This topic

Retirement flats emergency call system

Woodsiesgirl83 — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:52:53 GMT

I live in a block of retirement flats which are served by an emergency call system run over copper wires. We are being told it will cost £100,000 to change the system when BT goes digital because the copper wiring is old (26 years). Is this true?

My own telephone is now digital and my broadband runs on the FTTC system without any trouble.The copper to my flat is as old as the system that runs the emergency call system.

The emergency call system does not require pictures or heavy data use just telephone calls to the call centre. No reason for the high cost has yet been supplied other than the copper wiring being “old’’.

Can anyone suggest whether this is correct or what is being proposed to justify the high cost? Or is it just a rip off?

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

licquorice — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:59:47 GMT

They are talking total and utter nonsense.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

Woodsiesgirl83 — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:05:13 GMT

What would you suggest we do to fight our case then?

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

licquorice — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:11:35 GMT

The idea that copper wires 'wear out' is totally ridiculous. Tell them they are talking nonsense and go to a different supplier.

This has nothing to do with BT by the way, so not sure why you are posting on a BT forum.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

Woodsiesgirl83 — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:11:49 GMT

Thank you.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

Woodsiesgirl83 — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:15:59 GMT

Came to the forum because it’s BT that is switching off analogue in favour of digital. This has caused our management company to propose this solution for the switchover. Your reply about copper wires was very much what I thought. Thank you

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

licquorice — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:24:32 GMT

It is not BT that are switching off analogue, it is Openreach and affects all suppliers.

As you have discovered, Digital Voice works perfectly adequately over copper. Considering it is just another internet service such as visiting web sites, it is no surprise.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

WSH — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:57:39 GMT

As Licquorice said, the old copper should be perfectly adequate.

This sounds like a disgraceful load of nonsense in order to squeeze money out of the vulnerable!

Back in the old days of the old rubber-based insulation, the operational life of mains cabling was about 30 year but that's not been used in my lifetime, (and I'm knocking on 70). I doubt whether it ever applied to phone cable and it certainly doesn't since PVC insulation.

I recently sold my mother's house after she passed away. That phone line was put in when I left home at 18 . I can't answer for the overhead line, but I know for a fact that the 10m from where the line entered the house to the master socket had never been updated. In other words, it was about 50 years old! Didn't stop her getting FTTC, which worked fine. (It was still old figure of eight cable, in fact. It's actually thicker and probably a better conductor that the modern stuff and, while it doesn't have the cross-talk resistance of twisted pair cable, it worked fine at 40Mb/s).

And Digital Voice (DV) also works fine over copper. It doesn't need Full Fibre. My own house is nearly 40 years old and still the original wiring. DV worked absolutely fine for two and half years until I upgraded to Full Fibre.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

Woodsiesgirl83 — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:04:48 GMT

Thank you. It’ll be a hard fight but one us residents, are determined we’ll win.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

licquorice — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:08:57 GMT

Threaten them with the press. There is no need for any change.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

Jane2018 — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:42:07 GMT

You could also as a group just choose not to have the emergency call system as well if you prefer. In other words just termination.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

Woodsiesgirl83 — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:26:51 GMT

Not an option here I’m afraid. Elderly people living on their own.

Re: Retirement flats emergency call system

licquorice — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:37:02 GMT

Change supplier.