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The telecommunications industry’s transition from an analogue to a digital phone system has been partially disrupted after two Virgin Media O2 customers died due to the failure of their Telecare devices following the upgrade process.
Last year’s incidents prompted the government’s announcement in December that it had secured commitments from the industry to protect vulnerable customers, according to a response to a Freedom of Information request from the Financial Times.
The revelation of the deaths follows warnings from local governments and activists about the risks posed by the industry-driven switch, which impacts landlines and devices such as personal alarms.
The Telecare users died about six to eight and four to six days after the equipment failed in June and November 2023, respectively, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology said.
Virgin Media O2 said it did not provide the Telecare devices itself. The FOI response did not specify the cause of the error or the device manufacturer.
However, the department said that after it was informed of the incidents in November, it took steps including meeting with Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Student and Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom.
The regulator launched an investigation in February into Virgin Media O2’s compliance with its commitments when migrating customers from analogue to digital landlines.
A charter agreed by the industry in December resulted in a pause in the involuntary switch to digital landlines.
The Department of Health and Social Care estimated last year that 1.8 million people were using telecare services in the UK.
The industry has said the move to a digital network is necessary to improve reliability and resilience compared to legacy analog phone lines that are at risk of frequent failures.
According to the answer, it was assumed that both of the deceased had underlying health conditions. One lives in Greater Manchester and the other in Greater London, it said.
DSIT warned that it had no information about whether the device failure was “a significant contributing factor or cause of death” and that a fully functional device may not have “made a material difference in the circumstances.”
Providers including Virgin Media O2 and BT committed under a charter in December not to carry out involuntary migrations until all possible steps had been taken to protect vulnerable consumers.
The charter stipulated that Telecare users would not be migrated to fixed digital services without confirmation that a working solution was in place.
Virgin Media O2 said it paused all fixed line migrations in December as “we reviewed our processes and made improvements”.
The company said this includes, among other things, checking the phone lines of people who have already migrated, improving communications and working more closely with the UK Telecare trade body.
It added: “No vulnerable or telecare customers are currently being migrated” and once it resumes, “additional home checks will take place to ensure landlines are active and that telecare providers are aware of any issues with alarm units”.
Virgin Media O2 said it was “essential that all parties, including local authorities and telecare companies, accept and exercise their responsibilities”.
It also called on the government to create a “Telecare Charter” to enable better data sharing, better device usability and better home support.
BT said the “tragic incidents highlight why collaboration between key stakeholders is vital to ensure the UK’s fixed-line digital transition occurs safely.”
DSIT said in a separate statement it was “shocked and saddened to learn of these deaths” and its “thoughts are with the affected families.”
The ministry added that it was “clear that these provider failures are unacceptable” and that is why “we have stepped in to reach agreements with the largest network providers and operators and strengthen protections for vulnerable consumers.”
The department said it will “continue to closely monitor providers to ensure they are complying with these new measures.”