Virgin Media fined £24m for leaving vulnerable customers ‘at risk of harm’

Virgin Media has been fined £23.8m for denying thousands of customers access to life-saving telecare alarms during the digital switchover.

Communications watchdog Ofcom fined the telecoms giant after it failed to protect vulnerable users of devices, especially the elderly and disabled, during the transition from analog to digital.

The industry is currently converting landline services from analogue to digital, with Ofcom describing copper-based networks as “beyond their intended lifetime and increasingly unreliable”.

Virgin Media said it did not get everything right during the transition, but added that it had launched “a comprehensive package of improvements” for customers.

Ofcom has raised concerns over telecare users being disconnected during the transition, warning that “any disruption to their device’s connection could have a significant impact on their security”.

Telecare systems typically operate with an emergency button that automatically calls emergency services or caregivers when pressed through the user’s landline.

The regulator’s investigation found that during its digital switchover, Virgin Media failed to properly identify telecare customers, leaving those affected without appropriate support.

The company’s approach meant that thousands of devices were left that were not connected to alarm monitoring centers.

It also found that the company’s approach to telecare customers, disconnected users who were not involved in the transition, leaving thousands of vulnerable customers “at direct risk of harm”.

The company reported to Ofcom a series of serious incidents during the stay of telecare customers in November and December 2023.

Ofcom said the £23.8m fine reflected the sensitivity of affected customers, the significant length of time they were left at risk, the seriousness of the breach and the seriousness of the potential harm.

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

“Today’s fine makes clear to companies that, if they fail to protect their vulnerable customers, they can expect to face similar enforcement action.”

Virgin Media said that most of the migration from landlines to digital had been completed “without any issues”.

A spokesperson said: “We recognize that we did not get everything right and we have addressed the migration issues identified by Ofcom.

“The safety of our customers is always our top priority and, following an end-to-end review starting in 2023, we have already introduced a comprehensive package of reforms and enhanced support for vulnerable customers, including better communications, additional domestic support and wider post-migration checks, as well as working with industry and government on a joint national awareness campaign.”