Upgrading, replacing and reconnecting these telecare devices, just one element of the PSTN switchover, to the digital network will be extremely costly. GLA Economics estimates the upgrade costs to be £31 million for London boroughs and impacting over 63,000 users.
Key messages
- The Government has decided that the planned transfer of all analogue lines (also called the public switched telephone network or PSTN) to digital internet-based infrastructure by December 2025 should be “Industry-led”.
- In practice, the complexity of England’s broadband market means there are over 600 providers with 600 different processes, each managing the change in their own way. While most are broadly aligned with the December 2025 deadline, some providers such as Virgin are switching certain areas off before this date.
- This means that councils are leading the way in supporting their communities with this transition.
- Digital landlines cannot carry electricity. As a result, residents and businesses in rural areas are at an increased risk from power cuts due to the prevalence of poor mobile reception.
- Telecare devices such as personal alarms and fall detectors are also largely analogue products putting the 1.7 million people who rely on technology enabled care at risk.
- Upgrading, replacing and reconnecting these telecare devices, just one element of the PSTN switchover, to the digital network will be extremely costly. GLA Economics estimates the upgrade costs to be £31 million for London boroughs and impacting over 63,000 users.
- In response to the challenges facing vulnerable residents, the LGA has developed a toolkit to help councils to communicate these changes to their residents.
- The LGA also undertook a survey exploring councils’ awareness, planning and implementation of the digital switchover. The results were published in early 2023. The survey results show:
- Just over a quarter of respondents (27 per cent) understand the costs and have obtained the funding required to complete the move to digital telecare, 25 per cent understand the costs but have not yet obtained the funding, and a further 27 per cent do not yet understand the funding required.
- Thirty nine per cent of respondents did not yet know how they would fund the move to digital telecare.
- A quarter of respondents (25 per cent) have digital-ready solutions and the capacity to put them in place while 24 per cent have digital-ready solutions planned but need further support/capacity. A further 15 per cent do not have a plan but do not need support/capacity while 17 per cent need further support /capacity to help develop their plans.
- Officers have continued to run monthly switchover working group meetings to discuss challenges and share good practice between regions.
Background
The planned transfer of all analogue lines (also called the public switched telephone network or PSTN) to digital internet-based infrastructure will see analogue-based products completely phased out by 2025 and replaced with an all-digital network. These new telephone lines run via the internet and therefore users of a landline will need to have a broadband router.
The traditional telephone lines are largely run by Openreach and Virgin Media, private sector organisations, who have decided to retire these networks. This has meant communications providers (for example BT, Sky, TalkTalk) are having to move their customers from these traditional telephone lines over to fibre telephone lines by the December 2025 deadline.
Analogue telephone lines have a built-in power supply which allows the telephone (or care alarms) to work without an independent power supply or if there is a local power cut in the property. This means the switchover will affect telecare services run by local authorities, housing associations, the third sector, and commercial organisations.
Digital telephone lines run through a broadband router. This means everyone with a landline will need to have a broadband package with an internet service provider.
Digital telephone lines are made of fibre optic cable and are not cable of transmitting an electrical current. This means a service user must plug the telephone or care alarm into the mains power and into a broadband router.
Many telecare providers have been switching over already, but others are less mature in their plans, including plans for the switching of alarm receiving centres (ARCs).
Each communication provider is managing the change their own way. This means there are over 600 providers with 600 different processes. Each infrastructure provider is also managing the change in their own way. While they are aligned with December 2025, some differences include Virgin switching certain areas off before this date.
Challenges for local authorities
Many local authorities provide remote monitoring to citizens through Adult Social Care or Housing via a system known as Telecare which are currently connected to the analogue PSTN. An estimated 1.8 million people in the UK currently use telecare services. Of these, 1.3 million use alarms in their own homes and 0.5 million in a range of care homes, supported housing and sheltered living arrangements. Upgrading, replacing and reconnecting devices to the digital network will be extremely costly. GLA Economics estimates the upgrade costs to be £31 million for London boroughs and impacting over 63,000 users.
Central Government have stated this is an industry led change and are not providing financial support to local authorities to manage this change.
Results from our digital switchover readiness survey show that while some councils understand the costs and funding requirement, scoping work is still ongoing in others - 39 per cent of respondents to our digital switchover readiness survey said they did not yet know how they would fund the move to digital telecare. A number of councils are yet to identify how they will fund the move, and some are considering increasing their charges to service users.
This is not limited to Adult Social Care as colleagues across IT, transportation, and security are also reporting an indirect impact on our most vulnerable citizens.
Councils are concerned that there is a lack of information in relation to the switchover, particularly from service providers. They have also flagged up the potential for technology failure and supply chain issues. The LGA is working with industry and relevant government departments to continue to push for coordinated and consistent communication to increase awareness, as there are no plans for a national awareness campaign by the government or Ofcom.
LGA activity
The LGA’s digital switchover hub has been updated in collaboration with industry and Government partners and the LGA has recently developed a digital switchover toolkit.
The toolkit contains assets aimed at residents to raise awareness of the upcoming switchover. The assets include draft social media posts, text to include in bulletins or on a website, and three versions of a printable A4 leaflet with easy-to-understand information and directions.
Officers continue to encourage key stakeholders to share the assets and, in response to this work, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has asked the LGA to support with the development of guidance for local authorities on the digital phone switchover.
We continue to call on the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to coordinate the multiple bodies involved with the switchover and support with raising awareness to ensure residents are prepared.
The transition from analogue to digital technologies has created new opportunities for criminals to target vulnerable residents. For example, criminals may use phishing emails, fake websites, or phone calls to trick residents into providing personal information. There is also the potential for increases in criminality through rogue traders selling equipment, charging for unnecessary work, or trying to pressurise vulnerable members of the community into new contracts related to the digital switchover. The LGA has produced guidance and recommendations for councils to reduce the risk of scams.