Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 20 July (HL1533), whether existing landline connections will remain available to all those that wish to retain them.

The requirements set out in the Schedule to the Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003 mean certain providers (currently BT and KCOM) must continue to meet reasonable requests to provide a connection capable of allowing end-users to make and receive local, national and international telephone calls and facsimile.

Accordingly, landline-only connections will remain available for customers who wish to retain them.

Increasingly, telecommunications providers are moving customers away from the traditional telephone network to a digital alternative, which means it is likely these customers will increasingly be provided with their landline services over a fixed voice-over-IP connection.