Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that vulnerable customers are not negatively impacted by the public switched telephone network switch off.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a privately-owned telecommunications network. Communications providers are in the process of upgrading the old PSTN to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. Consumers can expect to be upgraded by 2025. The migration is industry-led and does not result from any government decision or form part of any government programme.

Ofcom is responsible for ensuring telecoms providers adhere to their regulatory obligations throughout the migration process, such as ensuring uninterrupted access to the emergency services and protecting vulnerable consumers. Ofcom has published guidance which states that providers must take steps to identify and protect at-risk consumers who are dependent on their landline. Providers have a range of solutions to ensure vulnerable consumers receive additional support. These options include, among others, free battery back-up units to engineer supported installations or hybrid landline phones.

We are working together with Ofcom to ensure customers receive appropriate levels of communication and vulnerable consumers are protected. Ofcom requires that providers must engage in effective communications. In January 2023, we published a webpage on GOV.UK to provide information to consumers about the PSTN migration.

As this is an industry-led migration, Communications Providers will contact their customers with information ahead of their line being upgraded. The exact migration process will depend on the provider and the type of equipment the customer has at their premises.

The Department meets regularly with Communications Providers to discuss the progress they have made in migrating their customers, and to ensure they have adequate plans in place to inform their customers and protect vulnerable consumers. This includes, but is not limited to, quarterly progress meetings with individual providers, quarterly meetings with Communications Providers and all government departments, and quarterly meetings with Ofcom. The Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure also convened a roundtable with the largest providers in January 2023 to discuss their communications plans.