Sturm und Drang on the home telephone front

[#1]

It begins?

‘There is real danger’: landline phone users voice fears over digital switchover

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/may/02/landline-phone-users-voice-fears-over-digital-switchov...

Rural dwellers reveal failings in backup plans, as campaigners call for deadline to be extended from 2027 to 2030

" “Every time there is a power failure I lose all means of communication with the outside world,” says Robert Dewar of life in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands since the landlines were transferred from the old copper cable network to broadband connections.

Blackouts also knock out the village’s mobile phone signal. “Our most recent power cut lasted for 42 hours,” Dewar says. The interruption outlasted his five-hour emergency backup battery. “If I had had a heart attack there is damn all I could have done about it, except compose myself, say my prayers, and await the outcome.” "

https://www.plus.net/help/my-account/changes-to-broadband-and-phone-faqs/

P.S. This post could perhaps be moved to General Chat etc?

[#2]

Says it all really.  Without doubt people are going to perish, but I expect the saving on state pensions has been factored into the equation.

Its going to affect those on lower incomes who cant afford the fancy UPS.  In addition the backups offered are totally inadequate 1 to 8 hours seems to be it, which is pointless as the mobiles will still have charge at that point. The copper line, had days if not weeks. the exchanges had their own back up system I know some whos landline was still working at 2 weeks during the clean up from the last major storm.