Rural Berkshire back-up concerns over digital landline switch

“We’re going backwards”, a rural estate manager has said ahead of the switchover from analogue to digital.

David Hill manages 5,000-acre Eling Estate, near Newbury in west Berkshire, and said he was concerned about a back-up plan after the switch from traditional landlines to broadband.

The government has said it is doing everything it can to help customers with the upgrade of the landline network across the UK, which is due to be completed by January 2027.

“In principle it’s fine, the system works when it works,” said Mr Hill. “The problem we have is that there is no back-up.”