This means that the plan to migrate a further 275,000 lines in the South Wales area beyond the range of the initial pilot will not take place. Those consumers in the Cardiff area who have already switched to the 21CN network will not be affected by this decision, and they will remain on the 21CN network. …TSA will be having further discussions with BT, and the other major communication providers who have their own Next Generation Network plans, in the next few weeks.”
The other telecoms providers referred to include Sky, Talk Talk and Cable and Wireless.
The implications for telecare services of this unexpected development are not clear. According to one industry insider, the main effect may be on telecare service managers who have been using the network upgrade to get more funding to upgrade their own systems. The suspension of BT’s 21CN upgrade roll-out may mean that some of the telecare system upgrades may be postponed and the funds spent elsewhere. As a consequence, older systems will remain in the field and will not be able to support the newer devices that are designed to work on the next generation network.
For further background: TSA Conference 2009 workshop on 21CN report.
21 CN Compatability
Exactly which products wouldn’t have worked on 21CN? All PSTN and ISDN and IP lines would have been presented at the customer premises in exactly the same format and protocols as now so all the existing equipment would have and will continue to work perfectly ok. It’s a myth that 21cn network would necessitate equipment change.
21CN Compatability
Mick, I have a list of all legacy telecare equipment that has been tested by BT, with a number equipment types not being suitable for migration to the new network. So it is not a myth that some equipment will need replacing for the new network. Can I suggest you contact TSA or BT for further info.