Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to safeguard people cut off during power outages when the traditional landline network switches to digital in January 2027.

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone. Over 96% of customers have already been migrated.

In November 2024 and March 2026, the Government secured additional safeguards from the telecoms industry. These include the provision of free battery back-ups for vulnerable customers, including telecare users, to ensure access to emergency services for at least one hour in a power outage. Many communication providers have gone further, providing battery back-ups with 4-7 hours of battery life. The upgraded digital infrastructure, which uses more fibre lines, is more resilient than the ageing PSTN.