Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of maintaining a connection to (a) copper wires and (b) a suitable alternative in rural communities to allow residents to make emergency calls, what assessment she has made on the need to maintain a connection to either copper wires or a suitable alternative in rural communities during the installation of fibre cables to allow residents to still make emergency calls if required.

The PSTN is a privately-owned telecoms network and the decision to upgrade it has been taken by the telecoms industry. The industry’s decision to upgrade the PSTN is due to necessity, as the network is increasingly unreliable and prone to failure.

Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, has mandated guidance on backup solutions, including how telecoms companies can fulfil their regulatory obligation to ensure that their VoIP customers have uninterrupted access to the emergency services. The guidance was issued following a consultation with the general public as well as telecoms providers and Ofgem.