Clwyd South MP Simon
Baynes (pictured) has welcomed the decision by communications providers to pause
the Digital Voice switchover for customers who do not want to move to broadband
landlines straight away.
Digital Voice is a nationwide programme which will see all landlines moved over
from analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) lines to broadband Voice
over Internet Protocol (VoIP) lines.
The programme has been led by the telecoms
industry to replace the antiquated and increasingly unreliable PSTN network.
However,
constituents across Clwyd South have contacted Mr Baynes to raise several
concerns about the switchover, which included:
- Unlike
PSTN lines, the fibre cables used by VoIP phone lines do not conduct
electricity to continue to work in the event of a power-cut. This, coupled
with poor mobile coverage in some areas, would leave some residents
without any access to the emergency services during power outages.
- Some
telecoms providers would provide battery-packs for such events, but these
have a limited capacity of not much longer than an hour. Some providers
were also charging customers for their purchase.
- Residents
in certain areas had concerns about their landline service in the event of
broadband network outages.
- Residents
who do not have a broadband connection within their home were confused as
to how their landline service would be provided in the event of the
switchover.
Mr Baynes has been
liaising with telecoms providers and the UK Government to report such concerns
from constituents, and to seek assurances that their landline service would be
protected against such factors.
Telecoms
providers have now announced that in response to these concerns, all further Digital
Voice switchovers are being paused for customers who do not want to move to the
new technology straight away.
This is to allow the providers time to get key
products in place to provide customers with more resilient connectivity, which will
include;
- longer-lasting
battery packs
- home
mobile landlines for those without broadband
- hybrid
home phones for customers not comfortable using a mobile, but which can
connect via the mobile network if the fixed connection is unavailable.
Mr Baynes said: “I am very pleased
that telecoms providers have reacted to the concerns raised by many of my
constituents within Clwyd South, in pausing all further Digital Voice
switchovers until the technology is sufficiently robust.
“Recent storms have
highlighted the need to have resilient connectivity in the event of extreme
weather, and rural localities such as Clwyd South are unfortunately much more
exposed to challenges such as prolonged power cuts and unreliable broadband and
mobile service than urban areas.
“Of course, the
PSTN network is becoming increasingly antiquated and difficult to maintain, so
the need to switch over to digital services is very real. I am therefore glad
that the UK Government and the industry have enacted this pause, to enable
improved technology to be available for those who require it when they do
eventually make the switch to digital.”
* BT customers who
are concerned about the decision to move to Digital Voice can contact the
company on 0800 800 150.
.jpg)
.png)