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<p>The analogue landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN) is privately owned and the decision to upgrade it has been taken by the telecoms
industry. That said, DCMS is working closely with industry to ensure nobody is adversely
affected by the upgrade, including the small number of rural areas which have limited
digital connectivity. I chaired an industry roundtable in January to discuss how best
to raise public awareness for the migration.</p><p>The replacement Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) services require a minimum stable connection speed of just 0.5Mbps
in order to function correctly. As a result, rural communities with limited digital
connectivity can also be upgraded to digital telephony services. For current landline-only
customers, it will be possible to order a VoIP landline without purchasing a general
internet connection. Moreover, the migration from analogue landlines does not affect
the universal service obligations set in the Electronic Communications (Universal
Service) Order 2003 which require the designated providers, BT and KCOM, to offer
telephony services throughout the UK.</p><p>Ofcom is responsible for ensuring telecoms
providers adhere to their regulatory obligations throughout the migration process.
Ofcom has published <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/123118/guidance-emergency-access-power-cut.pdf"
target="_blank">guidance</a> which states that providers must take steps to identify
and protect at-risk consumers, including consumers in rural communities who are dependent
on their landline. This guidance states that providers should have at least one solution
available that enables access to emergency organisations for a minimum of one hour
in the event of a power outage. The solution should be suitable for customers needs
and should be offered free of charge.</p><p>DCMS is also working hard to improve rural
connectivity through the £5 billion Project Gigabit programme and the £1 billion Shared
Rural Network.</p>
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