Two vulnerable people died shortly after their health alarms failed, raising concerns over the looming switch-off of analogue phone lines. Telecoms providers including BT and Virgin Media O2 are overhauling Britain’s antiquated copper landline phone network under “switch-off” plans to move to digital phones that work over the internet by the end of 2025. The move is going ahead despite landline-dependent households being left cut off and unable to call 999 during Storm Arwen in 2022. Others have warned that phone providers switching to digital landlines could negatively affect thousands of “telecare” devices used by disabled and elderly, as well as burglar alarms – many of which are dependent on old landline technology. It has now been confirmed two Virgin Media O2 customers died several days after their health pendants failed to function, following the switching off of their phone lines towards the end of last year. One customer reportedly died in June six to eight days after their device failed, while the other died in November four to six days following their device failing – although their deaths have not been formally linked to non-functioning devices or landline switches. However, that two customers died just days after their devices...