Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had discussions with BT about publishing a geographical timetable for the Digital Voice rollout, particularly for rural areas.

The Government is determined to ensure that any risks of the industry-led migration from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also known as Digital Voice, are mitigated for all customers across the UK.

Communication providers, including BT, signed a voluntary PSTN Charter in December 2023, committing them to protecting vulnerable consumers during the PSTN migration. In November 2024, providers agreed to additional safeguards in the Non-Voluntary Migrations Checklist. The Government is engaging regularly with the signatories of the Charter to monitor their plans and to ensure compliance with the Checklist.

The Government have not requested that providers publish geographical timetables. Providers are migrating customers only when the safeguards are in place. Further, providers are starting migrating the least vulnerable customers first, regardless of geography.