Virgin Media fined £24m for leaving prospects ‘vulnerable to hurt’ | EUROtoday

Virgin Media has been fined £23.8m for leaving 1000’s of shoppers with out entry to lifesaving telecare alarms throughout the digital switchover.

Communications watchdog Ofcom fined the telecoms large after ruling it failed to guard susceptible customers of the units, usually aged and disabled folks, throughout the transition from analogue to digital.

The trade is at the moment altering landline companies from analogue to digital, with Ofcom describing the copper-based community as “beyond its intended lifespan and increasingly unreliable”.

Virgin Media stated it had not bought every little thing proper within the transition however added it has launched “a comprehensive package of improvements” for purchasers.

Ofcom has raised issues about telecare customers being left disconnected throughout the transition, warning “any disruption to their device’s connection could have material impacts on their safety”.

Telecare techniques usually work by having an emergency button which routinely calls the emergency companies or carers when pressed through a person’s landline.

The regulator’s investigation discovered throughout its digital switchover, Virgin Media didn’t correctly establish telecare prospects, leaving these affected with out correct assist.

The firm’s method meant 1000’s have been left with units which weren’t related to alarm monitoring centres.

It additionally discovered that the agency’s method to telecare prospects, disconnecting customers who didn’t have interaction within the transition, left 1000’s of susceptible prospects “at a direct risk of harm”.

The agency reported itself to Ofcom over a collection of great incidents throughout its migration of telecare prospects in November and December 2023.

Ofcom stated the £23.8m penalty mirrored the vulnerability of the shoppers affected, the numerous size of time they have been left in danger, the seriousness of the breach and the seriousness of the potential hurt prompted.

Ofcom’s enforcement director Ian Strawhorne stated: “It’s unacceptable that vulnerable customers were put at direct risk of harm and left without appropriate support by Virgin Media, during what should have been a safe and straightforward upgrade to their landline services.

“Today’s effective makes clear to firms that, in the event that they fail to guard their susceptible prospects, they will anticipate to face related enforcement motion.”

Virgin Media said the majority of migrations from landline to digital had been completed “with out difficulty”.

A spokesperson added: “We recognise that we did not get every little thing proper and have since addressed the migration points recognized by Ofcom.

“Our customers’ safety is always our top priority and, following an end-to-end review which began in 2023, we have already introduced a comprehensive package of improvements and enhanced support for vulnerable customers including improved communications, additional in-home support and extensive post-migration checks, as well as working with the industry and government on a joint national awareness campaign.”