One signal

MPs have warned that the UK’s move from copper landlines to internet-based phone services could leave some people in remote areas unable to call for help during a power cut or storm. The switch is due to be completed by the end of January next year, the BBC reports.

Traditional landlines can keep working when mains power fails. Digital services depend on powered equipment and connectivity, while mobile signals may also disappear in severe weather. Providers offer free backup batteries to vulnerable customers, including telecare users, but one MP told the BBC that a battery lasting an hour or more is not enough protection in some circumstances. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said he would look closely at the concerns and raise them with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The practical question is whether backup arrangements can keep people connected when the power, internet and mobile network all fail at once.

Discuss: Should the digital landline switch be delayed in remote areas until backup calls are reliable through prolonged power cuts, or should operators meet a firm resilience standard while the rollout continues?

Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.