Forum Discussion

Sandrah's avatar
Sandrah
Superfast
8 days ago

Careline when landlines change to digital

Hello, My sister suffers from alzheimers and wears a careline button around her neck, we have been told to advise her phone provider [Virgin Media] when the digital swapover takes effect, I need to know when this will will happen and when VM will go to her house and do this, if you need my sisters name and  address please say and I will give it, I don't know her account  numberand neither will she, so I hope this isn't going to be a problem, please advise.

11 Replies

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta
    3 days ago

    Careline has everything to do with Virgin Media's (and any other provider's) phone lines as the alarm unit is plugged into the main telephone socket using a cable and a separate adaptor is used to connect a landline telephone to the alarm unit. However these analogue phone lines are being phased out (should have been by 31/12/25 but now extended to 31/01/27 as some Careline providers were dragging their feet) and landline is migrated to digital voice by connecting the existing handset to the ISP's hub.

    In theory a Careline's analogue alarm can be plugged into a VM hub's TEL 1 port and work, but should only be done if thoroughly tested by provider and VM. The robust solution is to migrate from the analogue alarm to a digital alarm with connectivity via broadband or mobile. As a significant proportion of the 1.8-2 million telecare users have no broadband or do not wish to have broadband, the best option is mobile via a SIM card.

  • Sandrah's avatar
    Sandrah
    Superfast
    4 days ago

    Thank you, I've just now seen this post, I'll try to get in touch with her careline provider and see what they say,  so just to be clear, the careline is nothing to do with Virgin Media's phone lines.?

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta
    8 days ago

    The current analogue phone system is on its way out and calls are to be made by IP. So, a current Telecare line cannot work if plugged into a hub's TEL 1 port. The first port of call must be to the Telecare provider who should have worked out a solution years ago. If they haven't, dump them.

  • Martin_N's avatar
    Martin_N
    Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
    8 days ago

    Hi Sandrah, 

    Thank you for your post. 

    Have you been advised of a change due to take place on the landline service?

    ^Martin

    • Sandrah's avatar
      Sandrah
      Superfast
      8 days ago

      Not by VM, it's just people saying that' it's going digital in 2026, and I have read about it, but my sister won't be able to answer any questions if they ring her or something like that, her landline is on the skirting board,  and at the back of her router are two empty sockets for telephone [they're at the top of the router] so I'm guessing she hasn't been changed yet. there is no point whatsover in ringing VM as I can't hear very well and if it's a call centre I won't know what they're saying, besides I have no documentation of my sisters set up for VM, she won't know where it is, and I don't....so you see the problem. what will happen when they change to digital will they go to her house?.

      • Martin_N's avatar
        Martin_N
        Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
        8 days ago

        Thank you for that information. All specific's regarding your sisters landline change would be communicated either via letter or email to the account holders email address/address closer to the time. We wouldn't be able to confirm specific's for the account this far in advance. 

        ^Martin

  • Client62's avatar
    Client62
    Alessandro Volta
    8 days ago

    Be very careful with the marketing phrase "digital phone", it implies a VoIP telephone connected via a network cable and that is not what VM are offering & not what the Careline company need to configure or supply.

    When the current telephone services moves from the wall socket to the VM Hub TEL 1 socket you will still have an Analogue telephone service and the Careline company should be able to reconnect their system to that.  If the Careline kit is loose you may even be able to do this for your sister.

    Careline and building alarm companies are used to this as both VM and BT/EE are moving to providing an analogue phone line from their Hub or Router.

    • Sandrah's avatar
      Sandrah
      Superfast
      8 days ago

      Thank you for your reply, I have been 'told' by various people that I need to make sure the careline will work after the change, I have no idea what this change involves just that I should be aware that it's happening January 2026, and to make sure the careline is working properly, I will pursue this further I want to be sure what I'm doing, I'm not very techie minded and am quite aged....I had a V box replacement a while ago and the engineer took my landline socket out of the skirting board and put it in the back of my router, so I'm thinking mine is done.

      • Client62's avatar
        Client62
        Alessandro Volta
        8 days ago

        Yes that does sound exactly like your telephone is now from the rear of the VM Hub.

        When the time comes, the base unit of your sister's care line would also need to be plugged into the telephone socket TEL 1 on the rear of the VM Hub.