Virgin Media has been fined £23.8m for leaving thousands of customers without access to lifesaving telecare alarms during the digital switchover.

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

The industry is currently changing landline services from analogue to digital, with Ofcom describing the copper-based network as “beyond its intended lifespan and increasingly unreliable”.

Virgin Media said it had not got everything right in the transition but added it has launched “a comprehensive package of improvements” for customers.

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

Telecare systems typically work by having an emergency button which automatically calls the emergency services or carers when pressed via a user’s landline.

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

The company’s approach meant thousands were left with devices which were not connected to alarm monitoring centres.

It also found that the firm’s approach to telecare customers, disconnecting users who did not engage in the transition, left vulnerable customers “at a direct risk of harm”.

Ofcom and Virgin Media have not given an exact number for how many customers were affected or for how long people were left at risk.

The firm reported itself to Ofcom over a series of serious incidents during its migration of telecare customers in November and December 2023.

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

It is the third biggest penalty Ofcom has issued, after fining Royal Mail £50m in 2018 for breaching competition law, and fining BT £42m in 2017 for delays in installing high-speed lines.

Ofcom’s enforcement director Ian Strawhorne said: “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 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 the majority of migrations from landline to digital had been completed “without issue”.

A spokesperson added: “We recognise that we didn’t get everything right and have since addressed the migration issues identified 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.”