Heather is 71, on her own, and lives with severe osteoarthritis. We have not shown her face for security reasons. She has a through-floor lift to her upper floor as she has great difficulty in managing the stairs. Heather has her landline installed in the lift, in case there is a breakdown while she is using it. 

If Heather is forced to exchange her traditional landline for a digital phone, it would stop working if there is a power cut or the internet goes down, and there would be no way she could call for help if her lift malfunctions. Unlike existing landlines, internet-based phones will automatically go down once power is cut. 

This is just one example of the severe safety implications for older and disabled people of the reckless Government decision to allow the telecom companies to resume their programme of forced transfers from traditional copper-wire landlines to digital alternatives. Those who rely on personal alarm systems and intruder alarms linked to the landline, and all those who do not possess a mobile phone or have unreliable mobile reception, will have their safety compromised. 

Promised technical measures which would ensure continuing power supplies to digital phones have not materialised, and there are no assurances that every vulnerable customer will even be contacted in advance of their phone being switched over. Previous assurances that all over 70s and other vulnerable customers would not be switched over until enhanced safety measures have been developed, have been ditched. 

Silver Voices, the UK campaign organisation for the over 60s, is supporting all those, like Heather, who depend on their landlines for safety reasons and is calling for switchovers to remain voluntary until enhanced safety measures are developed. Older lives and those of other vulnerable customers are being put at risk to advance the commercial interests of the telecoms industry and the Government is complicit in downplaying these risks. 

Please sign our petition to stop forced digital switchovers. Heather must be able to keep her traditional landline until her safety can be assured.