The North West Norfolk MP spoke in the House of Commons last month about the issue.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 >> James Wyle (Bedford) (Con) On 14 December, I convened the UK's leading
00:09 telecom providers to discuss the next steps to protect vulnerable households when providers
00:15 upgrade phone lines. As a result, telecom providers have now signed a charter committing
00:20 to concrete measures to protect vulnerable households. This is a positive step by industry
00:26 to make sure that safety continues to be at the heart of the nationwide switchover.
00:30 >> James Wyle (North West Norfolk) (Con) A concern for vulnerable people in North West
00:36 Norfolk who rely on personal alarms in emergencies about the new digital network is loss of service
00:41 and a power cut. Will my right hon. Friend ensure that those welcome new protections
00:46 deliver robust back-up plans in such circumstances and that they are clearly communicated to
00:51 customers?
00:52 >> The Prime Minister I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that
00:57 the power resilience of our digital infrastructure network is absolutely key to keeping people
01:02 connected. As part of signing up to this voluntary charter, the main communication providers
01:07 have promised to work towards providing more powerful back-up solutions that go beyond
01:13 Ofcom's minimum requirements. I have had multiple conversations with Ofcom on this
01:17 matter, and it is now consulting with the aim to further strengthen the UK's resilience
01:23 in power cuts.
01:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]