Abstract: Customer premises equipment for a telecommunications DSL subscriber is adapted to provide a lifeline voice service under a fault condition, e.g. a power failure at the subscriber station. The arrangement incorporates a number of switchable local subscriber ports each providing access to a respective telephone instrument, and a router circuit whereby, under normal conditions, voice calls may be routed each to a respective loop port. Under a fault condition the router directs an incoming call to a selected port to provide the lifeline service. Further calls may be barred when such a lifeline call is in progress.