Telephone switchover events to be held

A BT staff member talks to a customer at the Digital Voice roadshow. Photo: BT

Advice on the upcoming telecom switchover will be offered at two events in Lerwick this week.

BT is hosting over 40 roadshows across the country which are designed to highlight information ahead of the switch from analogue to digital communication lines.

Households which use the public switched telephone network (PSTN) will soon be required to change over to a digital connection. 

It follows concerns vulnerable people could struggle in an emergency situation if there is a power cut.

The two events will be held at the Shetland Library on Thursday and Friday.

Experts will show customers how BT’s new home phone service Digital Voice works and demonstrate other new products.

BT Senior engagement manger Vicky Hicks said said the event was to help provide the information required to settle nerves about the “essential” chageover.

“The landline is here to stay, and for the majority of customers, making the switch simply means plugging your phone into a broadband router instead of into a wall-mounted phone socket,” Ms Hicks said.

“This will bring new benefits like advanced spam call blocking.”

Thursday’s event begins at 11am, lasting until 3pm while on Friday it begins at 10am and finishes at 1pm.