Over the last few years telecare manufacturers and installers in the UK have, rightly, been advising their call centre customers that some of their older equipment may not work on the new digital network being rolled out by BT (called BT21CN). Considerable progress has been made in upgrading the broadband element of the network (BT item on progress) but one aspect of particular concern to telecare services, has been the implementation of voice calling over the new network. BT has been piloting this in a small area of South Wales. (BT announcement – two paragraphs down.)

A few weeks ago the Telecare Services Association (TSA), which has been in consultation with BT about this matter, advised its members that “BT has again reconsidered its plans for 21CN voice migration and has now confirmed to the TSA that it has abandoned further mass migration plans…