Analogue to Digital Switchover
Information from Lincare about changes being made to the Telephone system and how it affects all life line services in the UK
Changes are being made to the UK telephone system and it will affect all lifeline alarm services that are provided, from all Alarm Service providers.
This issue affects every lifeline provider in the country. Lincare want to make sure that our lifeline alarm system and pendant continue to work effectively and keep our customers safe.
What is happening to the entire UK telephone system?
In the UK, the analogue telephone system that we have used for many years is being gradually replaced with a modern digital system. This is called a digital upgrade. This is because the UK needs a modern telephone system which can handle how people want to communicate by using their mobile phones, laptops, tablets or other electronic devices.
The digital upgrade is planned to be completed by the end of 2025 and phone companies are already encouraging people to upgrade their phone systems. This will involve phone providers arranging for a telephone engineer to come to customers’ homes to install the new system.
Upgrades by Phone Companies have already commenced, and some users of Alarm Services have already been affected.
LINCARE has already taken steps to protect its customers and has already upgraded its Monitoring Centre to receive Digital calls, and has been installing and trialling the new Digital equipment in customers’ homes since March 2019.
What has changed now?
Late November The Technology Enabled Care (TEC) industries accreditation body the Telecare Services Association(TSA) sent out an instruction to all providers, of telecare equipment:
“Organisations must no longer procure social alarms that can only establish connections to Alarm Receiving Centres using analogue tone-based communication.”
It is mandated that those organisations that have an ongoing requirement to communicate in analogue protocols (e.g. ARC infrastructure has not been upgraded) must procure ‘hybrid’ social alarms that communicate in both analogue and digital protocols (and can be switched remotely without the need for an on-site reprogramming)
Lincare existing Business development plan means that we have already met parts of this brief. But we now need to accelerate our installation of Digital equipment in customers’ homes. We have been informed by our equipment suppliers that we can no longer purchase analogue devices.
The work being carried out by BT/OpenReach means that analogue units are becoming increasingly unreliable.
The TSA has shared examples below why UK telecare service providers are moving from using analogue to digital units.
Listed below are some of the analogue issues already reported since OpenReach started the digital switchover;
- Call failures whereby the unit has to redial. Example included call from a smoke and the operator was unable to provide any guidance to the client as to how to exist the property as per normal procedures
- Unit connects successfully but only with one way audio. Example included a fall alarm call as the lady had fallen and was in extreme pain with a broken hip. She did not receive any reassurance that her emergency call had got through and she did not know if anyone was coming to help her. An ambulance did eventually arrive but her confidence in the system has been lost. Another example was from a door exit alarm which was in place for a client with dementia who was known for wandering. The operator was unable to provide reassurance to the client and to assist them with returning to the property. Quick thinking on the operator’s part led them to notify a neighbour who was able to help the client return to their property.
- No audio from both sides. By this I mean the operator cannot hear the customer and the customer cannot hear the operator, almost like it is not connecting correctly. Operators are therefore having to ring the customer on their telephone to check they are ok which is creating additional work and is also affecting the customers confidence in the analogue alarm unit.
- Incorrect alarm ID. Missing analogue tones during the handshake with the control centre meant that numbers from the alarm ID was missing meaning the alarm call did not match the client’s details
- Incorrect alarm description. Missing analogue tones during the handshake with the control centre meant that the alarm call showed it was from a smoke when in fact it was a pendant call
What difference will this make?
Digital alarms do not use the customers landline telephone. They have a multiple network roaming SIM card, like in a mobile to ensure it always works, even if the electricity goes down – this will ensure the alarm is always working. Unfortunately, like your mobile phone, there is an additional charge for the SIM. This will cost customers an extra £4 a month to have digital equipment.
During Covid we have installed the Digital equipment and have not made the additional £4.00 per month SIM charge, but this is unsustainable as more and more units are fitted.
It is therefore important that with immediate effect new customers are aware of the additional cost.
Prices from April 2022
- Lifeline - £160.00
- SIM - £48
- total - £208
These prices are an annual charge and will be pro rata for the rest of the year.
Important information about the battery backup if a customer wishes to keep their analogue alarm.
They can request a free battery back up from the telephone provider when they upgrade their line to digital. This is not recommended by Lincare
The battery back-up will provide only 1 hour of service in the event of a mains electrical power failure. The safest thing to do is move to our digital units as their back-up remains regardless of the electricity going down.
However, if they do not want to pay the extra, they will need to find another way to contact us in an emergency after 1 hour as the analogue lifeline will no longer operate. The only solution is to have a mobile phone always fully charged with them.
If you have any questions, please contact us on 0300 303 4430