That seems pretty crystal (to me at least)! 😅

Good point (initially wrote good pint, maybe more appropriate given the weather 😅)

These days with the imminent removal of voltage + tone on the pair, the existing copper connection really offers no resilience benefit over a pure fibre connection. In fact it’s markedly inferior if its broadband service comes courtesy of the locally cabinet.

Any “life critical” services should have local ‘baby DC’ style or oldy worldly AC UPS backup on the router (and where present ONT). Baby DC backup is generally far superior for this application - cheaper and lasts way, way longer.

If you want to shop around for a new system you might look at the TEC Services Association Search Engine, but Tunstall, as recommended by others, has been around for a very long time and were providing services to local authorities 40+ years ago.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

These days with the imminent removal of voltage + tone on the pair, the existing copper connection really offers no resilience benefit over a pure fibre connection. In fact it’s markedly inferior if its broadband service comes courtesy of the locally cabinet.

Indeed, and even if the user has some backup power provision they are still at the mercy of the local DSLAM battery, or lack thereof.

Connection to my local DSLAM drops immediately there is a power outage, and there doesn't seem to be any recourse to get it fixed - when I contact the ISP after an outage they say it is currently working so no fault they can report, and being an end-user there isn't any way to prod Openreach directly.

It does seem rather pointless having all of the guidelines for users and ISPs to have backup power provision if they network itself is not regularly checked and maintained. Surely the DSLAM power management should have automated tests and notification of battery faults which Openreach act upon.

Thanks Jpm,,for your explanation and the other posters here that have given useful information.

I think being updated with what I need to know about this will certainly help in making a choice with my Mum in what she wants to do. She's 90 and quite with it and is a tad miffed that although she has given all the information asked of her to her current care alarm provider which is Council operated, she feels to some degree that surely it will sort itself out. However, I'm the sort of person who would just like to get it sorted out and know it's dealt with.

My enquiry to her care alarm provider was when I learnt that she was at the end of her Plusnet contract (then) in about 4/5 weeks time. Her care provider could not say when their new equipment would be available and now with all the feedback I have received on here I assume that this "new" equipment of theirs supports the EE type of digitised line.

I have looked at the Tunstall services too and my Mum only requires a pendant type of alarm activation. Of course there are many companies out there, but it's knowing on whom you can trust for a good reliable service.

If it were me, I'd do what others have said on here and simply choose another alarm supplier. But it's not just down to me and My mother has got used to the people and the response she gets from her current care provider, regardless of the way they've managed getting their new alarm equipment ready..

One other thing I thought that caused confusion was with both EE & Plusnet and no doubt other telecom companies, was me the customer being put on hold whilst the agent spoke to the Care alarm Experts etc. Now why can't people like myself speak to these people directly and be updated by the "horses mouth". Technical information when relayed can often gets distorted.

Can you contact your ISP by any other means like a mobile call in the event of an outage so they can test the line while the outage is ongoing?

I could if there was a suitably long outage at a time their helpdesk is open, but this hasn't been the case.

One other thing I thought that caused confusion was with both EE & Plusnet and no doubt other telecom companies, was me the customer being put on hold whilst the agent spoke to the Care alarm Experts etc. Now why can't people like myself speak to these people directly and be updated by the "horses mouth". Technical information when relayed can often gets distorted.

I understand your upset .. but, as I see it, there are two driving forces for receiving such service …
In an ideal world, anyone you spoke to at your chosen service provider would be trained to answer any and all queries. But commonly, these call handlers are at the cheaper end of the pay scale. So the CP can have a small handful to be contacted when specialised knowledge is required. So cost drives this.

Secondly, this topic has become very high focus. That the switch was coming was being briefed out ten years ago … and it appeared, most who ought to, did nothing. When it became apparent that it really was going to happen, and now in a couple of years, rather than a decade … those that chose to ignore it, bleated on about needing more time to train staff, find ways round things, etc, etc. The government stepped in and said ‘the switch off would have to be delayed by a further 2 years. And it appears many sat back and did sod all again. Now with less than six months to the deadline, CP’s are finally having to be seen to deal with this. So they do this very vocally, so that no one can say they didn’t try when things start to go awry.

Tunstall makes great kit - but, unless I have missed something, they are solely a wholesale provider: providing either equipment or managed services to companies and public sector providers. Certainly, this is how I have always understood Tunstall's operations over the years.

Does anyone happen to know of a company providing retail careline/fall-detection services using Tunstall equipment? I am looking for a solution for an elderly relative, and would rather go with a provider who uses quality equipment. Social Services will not be funding this, so we are free to choose whoever we like.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

... That the switch was coming was being briefed out ten years ago … and it appeared, most who ought to, did nothing. When it became apparent that it really was going to happen, and now in a couple of years, rather than a decade … those that chose to ignore it, bleated on about needing more time to train staff, find ways round things, etc, etc. The government stepped in and said ‘the switch off would have to be delayed by a further 2 years. And it appears many sat back and did sod all again. Now with less than six months to the deadline, CP’s are finally having to be seen to deal with this. ...

Meanwhile their customer base has turned over getting on for 4 times ...