Wiltshire Council is reminding people in the Salisbury area that major changes to their phone and broadband services are coming, as Openreach and other telecom companies are upgrading old analogue telephone landlines to new digital networks.
Salisbury is one of the first areas in the country to switch to new digital phone lines, as the UK moves to retire the current decades-old analogue system. Local residents will need to upgrade their phone lines by April 2023 if they haven’t already.
Customers should speak to their telephone and broadband provider, which will help them understand how to upgrade if needed. It’s particularly important that people let vulnerable friends and family know the change is coming.
Cllr Ashley O'Neill, Cabinet Member for Broadband, said: “This is an important change for Salisbury because it will affect people’s telephone landline services and anything that is connected to their landline.
“This isn’t being run or managed by Wiltshire Council, but we think it is important to let our communities know that it is happening.
“Vulnerable people will be among the most affected by this switch, and they could also be the target of potential scams, so it is vital they know about the change and that they need to speak to their telephone or broadband provider. They should ignore any other letters or phone calls about the switch as they could potentially be a scam, with some people sadly all too willing to take advantage of certain circumstances.”
The switchover is part of the national switch-off of BT’s Public Telephone Switched Network (PTSN).
Salisbury was the first city in the UK to have complete access to Openreach’s new ultrafast Full Fibre network. The whole of the UK will be part of the programme to move away from older technologies by December 2025.
People who have questions or concerns should not contact Wiltshire Council about this; they should contact their telephone or broadband provider. People can also find out more at www.openreach.com/locations/salisbury and OfCom: Upgrading landlines to digital technology – what you need to know.
To help people understand more about this project, BT is hosting a roadshow and drop-in event in Salisbury on Wednesday 14 December at the Guildhall, from 9am-5pm.
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