DIGITAL SWITCHOVER: What almshouse charities need to do to ensure residents’ telecare equipment continues to operate.

Article contributed by appello.co.uk

What is the PSTN digital switchover?

The PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) has powered UK landlines for over a century but this old copper network is now unreliable and costly to maintain. It’s being replaced with digital lines,referred to as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP that carry phone calls over the internet.  

Remember the digital TV switchover?

In 2012, the UK turned off the analogue TV signal and everyone needed a digital box or a new TV to keep watching. The same thing is happening to our phone sockets with the PSTN switchover, so equipment needs to be digitally compatible.

Why is the digital switchover disrupting telecare?

The switchover especially affects telecare alarms as many of these rely on the analogue network. Alarm equipment communicates with a monitoring centre (Alarm Receiving Centre/ARC) using audible tones down the phone line. Digital networks, however,  can misinterpret these, causing (i) Delays that cause the equipment to time out, (ii) Distortion which leads to call rejection and (iii) Call failure caused by connection issues.

What can you do to protect your residents?

A full digital upgrade is the ultimate goal but may not be feasible due to tight timescales and budgets. Analogue to digital (A2D) converters offer an alternative that is low cost and easy to install.

  • Firstly, you will need to check that your chosen converter is suitable for telecare and can maintain a complete service.
  • Once checked, plug into your existing equipment and it will translate analogue tones into a format the digital network can understand.
  • Whilst this is not a permanent fix, it will provide immediate peace of mind for you and the residents while managing long-term operational budgets.

What to do next

The January 2027 deadline isn’t going away, so it’s important to act now:  

  • Contact your monitoring and equipment providers
  • Ask them what they can do, timings and what it will cost
  • Have the conversation early – put the burden of a plan onto your provider, not yourself.

posted 4 August 2026

SEE ALSO: FAQ: DIGITAL SWITCHOVER