Alarm, Lift and Emergency Lines After the Switch Off

The lines nobody thinks about until they stop working. Lift phones, alarm diallers, door entry and care alarms all sit on the analogue network that is being switched off.

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The lines that are not on anyone’s list

Every business planning for the PSTN switch off counts its phones. Very few count the analogue lines doing something other than carrying a conversation — the lift emergency phone, the intruder alarm dialler, the fire panel, the door entry system, the care alarm in a sheltered scheme, the barrier at a yard. These are on the same network, they are being switched off on the same timetable, and they are the lines where failure is a safety matter rather than an inconvenience.

They are also the lines with the longest lead time, because the fix is rarely a like-for-like swap. An alarm dialler may need a replacement communicator from the alarm company; a lift phone may need a GSM unit and an engineer visit to the lift shaft; a fire panel may be governed by a maintenance contract with a third party who has to be involved. None of that is complicated, but all of it involves somebody who is not your telecoms supplier, which is exactly why it should be started early rather than late.

The practical first step is a survey of what is actually connected, because the records are almost never right. Lines get installed for a purpose, the purpose ends, and the line stays — businesses routinely find they are paying for lines that do nothing, alongside lines doing something critical that nobody knew existed. Both discoveries are worth making before the switch off rather than during it.

What tends to be on an analogue line

Lift emergency phones

Legally required to work. Usually a GSM replacement and an engineer visit into the lift shaft.

Intruder alarm diallers

Often need a new communicator from the alarm company, not something a telecoms supplier can swap.

Fire panels

Governed by a maintenance contract with a third party who has to be involved in any change.

Door entry and barriers

Gates, barriers and intercoms on their own line, frequently missing from every record the business holds.

Care and warden alarms

Sheltered housing and care settings, where the line is the thing that summons help. Plan these first.

Lines doing nothing at all

Almost every survey finds some. Ceasing them is the part of the project that pays for itself.

Who we work with

We are independent of any single network or vendor, so the recommendation follows the requirement.

Telephony platforms

Hosted, on-premise or Microsoft Teams — the right answer depends on the building, not on what we prefer to sell.

Network and vendor names and logos are the trademarks of their respective owners, shown to describe the services SCG Solutions supplies.

Why these need starting early

The fix usually involves a third party — the alarm, lift or fire maintenance company
Engineer visits into lift shafts and plant rooms are scheduled, not immediate
A failure here is a safety and compliance matter, not an inconvenience
Records of what is connected are almost never accurate
Some devices have no direct replacement and need a different approach entirely
A survey usually finds lines you are paying for that do nothing at all

Alarm, Lift and Emergency Lines After the Switch Off — Common Questions

Will our lift phone stop working at the switch off?

If it is on an analogue line, yes — and it is legally required to work, so it needs replacing before then rather than after. The usual answer is a GSM unit, which needs an engineer visit into the lift shaft and coordination with your lift maintenance company. That scheduling is why these should be started early.

What about our intruder alarm?

Alarm diallers on analogue lines need a replacement communicator, and that almost always comes from the alarm company rather than a telecoms supplier. It is worth contacting them early, because they are dealing with the same deadline for every customer they have, and their engineer availability is the constraint.

How do we find out which lines we have?

A line survey, because the records are almost never right. Lines are installed for a purpose, the purpose ends and the line stays. Businesses regularly find lines they are paying for that do nothing at all, alongside a line running something critical that nobody knew existed. Both are worth finding now.

Can these lines just move to VoIP?

Some can, many cannot. Devices designed to dial over an analogue line often do not behave predictably over VoIP, particularly older alarm and fire equipment. The safe approach is to establish what each device needs from its manufacturer or maintainer rather than assuming a like-for-like swap will work.

What about care alarms in sheltered housing?

These should be planned first, because the line is what summons help for a resident. The equipment supplier will have a migration path, usually to a digital or mobile communicator, and there is normally a testing requirement afterwards. This is one area where doing it early rather than close to the deadline genuinely matters.

How long does all of this take?

Longer than replacing phones, because it depends on third parties. Surveying takes days; getting alarm, lift and fire companies to schedule engineer visits takes weeks and sometimes longer as the deadline approaches. There is no technical difficulty in any of it — the constraint is other people’s diaries.

Start with what is actually connected

A line survey tells you what you have, what it does and which items involve somebody else. It is the part of switch-off planning most often left until last, and the part with the longest lead times. Worth doing now.

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