and we’ll find a solution that works for them.
“We have put precautions in place to exclude older or vulnerable customers from the Digital Voice migration while we look into solutions that can help those customers who cannot access or do not want broadband or a mobile phone in their home.”
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