When is the analogue signal being turned off?

By 2025 old analogue phone lines will no longer work because they are being switched off. BT is aiming to have all of their customers using a fully digital phone service by this point. This means that in most cases your telephone line will run over broadband and will not plug into the wall anymore. Instead, it will connect to your broadband router. This is something you will need to think about when purchasing a personal alarm, especially if you’re planning on using it for a number of years.

You will be notified when the change is about to take place in your area. Although it is not clear exactly when this is happening, it is thought that they will be focusing on it a region at a time and the change will eventually affect the whole of the UK. There is every chance that phone services in your region could happen well before 2025, some places have started to transition already.

Technology has advanced so quickly and the analogue telephone network (PSTN) is now seen as outdated. This network was made for voice calls and now people use many different ways to communicate. The internet has had a lot to do with this with people using video calls and expecting faster speeds. The old network is not built to keep up with this new demand.

Although you will have to make sure the next personal alarm you buy is suitable for the digital telephone switchover, it’s not all bad news. We think that it is a good thing because it means that we will be able to make alarms even more reliable and with even more features.

We have noticed that the majority of alarms being sold on the market are still analogue which means that you will only have a fixed amount of time in which you can use them reliably. While 2025 might seem a long way off right now, as we already mentioned, some areas are already switching which means you could need a more reliable personal alarm sooner.

We think that it’s important that we make anyone looking to buy a personal alarm aware of the coming changes. We have also been working hard to make sure that we have a range of alarms that are suitable for the switch over.

Our SureSafeGo and SureSafeGo Plus range will not be impacted by the changes because they do not use a landline. All of these alarms are available as 24/7 Monitored or family monitored and they use GPS tracking and a mobile phone signal. The switchover will have no impact at all on these products.

It depends on the type of alarm you buy. The SureSafeGo and theSureSafeGo Plus will continue to work after the digital telephone switchover. We have also developed the SureSafe Guardian which will not be impacted by the digital switchover. This in-home personal alarm system uses either the internet in your home, or mobile signal if you do not have the internet. It will be the most affordable digital personal alarm around.

It is the first affordable product available mainstream, one that combines all the best features of our SureSafe Personal Alarm, SureSafe 24/7 Connect and both the FallSafe and Fall Alert in one device. This means that you will be sure to be getting the same great-quality product and service, but you will not be affected by the switchover when it happens in your region. The SureSafe Guardian will also give you the option to be 24/7 Monitored or Family Monitored, so you are not restricted in terms of choice of how it works.

Right now your existing alarm will work. But if you are looking for a new one then it's worth considering alarms that are ready for the digital switch over.

Call SureSafe's team of experts on 0800 112 3201 if you would like to learn more about personal alarms that will work after the digital switchover.