Openreach Launch New Telecare Phone Migration Services Across UK
Network operator Openreach (BT) has today announced the official launch of their new telecare migration services across the UK. The service is designed to help UK consumers with old analogue based phone (PSTN / WLR) and medical telecare systems to safely migrate to modern broadband-based (FTTP etc.) connections with digital phone (IP-based) services.
The legacy phone switch-off was last year delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband, phone, telecare providers, councils and consumers more time to adapt (details). The focus of this remains on the 1.8 million UK people who use vital home telecare systems (e.g. elderly, disabled – vulnerable users), which aren’t always compatible with digital phones because telecare providers were slow to adapt. But for everybody else, many providers will still be working to the original Dec 2025 deadline to get their customers off the PSTN.
One of the ways in which Openreach responded to this involved the launch of their Prove Telecare Trial, which was designed to support ISPs and customers to “safely migrate” fixed line customers with telecare devices to modern broadband lines (FTTP, FTTC/SOGEA) with IP voice services. The trial required close coordination between ISPs, telecare providers and engineers – often with Openreach engineers and telecare engineers working together to switch users over.
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The latest announcement reveals that Openreach’s limited telecare pilot successfully migrated over 1,000 vulnerable customers from outdated copper phone networks to fibre. All customers were safely upgraded with no disruption to their telecare services.
The new Prove Telecare service will now become available nationwide, supported by more than 4,000 specially trained Openreach engineers – to help fulfil the volume of vulnerable customer migrations. These engineers will work directly with alarm receiving centres to confirm households using telecare devices, and only complete migrations when devices are compatible.
If any equipment is found to be incompatible, the engineer will move the phone and telecare device back to the original copper service, ensuring continuous protection for customers. Openreach then informs the customer’s service provider and the telecare provider so that they can arrange for a replacement device to be installed, before a follow-up visit.
James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Manager, said:
“The pilot has clearly shown that vulnerable customers with telecare devices can be safely migrated to fibre, removing a major barrier to the UK’s transition away from the PSTN.
Our priority was always to make sure the switch to fibre broadband didn’t leave anyone behind, and the transition was seamless for telecare customers. We’ve achieved our mission with the Prove Telecare service that will accelerate the transition.
With copper-based services more vulnerable to faults and outages, fibre is the safer and more reliable option. For customers whose safety depends on uninterrupted connectivity, the time to switch is now.“
Alyson Scurfield, CEO of TSA, said:
“TSA welcomes and fully supports the trial roll out of Openreach’s Prove Telecare service. Ensuring the safe migration of telecare customers is critical to protecting vulnerable people, and this programme is an important step in minimising risk as the UK transitions away from the PSTN telephone lines.
We are encouraged by the pilot’s success and the commitment to safeguarding uninterrupted telecare support for those who rely on it most.”
We should point out that Openreach and BT have also developed a “temporary” Pre-Digital Phone Line (PDPL) product (aka – SOTAP for Analogue), which is an exchange-based IP-voice service that replicates how the old service worked, albeit over a more modern network (i.e. it does NOT require broadband, new kit, an engineer visit or battery back-up to function).
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However, PDPL is only intended to be available to vulnerable and edge case users on existing lines (not new customers) who would otherwise “face challenges” in migrating to normal internet (IP) based voice solutions by the deadline. This too is likely to be retired as Openreach starts exiting old exchanges en masse from around 2030, hence why the above focus is still on delivering longer-term solutions as part of the primary switchover.
Openreach has published a technical briefing on today’s soft launch of Prove Telecare (here), which reveals that it will go fully live from 16th October 2025 and cost providers £19.41 +vat to take (connection fee).
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Bit late in the day isn’t it?
It’s about BT not cutting people off, even though providers have had years of warning.
The “Bodge” product to give the providers a list of people who need upgrading (I’m guessing the providers haven’t got a clue what kit people are using or why) and BT can remove it on a specified date when the user/provider signed up with a “this ends on regardless”
Moves the perception from “BT PSTN cuts off vulnerable pensioners!!” to “Telecare providers incompetence leaves pensioners vulnerable”.
I’m not sure what else they can do, barring doing the migration work themselves, which it sounds like they’re almost doing anyway if they’re sending engineers to go then liaise with the customer and the telecare provider.
Expensive way to avoid the negative press / OFCOM / GOV complaints about handling of the process though I guess.
BT should have done deals with providers of reputable telecare products to switch users of non-compliant products to compliant products.
The providers of non-compliant products deserve to go out of business.
late for the telecare firms, yes.
BT has had test labs available to industry for years and were made available free of charge. Openreach also has one with all of the big name ISPs represented. The telecare firms have had years of notice to test and replace the kit that someone is paying a pretty penny to use!
Of course the deadline was extended by two years as well, as well as creation of the “PDPL” product (exchange based POTS using VoIP – where BT wanted to be 20 years ago) as a further stopgap in certain situations.
So this is presumably the stick that comes after years of offering carrots and it gives the BT Group plenty of ammunition to defend any legal/regulatory/PR broadsides.
I been left without phone and Internet since July 28…thanks to opereach. Complained after Complained so far nothing…told sky and opereach…shame they left me like that…I am 76 years old . Can they help…even sky keep asking me for payment. But no connection….
Please refer to:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/automatic-compensation-need-know
By my calculation, assuming that you promptly reported the issue to Sky then Sky currently owe you a minimum of £299.40 compensation (30 days at £9.98 a day), possibly up to £499 (depending on how Sky treat issues extending beyond 30 days). This should be paid automatically – has it been?
When you say openreach then they aren’t customer facing so how did you, also how did it come to having none of either as if you’re a DV customer then they would have at least provided a temp service? Hard to say though as no explanation of how you lost both services, also ignore the comments below as if it’s provisioning then it’s also incorrect advice too, hopefully sorted though or get the ball rolling with a better provider unless it’s an MSO/PEW or similar ..although if you have a Careline this would have been made to work by now, guessing posting here though you have internet,quite savvy knowing about here, and aren’t stranded so you have a hotspot and mobile data at least 🙂
Every time I get a power cut my mobile also stops working along with my DV line. I advise my mobile provider every time and suggest they investigate the battery backup at the transmitter site. Nothing ever happens and this continues. I have no service and no customer confidence that DV is a good solution.
Power back up units are now readily available either from BT or you can purchase your own, this should help in a power cut, as long as it doesn’t last long. The good thing about the now being replaced PSTN system, was in a power outage the landline often continued to work because of battery back up, or a generator at the exchange.
Don’t know of anyone taking up Pre-Digital Phone Line as Openreach have completely hamstrung the product from the off. Most wholesalers won’t touch it due to outrageous pricing, strict eligibility criteria and a looming cut off date for migrations. Seems like Openreach only developed it due to pressure from industry, who were desperate for a solution to offer customers who only have line rental and no interest in broadband (ie the very elderly), but did it so reluctantly that take up will be virtually nil, leaving a lot of resellers feeling very disappointed and misled.
The older generation who don’t want broadband will probably be forced onto this PDPL at the last minute before closure in January 2027.