Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people in rural areas are able to contact emergency services in instances when (a) power and (b) mobile masts are not working and (c) Voice over Internet Protocol has replaced landlines.

We recognise the importance of 999 and contacting emergency services as an essential part of public safety and particularly so in rural areas. Therefore, the Government works in partnership with operators, Ofcom and the Emergency Authorities to strengthen the resilience of the Public Emergency Call Service, to ensure it meets the needs of the UK public. DSIT works closely with the telecommunications industry and Ofcom to ensure the sector remains resilient to all risks that may affect services, including technological transformation. The Department also works together with the telecoms industry through the Electronic Communications Resilience & Response Group to agree methods to strengthen resilience and establish best practice across the sector.

The analogue landline network, also called the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is a privately-owned network. The ongoing work to upgrade it to digital voice services is an industry-led process. The decision to upgrade the PSTN was taken as the technology it relies upon is now outdated and prone to failure, with companies finding it increasingly difficult to source the spare parts needed for repairs. The upgrade process is currently ongoing and all consumers will be migrated to digital voice services by 2025.

The Government also recognises the importance of both fixed (landlines) and the mobile telephone network in the UK. In particular in rural and isolated areas, for the elderly and other vulnerable users and customers of technology enabled care services. We expect industry to ensure that all consumers, including the most vulnerable, are protected and prepared for the upgrade of the PSTN. DSIT receives regular updates from telecoms providers about the progress of their migration and any emerging challenges they face

Ofcom is responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of any regulatory obligations as the providers themselves are responsible. Communication Providers are required by obligations set out in the General Conditions of Entitlement, made under the Communications Act 2003, to ensure the continuity of access to the Public Emergency Call Service, via the telephone numbers 999 and 112. Compliance with these obligations is monitored and enforced by Ofcom

In 2018, Ofcom published guidance on the measures telecoms companies should take to ensure compliance with this General Condition in light of the industry’s decision to retire the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and replace it with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. The guidance states that in the event of a power outage at least one solution must be available for consumers, providing access for a minimum of one hour. The solution should be suitable for customers’ needs and should be offered free of charge to those who are at risk as they are dependent on their landline, because for example, they have disability or accessibility requirements that mean they are more reliant on their landline and/or they do not have an alternative method of calling emergency organisations (including those who own a mobile but have limited or no mobile signal (on any network). These are minimum standards, and in practice many providers are offering solutions which exceed them.