Openreach has announced that it will launch its new Telecare Migration Service across the UK this October, building on the successful outcomes of its Prove Telecare Pilot.
The service is designed to facilitate the safe transfer of vulnerable customers who rely on telecare devices — such as health alarms — from traditional copper phone lines to modern digital and IP-based voice services over fibre, ahead of the planned PSTN shutdown in January 2027.
During the pilot phase, Openreach collaborated with multiple wholesale partners and successfully migrated over a thousand customers using fixed-line telecare devices to new digital or VoIP solutions, with no disruption to their essential services. The initiative demonstrated that vulnerable users could transition smoothly to fibre-based systems, removing a major barrier to the UK’s broader move away from the aging copper network.
“The pilot has shown that vulnerable customers with telecare devices can be safely migrated to fibre, which is safer and more reliable than copper, especially as copper-based services become more vulnerable to faults and outages. Our priority has always been to ensure the transition is seamless and that no one is left behind. The Prove Telecare service will accelerate this process, ensuring safety and connectivity for those who depend on it most,” said James Lilley, Managed Customer Migrations Manager at Openreach.
The rollout will be supported nationwide by more than 4,000 specially trained Openreach engineers, who will work directly with alarm receiving centres to verify households using telecare devices. Migrations will only proceed when devices are compatible; if any equipment is found incompatible, engineers will revert the household to the original copper connection, ensuring continuous safety. Openreach will notify the relevant service providers and telecare providers to facilitate the installation of replacement devices before arranging follow-up visits, ensuring a secure and uninterrupted service for vulnerable customers throughout the transition.
