Plans to switch off the UK's traditional landline network could leave people in remote areas unable to contact help in an emergency, Parliament has heard. The concern centres on homes where a digital phone depends on mains power and broadband, rather than the old copper line.

Labour MP Markus Campbell-Savours, for Penrith and Solway, asked ministers to consider an elderly constituent living alone in an isolated Lake District valley. He described a scenario in which a storm cuts power to a router overnight, a modest battery back-up fails, and the mobile mast also fails — leaving the resident with no way to raise the alarm.

Why telecare users face a particular risk

The issue is wider than ordinary calls. Personal alarms, fall monitors, health pendants and house alarms can also depend on a phone line, and people may not know which devices in their home are connected to it, especially if someone else arranged them.

Openreach has warned that the old analogue network, known as the PSTN, will close on 31 January 2027, and that many telecare users still need to migrate before that date. It said temporary safety nets, including a limited emergency voice service, do not replace migration, and that capacity is limited if too many lines are left in one area.

Households that depend on a landline or use a telecare device are advised to contact both their phone provider and their equipment supplier early, so support — including a back-up solution where needed — can be arranged before the move.

Sources: British Bulletin and Edinburgh Live.