My father, who is 101 years old, was left without a landline or panic button when BT switched his phone service from analogue to digital without warning. BT told me his contract was ending and to contact them about renewing it. I did, but was not informed to contact the panic button provider or that I needed an adapter for his analogue phone to work with the new service. After spending 4 hours on the phone with BT, they finally told me I needed a digital adapter for the phone to function. However, 4 days later, the adapter had not arrived and BT could not expedite delivery. My father, who is blind and has limited hearing, was unable to use his panic button for 5 days until the Careline team helped him.tuberculosis, Birmingham
This incident highlights the difficulties faced by vulnerable individuals when analogue phone lines are transitioned to digital services. Since September, customers renewing or starting contracts have been moved to digital voice, which requires a broadband router. However, digital landlines do not work during power outages and some panic buttons are incompatible, posing risks to vulnerable users.
Critics have raised concerns about the slow rollout of this service, originally set to complete by the end of next year. Following reports of “serious incidents” due to faulty panic buttons, the government has urged providers to extend the deadline. BT has pledged not to switch panic button users unless their equipment is compatible and to provide battery back-up solutions for power outages.
Despite these assurances, your father’s situation suggests that these promises were not fulfilled, potentially putting him at risk. You had to be by his side for five days in case of an emergency.
The Observer contacted BT about your father’s case and, although he was not eligible for their priority repair scheme, they expressed regret for the situation and offered a goodwill gesture to acknowledge his experience.
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Source: www.theguardian.com
