Virgin Media fined £23.8m for putting vulnerable customers at risk

Virgin Media has been fined £23.8m for putting thousands of vulnerable people “at risk of harm” when switching them from an analogue to a digital landline.

The media watchdog, Ofcom, found the company failed to protect people who relied on telecare alarms to call for help , after Virgin Media self-reported a number of “serious incidents” in November and December 2023.

Telephone network owners have been switching millions of people to digital landlines in recent years, but the move can disrupt some telecare alarms that rely on the analogue system to communicate with call centres or carers. Telecoms companies to improve security to stop UK phone number ‘spoofing’ Read more

Ofcom found “serious system failures” in Virgin Media’s process of moving its customers to a digital landline