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Landline Phones Will Switch To Digital As Analogue Signal Axed By 2025

Landline Phones Will Switch To Digital As Analogue Signal Axed By 2025

All businesses and households will need internet if they want to make a call.

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

2025 is set to mark the end of traditional landline phones after a huge digital shake up by the telecoms industry.

All businesses and households will need internet if they want to make a landline call.

Millions of people will be forced to either make the switch to online or to just use a mobile phone instead.

Some elderly people without internet will need a visit from the engineer to get themselves set up.

It is been compared by experts to the switch to digital TV in 2012 after broadcasters terminated the transmitting of analogue to aerials.

Columbia Pictures

Experts have warned that there could be many older people or vulnerable ones could be left behind because they are not online, don't have a phone or live in an area with poor connectivity.

According to Ofcom, roughly 6 percent of households, which is approximately 1.5 million homes, do not have access to internet.

Director of Age UK Caroline Abrahams said: "Given that about half of older people over the age of 75 are not online, this could be a particular problem for our oldest citizens.

"Given the threat of fraud, telecom providers also need to take steps to prevent anyone who is in particularly vulnerable circumstances from becoming victims of digital scams."

The question most of us will be thinking up to this point is, 'what if the internet goes down?'

Warner Bros

Well apparently, Ofcom have insisted that telecoms providers will have an obligation to their customers to provide all households with the relevant emergency services.

Businesses may be forced to provide consumers with a free mobile or power banks/battery packs.

Martyn James, of the dispute service Resolver, has criticised the switchover decision, saying: "The telecoms businesses risk causing considerable distress to those many customers who find the online world hard to navigate.

"It's vitally important landline customers do not end up paying more and that cheap or subsidised broadband services are available for people forced online."

A spokesperson from Openreach, the company that maintains much of the country's telecommunications infrastructure, said: "Protecting vulnerable customers is an absolute priority for us. We are working with communications providers to identify vulnerable customers early on."

Ofcom have revealed that they are working in a way to ensure vulnerable customers continue to get the relevant support.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: phones