- The traditional analogue telephone network (PSTN) is being withdrawn by Openreach, with the all-IP migration completing in 2027.
- Many personal alarms, fall detectors and pendant alarms dial out over the analogue line and may not function reliably on a digital line without checks or replacement.
- Ofcom requires communications providers to identify customers who depend on their landline for telecare and to take steps to protect them during migration.
- Providers must offer a free battery back-up solution so a vulnerable customer can still contact emergency services during a power cut for at least one hour, under Ofcom guidance.
- A government and industry charter commits major providers not to migrate telecare users without verifying their service works on the new connection.
A telecare alarm may stop working after the analogue line is retired unless it is checked or replaced. The provider and the telecare scheme share responsibility; families should report the alarm now so it is upgraded before migration.
Last reviewed: June 2026
Why telecare depends on the analogue line
Telecare covers the personal alarms, pendant buttons, fall detectors, bogus-caller alerts and pull-cords that allow an older or disabled person to summon help without reaching a telephone. When the wearer presses the button, an alarm unit in the home dials a monitoring centre, opens a two-way voice channel and passes the call to a responder or family member. For decades that dialling has happened over the copper Public Switched Telephone Network, which delivered its own electrical power down the line and used analogue signalling tones the alarm units were designed around.
The retirement of the PSTN changes both of those foundations. Voice calls move to an internet-protocol service carried over broadband, and the line no longer carries its own power: the equipment in the home runs on mains electricity instead. An older alarm unit that expects analogue dial tones and line power can behave unpredictably on a digital connection, and in a power cut a router-based service has no current at all unless a battery back-up is fitted. Because a telecare device is a lifeline rather than a convenience, these risks have driven specific regulatory protections.
What Ofcom and the government expect of providers
Ofcom treats people who rely on their landline for telecare as among the most at-risk customers in the migration. Communications providers are expected to identify these customers before moving them, to engage with them about their needs, and not to leave anyone without a working route to emergency services. Ofcom guidance also requires providers to offer, free of charge, a solution that keeps a vulnerable customer connected to emergency services during a power cut for at least one hour, recognising that mains-powered digital equipment fails when the electricity does.
Alongside the regulator, the government brokered an industry charter under which the largest providers committed to additional safeguards. These include not forcing a non-voluntary migration of a known telecare user, working with telecare and local-authority partners to share information, and verifying that the alarm functions on the new line before the analogue service is switched off. The Public Switched Telephone Network is being withdrawn by Openreach with the all-IP migration completing in 2027, so these protections apply across a multi-year programme rather than a single cut-off date.
Who is responsible for upgrading a telecare device
Responsibility is shared, which is why so many households are uncertain who to call. The communications provider is responsible for the broadband and voice line and for the battery back-up offer. The telecare scheme operator, often a local authority, housing association or a private monitoring company, is responsible for the alarm equipment itself and for confirming it works after migration. The bill-payer or family is responsible for making sure both organisations know the alarm exists, because a provider cannot protect a device it has never been told about.
This is the single most important practical point. A telecare alarm is frequently arranged by a council or charity years before the broadband contract, so the communications provider may have no record of it. Registering the alarm with the provider, and confirming the telecare operator has a migration plan, closes that gap and triggers the safeguards above.
Telecare PSTN migration: options and who is responsible
The table below sets out the common migration routes for a telecare alarm and which organisation typically leads each one.
| Migration option | How it works | Who usually leads |
|---|---|---|
| Digital-ready alarm unit | An IP-capable base unit plugs into the broadband router and is tested on the new line. | Telecare scheme operator |
| Mobile (4G) alarm unit | The alarm uses a mobile data connection rather than the fixed line, useful where broadband is weak. | Telecare scheme operator |
| Analogue alarm kept via adapter | The old unit plugs into a digital line, but compatibility must be tested as not all alarms work. | Provider and operator jointly |
| Battery back-up for power cuts | A back-up unit keeps the line live for at least one hour during a mains failure. | Communications provider |
| Migration deferral | The provider holds off switching the line until the alarm is confirmed working. | Communications provider |
None of these options removes the need to register the device first. The deferral route in particular only applies once the provider knows a telecare user is on the line.
The power-cut risk and why it matters most
Of all the changes the analogue retirement brings, the loss of line power is the one that catches households by surprise. The old copper network powered itself, so a basic corded telephone, and many alarm units, kept working even when the household electricity failed. A digital service depends on the broadband router, which is a mains-powered device, so a power cut that takes out the electricity also takes out the router, the line and any alarm that runs through it. For a person who has fallen during a storm-related outage, that is precisely the moment the alarm is needed.
This is the reasoning behind the Ofcom requirement that providers offer, free of charge, a solution keeping a vulnerable customer connected to emergency services for at least one hour during a power cut. A battery back-up unit bridges short outages, and a mobile-based alarm that carries its own battery offers a further layer of resilience because it does not depend on the router at all. Households should treat the back-up as essential rather than optional, ask the provider explicitly what is being supplied, and confirm how long it will keep the alarm live. Knowing the practical limits of the back-up, and having a fallback such as a charged mobile phone to hand, completes the safety picture rather than leaving it to chance.
What families should do now
The most useful action is not to wait for a switch-off letter. Telephone the broadband or phone provider and tell them the household has a telecare alarm, asking that the account be flagged as having a vulnerable customer who relies on the line. Then contact the telecare scheme, whose number is usually printed on the alarm unit or pendant, and ask what their plan is for the analogue retirement and whether the equipment is digital-ready or scheduled for replacement.
It is also worth testing the alarm regularly, keeping the monitoring centre details written down somewhere visible, and considering a mobile-based unit where home broadband is unreliable. Where the person lives alone, a relative should keep a note of the provider reference and the telecare account so they can chase progress. These small steps turn a shared responsibility that can fall through the cracks into a documented plan that providers are obliged to honour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my personal alarm still work after PSTN switch-off?
It may not work reliably without a check or upgrade. Older alarms were built for the analogue line and can behave unpredictably on a digital connection. The telecare operator should test or replace the unit before the analogue line is withdrawn, and the provider should not switch a known telecare user until the alarm is confirmed working.
Who is responsible for upgrading telecare devices?
Responsibility is shared. The communications provider handles the broadband, voice line and battery back-up; the telecare scheme operator, often a council or monitoring company, handles the alarm equipment and its testing. The bill-payer or family must make sure both organisations know the alarm exists so the safeguards apply.
What should I do if an elderly relative has a telecare alarm?
Tell the relative's phone or broadband provider that a telecare alarm is on the line and ask for the account to be flagged. Then contact the telecare scheme, whose number is usually on the pendant or base unit, to confirm their migration plan. Keep a note of both references so progress can be chased.
What does Ofcom say about protecting vulnerable users in the PSTN switch-off?
Ofcom expects providers to identify customers who depend on their landline for telecare, engage with them before migrating, and not leave anyone without a route to emergency services. Providers must also offer a free solution that keeps a vulnerable customer connected to emergency services for at least one hour during a power cut.
What replaces PSTN for telecare alarms?
Telecare alarms move to IP-based units that connect through the broadband router, or to mobile units that use a 4G data connection instead of the fixed line. The mobile option suits homes with weak or no broadband. In both cases a battery back-up is needed so the alarm survives a power cut.
