The package of measures from DSIT, Ofcom and the telecoms industry should ensure a smoother migration for consumers, local authorities and critical infrastructure providers
A series of additional commitments to limit the risks associated with the PSTN switch-off
On 18 November 2024, the UK Government, through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), announced a series of measures related to mitigating risks from the PSTN switch-off and IP migration. The commitments from DSIT, Ofcom, the telecoms industry and third sector organisations broadly aim to ensure greater protection for at-risk consumers, local authority assets and critical national infrastructure (CNI). Since pausing non-voluntary migrations of vulnerable consumers in December 2023 and extending the deadline for the migration to 2027, these commitments, guidance and charters outline a path forward for Openreach and Virgin Media O2 in completing the switch-off of the PSTN.
Telecare users will only face non-voluntary migration as a last resort
DSIT, in agreement with retail communications providers and Ofcom, published guidance on defining consumers who require “supported journeys” through the PSTN switch-off as well as a set of commitments to protect consumers before carrying out a non-voluntary migration. As opposed to the commonly used language of “vulnerable consumers,” the DSIT guidance on supported journeys specifically targets consumers that may be at a heightened risk of suffering harmful outcomes from the PSTN switch-off directly and does not include consumers that may be considered vulnerable in other contexts (i.e. financially vulnerable). Within this definition, providers are responsible for identifying some groups of at-risk consumers, including telecare device users and landline only consumers, while some consumers are responsible for self-identifying their needs to their provider, including those whose disability, age or illness pose an additional risk. According to the new check-list for non-voluntary migrations, these at-risk consumers will be offered a free engineer visit to assist with the transition, and known users of telecare devices will not face a non-voluntary migration unless it is a last resort. Providers have also committed to ensuring these consumers have resilience solutions (i.e. battery back-up) that go beyond Ofcom’s standards for access to emergency services and maximise resilience as far as possible. Providers planning to restart non-voluntary migrations will do so in small test cohorts of consumers at limited risk to ensure that all relevant business processes are robust before they are rolled out at scale.
Local authorities are encouraged to audit their estates for non-telephony PSTN devices and act on migration plans immediately
Recognising that a vast number of remaining connections to the PSTN are non-telephony devices that fall under the responsibility of local authorities, DSIT also published guidance for the chief executives of these authorities in preparing for the switch-off. The guidance identifies a number of devices – including traffic lights, lift alarms, security systems, fire alarms and others – likely to be impacted by the switch-off and encourages authorities to identify relevant personnel within their organisations, audit their estates for these devices and get in contact with device or service providers to determine the best plan for migration. Through the check-list on non-voluntary migrations, communications providers also committed to pursuing data sharing agreements with local authorities to improve awareness among all stakeholders within the migration process.
The collaboration between Government and the telecoms industry to secure CNI is unique compared to other countries
For the proportion of remaining PSTN connections that support some elements of CNI, DSIT, retail communications providers and wholesale network operators also committed to closer coordination and, in some cases, joint outreach to ensure the smooth migration of these assets. Providers will establish a process to identify CNI assets connected to the PSTN and designate specific points of contact for these stakeholders seeking assistance with the migration of legacy devices. In the event that a CNI customer is not responsive to provider outreach and a non-voluntary migration appears necessary, DSIT has committed to escalating the issue across Government. According to our PSTN Switch-off benchmark, this collaborative effort between Government and the telecoms industry to better support and secure critical infrastructure assets through the IP migration is unique among other countries around the world that have completed or are in the process of completing a switch-off of the PSTN.
