For decades, most UK monitored alarms signalled to their alarm receiving centre over a standard phone line, with BT Redcare the most widely used service of its kind. That changed on 15 December 2025, when BT formally closed Redcare down. Separately, BT and the rest of the UK telecoms industry are retiring the entire PSTN (analogue phone) network by 31 January 2027, moving every phone line in the country onto internet-based “All-IP” calling. Between the two, any alarm that still relies on a phone line for signalling needs to move to an IP-based alternative.
If you’re not sure whether your system is affected, the simplest check is what your communicator plugs into: if there’s a phone cable running from the alarm panel to a BT master socket, it’s worth getting it looked at before either deadline passes. AMCO can check this for you as part of a free site visit.
1) Why this is happening
This isn’t an AMCO or alarm-industry change - it’s a nationwide infrastructure upgrade. BT is moving every customer in the UK from the old analogue phone network onto digital, internet-based calling. Equipment that was built to use a phone line - including older alarm communicators, some lift lines and payment terminals - needs an equivalent digital replacement before its local exchange is switched over.
2) The two things that need to change
- The communicator itself - an analogue dialler needs replacing with an IP-capable signalling device, such as CSL DualCom or AMCO’s own LiveTalk audio-response monitoring, both of which also add dual-path backup rather than relying on a single connection.
- The connection - instead of plugging into a BT phone socket, the new communicator connects to your broadband router (or uses a mobile/GSM signal as a backup path if the router or internet connection goes down).
3) Three steps to switch to IP monitoring
- Replace the communicator. An engineer removes the old analogue (e.g. Redcare) communicator and fits an IP-based replacement with a dual-path backup, typically cellular (GSM), so monitoring keeps working even if the internet connection drops.
- Connect it to your network. The new communicator is wired into your router rather than a phone line. Where signal strength matters for the backup path, the engineer checks GSM reception and fits an appropriate aerial if needed.
- Set up the new monitoring service. The alarm is registered with an Alarm Receiving Centre over the new IP/dual-path connection - AMCO handles this as part of the switch-over - and, where relevant, your Police URN is checked to make sure it carries over correctly to the new signalling path.
4) Checking your Police URN carries over
If your alarm has a Type A Police Responsewith a Unique Reference Number (URN), that URN is tied to your alarm receiving centre and signalling setup. When you move to a new communicator and monitoring path, it’s worth confirming the URN has been correctly carried across rather than assuming it transfers automatically - AMCO checks this as a standard part of every switch-over.
5) How urgent is this?
BT Redcare has already stopped operating (15 December 2025) - if that was your signalling method, your alarm may already be unable to reach the monitoring centre. Every other analogue/PSTN-dependent line in the UK is being switched off in stages ahead of the final national deadline of 31 January 2027. Either way, the sooner a switch-over happens, the sooner you’re back on a properly monitored, dual-path connection.
AMCO can assess your current signalling method and arrange a switch-over as part of our alarm maintenance service, or as a standalone upgrade if you’re not an existing AMCO customer.