The old copper telephone line network is being retired across the country. It is being replaced with a fully digital phone line service. This change affects:
• All customers living in sheltered accommodation
• Everyone who uses a landline telephone.
Customers in sheltered accommodation
Almost all customers living in sheltered housing schemes have a telecare system in their home. (This is the equipment you use to notify a monitoring centre at any time of the day or night if you need help or assistance).
Because of the change to the national telephone network, the telecare systems currently installed in sheltered schemes need to be upgraded to new ‘digital-ready’ systems.
We will start these upgrades in August 2026 and continue for the rest of the year. We’ll contact you to tell you more when we’re ready to start work in your area.
About the telecare systems we will be installing
The type of digital telecare system we will install into your home depends on the layout and design of the scheme you live in.
There are two types of telecare system, a ‘hard-wired’ system and a ‘stand-alone’ system.
They both do exactly the same thing, and both come with wearable ‘pendants’ with a built-in falls detector. The key differences are:
• ‘Hard-wired’ systems are built into the building fabric and the best solution for larger schemes with eg. communal facilities and shared entrances. A list of those sites which will get a hard wired system are shown below.
• ‘Stand-alone’ systems are individual units that are best suited to homes which are largely self-contained. Sheltered properties which are not listed in the below list of hard-wired building will receive the 'stand-alone' telecare system.
Buildings receiving 'hard-wired' system
• Sandringham Court, Weston super Mare
• Martindale Court, Weston super Mare
• Shakespeare Court, Weston super Mare
• The Maltings, Worle (not including Garden Close)
• Orchard House, Worle
• Lawnside, Backwell
• Clifton Court, Clevedon
• Searle Court, Clevedon
• Millers Close, Pill
• Fenswood Court, Long Ashton
• Hobbs Court, Nailsea
Ensuring your telecare system continues working during the upgrade
The existing ‘hard-wired’ systems all have dedicated phone lines which are protected from inadvertent digital switchover.
However, if you currently have a 'stand-alone' systems, there is a risk it may not work properly if your own telephone line is switched over.
To prevent lines being switched over too early we’ve asked all sheltered customers to contact their landline telephone provider and tell them that they have non-digital telecare equipment that must be upgraded before they switch your telephone line to a digital service.
If you haven’t yet done so, or you’re concerned your telephone line may have been switched without you knowing, please test your stand-alone telecare alarm by making a test call to Somerset Lifeline.
If the call doesn’t connect, get in touch with us and we’ll sort this out straight away.
Information for all customers who use landline telephone
If you use a landline telephone your telephone provider should contact you to tell you when your line is due to be switched over.
After the switchover, you may need to plug your telephone into your internet router instead of plugging it into a telephone wall socket.
What if I don’t have the internet at home?
If you don’t have the internet at home, you should contact your telecoms provider and tell them to make sure they are aware of this.
If they know you don’t have the internet, they should be able to put in place a fix that will enable you to keep using your landline telephone through your existing telephone wall socket.
What other changes should I know about?
Landline telephones need mains power to work, so if there's a power cut after you've been switched, your landline telephone will not work.
If you rely heavily on your landline and are worried about this, please contact your telephone provider. They may offer a backup battery unit if you’re vulnerable and rely on your landline telephone in case of emergencies.
Frequently asked questions about the switchover and upgrade
The old copper wire phone network for landline calls is being retired and replaced with a new digital system. All landline phones in the country will use the new system by 1 February 2027.
Telecare is the equipment in your home that lets you contact the Somerset Lifeline monitoring centre if you need help or assistance.
Your telecare system is older and may not work on the new digital service. Your telephone provider will not know if you have a telecare system or if it is ready for the digital switchover. You can help them manage the switchover by letting them know about your telecare system.
Your telephone provider is the company you pay for your landline service, such as BT, TalkTalk, Vodaphone, Sky, PlusNet, EE or Virgin. Contract contact details for these organisations are shown below, it might be helpful to have a copy of your bill to check account details.
Each telephone provider is managing its own switchover process. Your provider should contact you at some point this year to let you know when the change will take place. They should also check whether you use a telecare system and if you have any other specific needs. Because your telecare service is important, please tell them about it as soon as possible.
If your telephone provider doesn’t know you have an older telecare system, they may switch over your phoneline in error and your telecare system may not work.
We can’t contact the telephone providers because we don’t know which provider each of our customers uses.
We’re in the process of arranging replacement telecare systems for all affected customers. We’ll contact you when we’re ready to upgrade your system.
Your number will remain the same.
Yes. In the same way you already pay for your existing alarm system through your service charges. The existing charge will end on 31st March 2027 to be replaced by a new charge for the new equipment, starting in April 2027.
We will confirm your service charges for financial year 2027/28 when we write to you in February 2027.
We’ll check whether your existing alarm needs to be replaced when we visit you.
Customers who are due to receive a ‘stand-alone’ telecare alarm can choose to opt out from having any form of telecare system. If you wish to opt out, please call us on 03000 120 120.
Please remember that if you do opt out, you will no longer be able to contact Somerset Lifeline in the event you need help.
This opt out is not available for customers living in schemes which will be receiving a ‘hard-wired’ system upgrade.
Be scam aware
Criminals may use the switchover as an opportunity to scam customers.
If you're contacted, take a moment to stop and think before sharing personal information. Never feel rushed or pressured into making a decision. If you're suspicious hang up and call your telephone provider.
More information about the switchover
These websites contain more information about the switchover and how it's being managed.