questionText: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the withdrawal of analogue landline services on public safety, given that Voice over Internet Protocol systems cease to function when households have no access to (a) electricity, (b) Wi‑Fi and (c) mobile connectivity; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all residents have access to reliable communication channels during emergencies.
answerText: The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) often relies on cables in the air that can fail during a storm. In 2024/25 there were over 2,600 major incidents on the PSTN, each affecting 500 or more customers. Further, in a power outage the PSTN would not ...
heading: Voice over Internet Protocol