Preparing for 2027: Why the digital switchover must start with people

By January 2027, the UK’s analogue phone network will be switched off. For those of us working in social care and housing, this is not just a technical milestone – it’s a change that will redefine how we keep people safe, supported and independent in their own homes.

What’s clear is that the digital switchover is about much more than infrastructure. It is about people. Done well, it can deliver safer, more responsive and more personalised services. But handled poorly, it risks leaving some of the most vulnerable in our communities exposed.

Independent living is not simply a policy aspiration; it is both a moral and a financial imperative. With an ageing population, overstretched NHS resources and rising demand for social care, helping people stay in their homes for longer has never been more important.

There are already more than two million people in the UK using dispersed alarms. Technology should never be about replacing human care. Its role is to complement it, offering earlier insight and timely intervention. Independence brings dignity, routine and connection, and when people feel secure in their homes, it reduces pressure right across the system.

Other European countries, such as Estonia and the Netherlands, have already completed their digital transition. The UK has been slower to act, but we cannot afford to wait any longer. Analogue systems are becoming unreliable, and the closer we get to 2027, the greater the risk that vital calls and alerts will fail.

Around three-quarters of dispersed alarms are already digital, but the majority of scheme-based systems are still analogue. That is a major vulnerability. I still speak with providers hoping to delay migration, but the truth is that doing nothing is the greatest risk of all.

The switchover is not optional – and neither is the responsibility we all share to plan ahead.

For housing providers and local authorities, this change is not only about compliance. It is an opportunity to transform services. Digital systems open up possibilities that analogue simply cannot match. They allow data to be captured and analysed, giving providers early warning of risks, patterns of behaviour, or small changes that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Falls, for example, cost the NHS more than £2.3 billion a year. Technology cannot prevent every fall, but it can show us who may be at risk, highlight changes in mobility, and allow interventions before crises occur. That shift – from reactive to proactive support – is where the real potential lies.

Modern care technologies are also more user-friendly than in the past. Wearable alarms now look and feel more like consumer smartwatches, giving reassurance without the badge of vulnerability once associated with older devices. Fall detectors, motion sensors and environmental monitors such as flood or smoke detectors can work unobtrusively in the background.

Just as importantly, digital platforms now allow millions of events and alerts to be monitored and analysed each month. This wealth of data can highlight trends, predict risks and inform decisions. That’s where predictive care begins – not with the alarm itself, but with the patterns it reveals.

No single organisation can deliver this transition on its own. Success depends on collaboration across the sector – housing providers, local authorities, service operators and technology specialists working together. Procurement frameworks and technical standards matter, but communication and shared understanding are just as important.

The real value lies in moving towards proactive, predictive models of care. Data-driven insight, when combined with human expertise, can help us spot problems earlier, reduce avoidable hospital admissions, and give people greater control over their own lives.

This is the future I want to see: technology that works quietly in the background, supporting independence without intrusion; services that anticipate risks instead of reacting to emergencies; and partnerships that put people, not systems, at the heart of care.

The digital switchover represents a major moment for our sector. The risks of delay are real, but the opportunities are greater. We have the chance to build care services that are more resilient, more responsive and more human.

Trevor Hoggard is national sales manager at Legrand Care