When BT started to switch-off traditional landlines across the UK, it pledged that new broadband-powered home phones would be more reliable, improve call quality, and ensure better protection from spam and scam calls. And now, it's published data on the latter, which shows its Enhanced Call Protect service on Digital Voice has successfully blocked over 20 million scam and spam calls in its first four months of operation.
The scam protection system, which is enabled by default on all broadband-powered landlines, known as Digital Voice, was first introduced in May. Since then, it has thwarted 2.4 million scam calls and alerted users to 17.7 million nuisance calls on UK home phones, the telecom firm has revealed.
Enhanced Call Protect uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed in partnership with Hiya to monitor all incoming calls and alert you when it detects any potentially malicious activity. When a potential spam call is detected, you'll see a visual warning on Digital Voice landline phone display, saying "Nuisance?". You can then choose to reject, or accept the flagged call.
Digital Voice handsets, pictured here, connect to the back of the Wi-Fi router supplied by your broadband provider and route calls over the internet — not a traditional phone line BT PRESS OFFICE Scam calls are automatically diverted to a separate junk voicemail, providing an extra layer of protection. The service also verifies calls from registered businesses by displaying their name — this is designed to stop scams where callers impersonate legitimate companies to trick people into handing over credit card details, information that would enable hackers to take control of their laptop or PC, and other common phishing calls.
BT says it's only been able to deploy the system because the UK is undergoing a once-in-a-generation shift from analogue to digital landline services.
For those who don't know, BT, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and other telecom giants are currently in the process of switching off the 14 million or so copper-based phone lines across the UK that Brits have been using to make calls since 1911.
In their place, you’ll need to make your calls using a broadband-powered alternative known as Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.
If you’ve ever made a call over Wi-Fi to friends or family on WhatsApp, Skype, or Messenger, then you’re already familiar with VoIP technology. BT, Virgin Media, and TalkTalk refer to this internet-powered landline as “Digital Voice”, but depending on your provider, they might use a different term.
Plans for a UK-wide landline switch-off were first announced back in November 2017. It's worth emphasizing that this is not a Government scheme or deadline, the proposal came from the industry itself. However, the upgrade scheme has experienced a number of setbacks, with critical personal alarms — often worn in a pendant around the neck or on a wrist bracelet — experiencing some difficulties with the new broadband phone lines.
Unlike traditional copper-based landlines, a power outage will bring down Digital Voice landlines, forcing Britons to rely on mobile phones in an emergency situation or needed to fit an external back-up battery pack to their home phones.
Almost all traditional UK copper-based landlines will be switched off by January 31, 2027 — following a delay announced earlier this year.
With 4 in 5 people over 65 in the UK still relying on landlines, the latest statitsics from BT's Enhanced Call Protect service shows this demographic now faces a disproportionately high risk of scams. According to BT, its new scam protection service provides a crucial layer of protection for vulnerable users, with 28% of all unknown calls now being flagged as spam.
The Enhanced Call Protect service is currently available to 2.5 million BT customers who have migrated to Digital Voice.
This figure is expected to double as more customers upgrade to digital landlines. BT anticipates blocking more than 1.5 million scam calls monthly once all customers have transitioned to Digital Voice.
The service is included as a free feature for Digital Voice customers on their BT home phone plan, so there's no additional costs for you to benefit from this advanced protection against scam and spam calls.
Speaking about the latest findings, BT Consumer’s All-IP Director, Lucy Baker MBE said: “Our top priority is ensuring our customers feel secure and confident when using our services. This new Hiya technology is now integrated with Digital Voice and is proving to be incredibly effective at stopping scam calls. We remain committed to protecting customers during the switch to digital landlines.”
According to Hiya's data, UK residents received an average of three spam calls each month from January to June this year, equating to approximately 195 million spam calls monthly.
Alex Algard, CEO of Hiya added: "We're thrilled to be supporting BT in its mission to shield users from unwanted calls. It’s great to see that our technology has successfully blocked fraud and spam calls, which will in turn give customers the confidence to answer their phones and engage in meaningful conversations without the interruption of unwanted disturbances. This progress underscores our dedication to enhancing digital safety and improving the user experience."
Given the rising number of malicious calls, BT advises customers to remain vigilant. If you receive a suspicious call, put the phone down and call back on a trusted number to verify it. Should you mistakenly give out bank account details, contact your bank immediately.
BT urges customers to report suspicious calls and block the numbers afterwards. They emphasise the importance of trusting your instincts - if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Customers are warned not to stay on the phone unless they're certain the caller is genuine. They should never divulge personal details or grant anyone access to their computer. BT reminds customers to take a moment to stop and think before acting on any unexpected call, especially as scam risks tend to increase during the holiday season.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
BT is making significant progress in rolling out Digital Voice across the UK as part of the nationwide transition from analogue to digital landlines. This upgrade aims to future-proof the country's telecommunications infrastructure, replacing outdated technology.
As part of this initiative, BT has embarked on an extensive community outreach programme. The company has visited 340 towns and cities across the UK, reaching 30% of the nation's urban areas. Enhanced Call Protect isn't the only recent improvement from BT focused on safety. It's also introduced an AI network-level firewall that detects and blocks millions of inbound scam calls from international locations using UK numbers.
