The short version
- BT has temporarily suspended internet service for a small group of customers who ignored years of migration notices, a move critics label as bullying.
- Approximately 1.3 million copper-based landlines remain unmigrated as the industry races to meet the end-of-January deadline for retiring the public switched telephone network.
- Advocacy groups warn that vulnerable populations, including elderly users and those relying on telecare alarms, risk being left without essential services if they are not successfully transitioned.
British Telecom has initiated a controversial tactic to accelerate the migration of households from traditional copper landlines to digital voice services, temporarily pausing broadband access for customers who have remained unresponsive to previous communications. This escalation comes as telecommunications providers across the United Kingdom intensify their efforts to complete the switch before the scheduled retirement of the public switched telephone network at the end of January. The move has drawn sharp criticism from consumer advocates, who argue that cutting off internet service constitutes bullying behavior designed to force compliance through intimidation rather than education.
The transition represents one of the most significant technological upgrades in British communications history, comparable to the switch-off of analogue television in the early 2000s. To date, telecom companies have successfully migrated between 16 and 17 million lines from the aging copper infrastructure to Voice over Internet Protocol services, which rely on broadband connections for telephone calls. Despite this progress, Openreach, the BT subsidiary responsible for maintaining the majority of the UK’s broadband and telephony network, reports that approximately 1.3 million copper-based landlines have yet to be converted. This remaining segment poses a logistical challenge as the deadline approaches.
According to Dennis Reed, founder of the campaign group Silver Voices, there is growing evidence that providers are employing aggressive tactics to meet their targets. Reed stated that he has received reports of customers with existing broadband contracts being threatened with internet disconnection if they do not cooperate with setting a date for their landline switch. He expressed concern that the pressure to hit numerical goals could result in vulnerable individuals falling through the cracks, particularly those who have been difficult to reach or engage over the past two years.
BT has defended its actions, describing the temporary broadband pauses as a necessary measure to prevent a complete loss of service for a small minority of customers who have not responded to repeated outreach efforts. The company noted that these outages were preceded by five days’ notice and were intended to encourage customers to take action before the old analogue network is permanently retired. BT emphasized that landline connections and mobile services remained operational during these pauses, ensuring that critical devices such as telecare alarms continued to function. The company stated that over 80 percent of the previously unresponsive customers subsequently took the required steps to migrate after their broadband was paused.
The urgency of the situation is underscored by previous failures in the industry’s transition efforts. In December, Virgin Media was fined £23.8 million for leaving thousands of customers, many of whom were older or disabled, without access to their personal alarm systems during a similar migration process in 2023. That incident led to a pause in non-voluntary migrations and ultimately contributed to the industry’s decision to delay the retirement of copper lines from December of last year to January of this coming year. The fine highlighted the severe risks associated with rushing the transition without adequate safeguards for vulnerable users.
Consumer protection groups are particularly concerned about the demographics of the 1.3 million households still on copper lines. This group includes elderly individuals who may rely solely on a landline and lack internet access, as well as residents in rural areas where broadband coverage is patchy or nonexistent. These customers often worry about their ability to contact emergency services in the event of a power cut, as digital voice services typically require electricity to operate. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, urged telecom providers to ensure that no older person is cut off if they have not yet switched, arguing that the deadline should not serve as a hard cliff edge for those who are overrepresented among the unmigrated population.
For the majority of customers, the technical aspect of the switch is relatively straightforward, involving simply plugging an existing home phone handset into the back of a broadband router rather than into a wall socket. However, the psychological and practical barriers to adoption remain significant for some segments of the population. Years of direct customer communications, awareness campaigns, and partnerships with public figures such as Moira Stuart and Clare Balding have failed to prompt engagement from all users. As the final months of the program unfold, the tension between meeting corporate deadlines and protecting vulnerable consumers continues to mount.
The coming weeks will likely see increased scrutiny of how telecom providers handle the remaining unmigrated lines. Regulators and advocacy groups are watching closely to ensure that the pressure tactics do not result in unintended harm to those who depend on reliable communication services. While BT maintains that its actions are designed to prevent service loss, the perception of coercion could damage consumer trust and highlight systemic issues in how large-scale technological transitions are managed. The outcome of this final push will set a precedent for future infrastructure upgrades and the treatment of customers who are slow to adapt to new technologies.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian World↗BT accused of ‘bullying’ customers by pausing broadband in digital landline push
