The government is reminding telecare users and their loved ones urged to speak to telecoms providers ahead of switch to digital landlines. 

The switch from analogue to digital landlines is being rolled out across the country as copper networks become increasingly unreliable and spare parts are no longer available. 

It comes as a major new campaign, funded by BT and Virgin Media and backed by the government, launches today. The campaign urges the millions of telecare users in the UK – typically elderly and disabled people as well as their support network – to identify themselves so nobody gets overlooked. 

Many councils and private telecare operators have already signed data sharing agreements with landline providers to ensure that as many telecare users have been identified as possible. 

The campaign launched today and builds on the voluntary industry charter signed by BT, Virgin Media and other providers and the checklist agreed in November 2024. The checklist commits providers to complete a strict checklist of safeguards before transferring customers from old analogue phone lines onto a digital network, reducing the risk of them being disconnected during the migration. This includes engineer visits and issuing battery backups. 

Please visit GOV.​UK for more information on the digital switchover and the new awareness campaign video.