While the delay will help to assuage fears of potentially life-threatening outages, there are also concerns about the risks of relying on Britain’s ageing copper network.
Traditional landlines are becoming increasingly unstable, while many parts are no longer being produced, scuppering repairs.
Last year the number of incidents related to copper landlines increased by a fifth, with a 60pc increase in the number of service hours being lost, according to data from Ofcom.
In addition to discussions with industry, the Government is also in talks with telecare companies about how they can help customers through the transition.
It is understood that Virgin Media, which is migrating a smaller number of customers than BT, will restart the process in the next few weeks on a voluntary basis for non-vulnerable people.
A BT spokesman said: “We’re working closely with the Government and Ofcom as we continue the important programme to move customers onto digital landlines.
“Our priority remains doing this safely, supporting our vulnerable customers and those with additional needs in particular, and we’re working with key organisations that represent these groups to achieve that.
“This includes encouraging more local authorities and telecare providers to make us aware of telecare users so we can make sure they get the right support at the right time.
“The current pause will have an impact on the timing of the overall programme – but we are working to minimise any delays, as the switch to digital landlines is a necessity given the increasing fragility of the analogue landline network.”
A spokesman for the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, said: “The decision to switch off the analogue landline network has been taken by the telecoms industry, and the UK Government has no formal role in administering the switchover.
“Deciding timelines for its completion is a matter for providers, but we continue to engage with the industry to ensure vulnerable customers are protected throughout this process.”
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
