Geez. Didn't expect my comment to raise such a storm. LOL.
I was not implying that BT should keep the dial-up equipment just for the sake of the few die-hards; I was merely saying that BT could have offered to facilitate the switch, rather than dropping the customers (with very little warning at that, as well). Say, they could have said "this is it people, but if you are interested in broadband, here are a few options and we can help you get in touch with them and give you a hand throughout the process". It would be just proper business practice, even if in the end you lose these people to other businesses (otherwise put, called "being nice", esp. to someone that you had as a client for may years). I doubt the BT stock would have plunged beyond repair just for taking this tiny extra step.
I did not see the official BT communique, either, so all this was just referring to the info in the article. It would not be the first time when a reported piece failed to give all the details.