Personal care Alarms, help needed

Hi All,

My question is about the OpenReach/BT disconnection of Copper Landlines by January 2027 (or sooner according to their statements).

I'm asking, because it is something I have overlooked in regard to my Mums personal care alarm. So far I have been able to glean that her current ISP where I believe she has an adsl type internet connection with PlusNet will no longer be suitable as her current contract ends next month and no similar package will be available.
I have also checked with her current Personal Alarm provider who's equipment relies on a copper based landline and they do not yet have updated equipment ready.
As far as I understand it, any new Personal Alarm equipment works on some form of mobile telecom connection, with possibly an internet connection as backup.?

The other thing that has thrown me talking to support agents is that is that EE is preferred by by PlusNet for those who still want a Landline. And it's that word Landline that got me.. So far as I understand it, is that Plusnet offer a Digital Telephone for those who wish to keep their old landline telephone number and want that sort of fixed phone, but it does not support any Personal care type alarm systems?

So the concern is at the moment, that my Mum's Plusnet contract ends in around 3+ weeks and isn't renewable except for a full fibred product. Her Personal Pendant type alarm system relies on the old BT system and the alarm company that she is with has currently no new supporting alarm equipment.

Am I right in assuming, that Plusnet (although more expensive) will keep her current package running after her contract ends mid August 26?

Am I right in thinking that all these new type of personal alarm type base stations work independently on a mobile network for example - is that the way things are now done?
For some reason EE mix in their selection options on their website (which is confusing) that having the option of a digital telephone/landline will also support a type of personal alarm base station, but is that correct?

thanks

Edited by Vorlon (Tue 21-Jul-26 13:41:41)

You may want to contact Ofcom as there was a large delay to the switch off from voice over copper due to personal alarms. Ofcom apparently had robust conversations with the alarm industry.

Plusnet no longer offer voice services, so even if you have copper wire for broadband there will be no dial tone. To keep some voice services you have to move to EE to stay with the BT group; and normal phones plug into the router.

However alarm systems are different and need special handling, maybe see:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/landli...

I find it frankly incredulous that there are still companies in the personal alarm industry that haven’t got a working alternative that copes with the withdrawal of PSTN services.

It’s been almost 3 years (September 2023) since the stop sell in WLR (which includes PSTN services - i.e. dial tone and voltage on the line) and Openreach have been very open about their plans to withdraw these services for many, many years.

That these companies don’t have a workable alternative now in the latter half of 2026 is bordering on frankly negligent. If I was in your position I would be voting with my feet and finding an alternative personal alarm provider that has go their act together. Your current provider would fill me with zero confidence in their ability to provide a critical service.

Ask the care alarm provider if they have tested their product at the free to use BT facility at Adastral Park, if it works there then it will work on an EE or BT Digital Voice service.

Thanks for your replies, but could someone confirm that although I know EE are being suggested by Plusnet for those who want a a digitalised type of landline at present, is the latest Personal care alarm equipment now based on communication via a Mobile data connection such as 4/5g?

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

I find it frankly incredulous that there are still companies in the personal alarm industry that haven’t got a working alternative that copes with the withdrawal of PSTN services.

It’s been almost 3 years (September 2023) since the stop sell in WLR (which includes PSTN services - i.e. dial tone and voltage on the line) and Openreach have been very open about their plans to withdraw these services for many, many years.

That these companies don’t have a workable alternative now in the latter half of 2026 is bordering on frankly negligent. If I was in your position I would be voting with my feet and finding an alternative personal alarm provider that has go their act together. Your current provider would fill me with zero confidence in their ability to provide a critical service.

I completely agree with Pheasant’s post. This information has been public for a very long time.
I believe your best solution would be to cancel the current provider for the care alarm, and have it provided by one of the many other companies who have adapted their products to cope with this well publicised change. You should look on this as a bullet dodged.
I’d agree with the OP’s comment about EE’s site being a huge pain in the proverbial.

Jpm,

I think this is what has been confusing me. Are you saying that the Digitised phone service that EE are now providing, will support some of the Personal care alarm systems? I got the impression that this EE service was purely to replace the landline services and that the Care alarms would have to work on 4/5G for example mobile data?
If however care alarms are now designed to work with the EE digital phone service, do they connect via the digital phone hub? Also do some work via a Mobile data connection too, or the main aim was to upgrade the digital hub via EE to support an alarm system if as my previous questions that is the case.

The problem with my current Mums supplier of the care Alarm is that they haven’t got the new equipment ready yet! so Mum has got to pay more each month if she's out of contract by PlusNet and still waiting for the new alarm equipment to appear.

Would you believe Zarjaz my mums alarm system is supported by (not hers) a nearby Council!

The BT/EE Digital Voice product is presented on a phone socket that - as best as it can - has the same characteristics as a UK phone line. The test lab has been provided so that suppliers can check the functionality of their devices.

There is no requirement to move to 4G or something that connects via Wi-Fi or ethernet to a router, chances are that a care alarm that previously plugged into a phone line will work when plugged into the phone socket on the back of a router with the DV service provisioned on it, but the chances are increased if the provider took advantage of the thousands of days of opportunity they've had to perform a test.

Thanks for that Jpm,

I think the penny has dropped for me now. After looking at a photo of the current alarm base station, the build year is 2016 so short of any possible firmware updates and the way that the "support" representative of the alarm company suggested, I would think that the current device is likely not reliable with pseudo "landline" support. They have said to me that they are waiting for "upgraded" equipment. I don't know why it is delayed at getting on for the 11th hour, but the person I spoke to offered me without request a number of councillors names, lending me to believe that others had been querying the same.

At present all I've been pointed to is EE and that was via the Plusnet site. Is it likely that EE will be the only ISP to offer digital voice services with the digital phone that can support these personal care alarms?
If they are, am I right in moving my Mum from Plusnet to EE and if her current alarm company has not their upgraded equipment ready, that an alternative company is worth a go, or is it worth risking it that her old alarm base station might just work - something that I don't quite like the idea of.