Are you in the Cloud!

So, you are saying whether the person is able to use the internet or not, they will need to pay for broadband to have a house phone!

There are plenty of elderly that don't know, don't want to know and don't understand Pcs and the internet. But they will have no choice but to pay for something they don't need, just to get a phone line. If that's the case it is disgusting! Society forgets about the older generation when it comes to technology. My neighbour was told the only way to get the blue badge renewed was online. She explained she didnt have a computer or the internet. The council employee told her to buy a computer, she would need it to keep up to date with her benefit payments!  

There are people in society that are not capable of learning the technology, are not interested in learning, and can't afford it. Yet it is automatically assumed that they have a computer. Cost wise you wont beat the Bt basic service at just over £5 a month, of which I know a lot of elderly people on it. 

Don't fix what aint broke, as the saying goes.

Hi Toots, thanks for the response.

Nothing is going to happen overnight, this is a gradual process. But the reality is the infrastructure of this country is broke and really does need fixing

We are talking about copper wire technology that is well past it's sell by date. My old house in Warwick was in an area where the whole phone infrastructure for that housing estate was in full decay. BT wagons were a common sight and after countless complaining the simple answer was there was little BT could do, and this was going back 15 years.

Technology evolves, older technologies degrade and become redundant. I've no doubt when the eventual time arrives for the POTS network to be switched off for good  and consigned to history, that there will be a facility to ensure everyone has access to a simple phone service.

I'm sure there will be a low cost/subsidised service for the elderly and vulnerable, which in reality will probably work out cheaper than it does now with no call costs and no line rental. If there isn't, then Age Concern and similar will soon start shouting and lobbying government. I've no idea about government policy but I would have thought ensuring everyone has adequate and affordable access to communications before the POTS switch off would be a requirement.

Remember a computer wouldn't be needed and the phone will look and operate exactly the same as their current one does now. The fact their would be so much extra functionality available if needed is a bonus, meaning family members could configure and set up monitoring services, alerts, voice activated, in fact the options and potential are endless.

Does that allay any fears or are you still sceptical?

Not exactly: the physical lines will (most likely) remain in place, but instead of running analogue services they will be digital. As Steve points out, the copper wire technology is an old system. In other countries where they have invested in their communications networks, copper has largely been superseded by fibre. This opens up the possibility for much faster and more flexible services, for both data and voice communication, as was eloquently explained by Steve. It does not mean that people will be forced to buy a PC and learn how to program it.