Virgin Media has been fined £23.8 million by Ofcom after it was found to have put thousands of vulnerable customers at "direct risk of harm" during a transition to digital landlines. The fine comes after a series of serious incidents occurred in November and December 2023, as the telecoms giant upgraded its home phone services. The media and communications regulator reported that Virgin Media failed to accurately identify and record the status of its "telecare" customers. These customers rely on emergency alarm systems that connect to monitoring services. As a result, many were left without the necessary support, and their devices could not connect to alarm monitoring centres while their networks were disconnected. Ofcom stated that this negligence placed thousands of vulnerable customers, who were not involved in the upgrade process, at direct risk of harm. Ian Strawhorne, Ofcom's director of enforcement, remarked, "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." He added that the fine serves as a warning to companies that fail to protect vulnerable customers. Virgin Media has four weeks to pay the fine, which will be directed to the Treasury. The penalty was determined based on the severity of the breach, the vulnerability of the affected customers, and Virgin's self-reporting of the incident. In response to the fine, a Virgin Media representative stated that the company has since updated its procedures and implemented additional safeguards to better serve vulnerable customers. The spokesperson said, "While historically the majority of migrations were completed without issue, we recognise that we didn't get everything right and have since addressed the migration issues identified by Ofcom." The company has introduced a comprehensive support package for vulnerable customers, which includes improved communication, additional at-home assistance, thorough checks after the switchover, and participation in a nationwide awareness campaign. Virgin Media also emphasised the importance of transitioning customers to digital services, stating that traditional analogue landlines are "less reliable and difficult to maintain." This incident highlights the critical need for telecom companies to ensure the safety and support of their most vulnerable customers during service upgrades.