Know about phone line changes coming into Salisbury soon
It'll affect landlines and internet broadbands
Residents in Salisbury are being reminded of major changes to phone and broadband services coming in from April next year.
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.
Openreach and other telecoms companies are upgrading old analogue telephone landlines to new digital networks, and it means 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.
The switchover is part of the national switch-off of BT’s Public Telephone Switched Network (PTSN).
Wiltshire Council warns it’s particularly important that people let vulnerable friends and family know the change is coming, and alert them to potential scams.
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.”
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.
To help people understand more about the project, BT is hosting a roadshow and drop-in event in Salisbury on Wednesday 14 December at the Guildhall, from 9am-5pm.
Customers can find out more about the upgrade via Openreach's website, at www.openreach.com/locations/salisbury