Landlines are switching to digital, what d...

Last Updated: May 27, 2025

In November 2017, the Telecoms industry announced intentions to switch over the nation’s landlines from the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to a digital service by the end of 2025. Whilst that seemed like a long time away when it was announced, the end of 2025 is creeping up on us all rather quickly and has led to members of the care industry and those using the service to ask how is this going to affect Telecare?

Firstly, what is Telecare?

Telecare is equipment that can detect falls, inactivity, smoke, flooding, gas, or extreme temperatures in a person’s home. When the sensors in the equipment are activated, it will connect to a 24/7 response centre. People can also wear a pendant on a necklace or bracelet with an alert button that when pressed will connect to the response centre. The response centre will then reach out to a carer, family member, friend, or even the emergency services, depending on what the most appropriate action is for the situation.

Telecare’s purpose is to help people stay in their homes and remain independent. Their relatives and friends can also sleep soundly in the knowledge that if something were to happen to their loved one, someone will be on hand to help. So, it is safe to say that Telecare plays an important role in the lives of many with over two million users in the UK. However, much of the Telecare equipment in use today is linked to the soon to be retired analogue PTSN service.

Changing to digital

Telecare providers are encouraging their customers to get switched over to digital Telecare devices well ahead of the upcoming switchover. One such provider is the Lincolnshire Telecare Service (LTS) who are run by the Lincolnshire Housing Partnership (LHP) in affiliation with Age UK Lincoln & South Lincolnshire. Since September 2023, the LTS has been installing Digital Lifelines which run off a SIM card and do not require a connection to a landline telephone. Hannah Chandler, Telecare Team Leader at LHP, said “Future-proofing our care line service by installing Digital Lifelines well in advance of the switchover in 2025 enables us to enhance the care we offer. […] It will also save our customers time and money further down the line.” Thanks to the proactive approach of the LHS, their recent customers do not have to worry about the digital switchover having an adverse effect on their Telecare equipment.

Delaying your landline service switchover

Of course, not everyone using Telecare got it installed in or after 2023. Luckily, Telecare providers are not alone in the effort to get people using Telecare ready for the digital switchover. In December 2023, the government announced that a charter agreement had been signed between themselves and communications providers. Under this agreement, providers have agreed to not migrate users of telecare devices unless their device is compatible with digital landlines and to provide battery back-up solutions in case of power outages. This means that Telecare users can request that their landline service switchover be delayed until they can make the switch from analogue to digital Telecare. However, it isn’t clear how long this agreement will stand once the deadline, the end of 2025, has been reached.

What you should do next

In conclusion, the best course of action for those using Telecare is to check with your Telecare service provider as soon as possible. Your device may already be digital, meaning you have nothing to worry about when the switchover happens in your area. However, if you find out that your current device is analogue you will need to switch over to a digital device at some point in the near future. If this is the case, the next step is to contact your landline provider. Under the charter agreement mentioned above, they cannot switch your phone service from analogue to digital until your Telecare devices have been replaced with the digital equivalent.

So far, the Northwest and London began the switchover in Autumn of 2023 with the West Midlands, Southeast, Wales and East Anglia following suit in Spring 2024. The Northeast, Scotland and the Southwest will be the last to transition in the Summer of 2024, according to BT.