Still using a phone line with your refuge system? Now’s an ideal time to update it.

Did you know that the UK’s aging system of analogue phone lines will soon be retired? All analogue phone line systems in the UK will be replaced by digital systems by 2025.

Suppliers are no longer manufacturing parts needed to maintain or repair analogue connections, meaning networks of this type are now reaching the end of their serviceable life even before this date.

Of course, it’s not just telephones that run on phone lines. Many organisations also have other devices connected to analogue phone lines – and those will also need to be swapped to alternatives to ensure they don’t stop working.

In its guidance document about the switch from analogue to digital landline, GOV.UK says, “If you are unsure about how a device in your home or business might be affected, we recommend you contact the equipment supplier or device manufacturer to find out whether it will remain functional on a digital phone line.” (You can read the full guidance document here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-transition-from-analogue-to-digital-landlines)

How does this affect Emergency Voice Communication Systems (EVCSs)?

Some organisations have used normal telephones and phone lines as a way to enable two-way communication between Refuges and a central point.

Refuge communication systems relying on telephone systems in this manner are unlikely to have ever been compliant with BS5839-9. This is due to various factors such as the absence of fire rated cable, monitoring, and battery backup.

And now, there’s a further issue: systems running on analogue landlines may not work after the switch to digital landlines in 2025.

Such analogue phone EVCS setups therefore need to be transitioned to a different system in order to safeguard disabled people on-site.

One customer we recently worked with had a number of buildings where analogue telephone line systems had previously been installed. After 2025 the system would no longer be able to be serviced or maintained. If replacement parts couldn’t be sourced for equipment in refuge locations, then users would have been left without comms. Therefore we worked with the customer to upgrade their system to our Refuge Alerter digital solution.

Refuge Alerter is radio based and doesn’t use analogue phone lines – and is fully compliant with BS5839-9

This digital, radio-based solution can be installed quickly, site-wide. It’s perfect for retrofitting as it doesn’t need to be wired through buildings. This also means minimum installation-related disruption for busy organisations.

Find out more

Want to know how to install a new Refuge Alerter system at your site – or how to swap your existing EVCS to Refuge Alerter?

Get in touch for a free consultation: https://alertergroup.com/contact-us/#consultation.