The Digital Switchover in Bolton: What It Means for Your Personal Alarm
On 31 January 2027 the analogue phone network is retired and every landline in Bolton becomes digital. If someone in your family wears a pendant alarm wired into the phone socket, it may stop being able to call for help. Bolton Council runs a telecare service, and its team is the right place to start asking.
Key facts
- The analogue phone network (PSTN) is retired on 31 January 2027.
- Bolton Council runs a Telecare service, reached through its Telecare team rather than a separately branded alarm company.
- Affected postcodes run from BL1 to BL7, covering the town centre, Farnworth, Westhoughton, Horwich, Blackrod, Little Lever and Bromley Cross.
- Bolton is one of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has published switchover advice even though the council has not.
What is changing in Bolton, and when?
Openreach is retiring the analogue telephone network by 31 January 2027, and every home line in Bolton moves to a digital service that carries calls over the broadband connection. The phone plugs into the router rather than the wall socket, and the number stays the same. Greater Manchester Combined Authority puts it plainly: by January 2027, telephone providers will be moving their customers from old analogue landlines over to new upgraded landline services using digital technology.
Openreach has said there will be no cliff edge on 1 February 2027, with any remaining lines moving to alternative arrangements rather than being cut off overnight. That is a comfort for the phone. It says nothing about whether the alarm plugged into it will still reach a monitoring centre.
Will my personal alarm still work after the switch-off?
It depends on how the alarm connects, and an analogue unit is the one to worry about. These alarms dial out using audio tones down copper wire, which digital lines do not always carry cleanly. The Telecare National Action Plan published by DHSC and DSIT commits that no telecare user should be migrated to a digital landline until someone has confirmed a compatible and functioning telecare solution is in place. The protection depends on the phone company knowing an alarm is there.
Then there is power. GMCA warns that digital landlines cannot carry a power connection, so in the event of a power cut they will not work. Ofcom requires providers to give at least one hour of access to emergency organisations during a power cut, and to offer battery backup free of charge to customers who depend on the landline to call 999. That protects emergency calls, not telecare equipment.
How do I check whether my alarm uses the phone line?
- Check the connection. A thin cable from the alarm into a white phone socket means an analogue unit at risk. A cable into the broadband router means it has already been converted. Only a power lead usually means a mobile unit.
- Find out who answers it. Bolton Council's own page notes that pressing the button alerts the community alarm provider, usually Careline, or a carer. Look for a name and number on the base unit.
- Make a test call. Press the button, say it is a test, and confirm the operator hears you and has the right details. Repeat after any change to the phone or broadband.
What about alarms provided by Bolton Council?
Bolton Council runs a Telecare service through adult social care. It is not sold under a separate brand: the council simply calls it telecare, and its own page explains that when a device is triggered it alerts the community alarm provider, usually Careline, or a carer. That distinction matters, because a Bolton household may have a council arranged service answered by a provider under contract.
Getting an assessment is straightforward. The council asks residents to contact the Telecare team between 8.45am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, on 01204 337815, or by email at telecare@bolton.gov.uk. Equipment is fitted after that assessment, so the mix of sensors varies from one household to another.
Bolton Council has not published a page setting out how it will move telecare equipment from analogue to digital, or when. Greater Manchester Combined Authority has published general switchover advice covering the whole city region, which specifically flags people who depend on their landline or use a telecare device connected to a phone line, such as a fall monitor, lifeline or personal alarm. That is useful background, but it is not a Bolton timetable. If council arranged telecare is in your house, email or ring the Telecare team and ask what is planned for your equipment.
What should Bolton residents do now?
Ring the landline provider first and tell them a personal alarm is used in the house. GMCA gives the same advice: notify your communications provider so they can advise how the switch could affect you.
Then deal with the alarm. If Bolton Council arranged it, contact the Telecare team. If it was bought privately, treat it as needing replacement until someone confirms otherwise. A mobile connected alarm avoids the landline question entirely, which helps in the older terraces around Halliwell and Daubhill as much as in newer flats in Horwich. Any replacement should be on 4G, since 3G has already been switched off.
The single most important point for Bolton
Bolton's telecare service is reached through one team, on 01204 337815 or telecare@bolton.gov.uk, and there is no published switchover timetable for it. Email that address with your address and a simple question: is my equipment digital ready. Put it in writing so you have a record.
Not sure what your Bolton alarm is connected to?
Our UK monitoring centre in Southport answers alarm calls 24 hours a day, and 99.6% of alarm calls are answered in under 60 seconds. We can talk you through what to look for, with no obligation.
Telephone 01704 332840 | info@holdengrange.com
Book a free call with HannahFrequently asked questions
The council calls it telecare and runs it through adult social care rather than under a separate brand. Its own page says a triggered device alerts the community alarm provider, usually Careline, or a carer. Assessments start with the Telecare team on 01204 337815.
Not that we can find. Greater Manchester Combined Authority has published switchover advice for the whole city region, including a warning aimed at telecare users, but Bolton Council itself has no page setting out a timetable for replacing analogue telecare equipment.
Contact the Telecare team between 8.45am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday on 01204 337815, or email telecare@bolton.gov.uk. An assessment decides which equipment suits the household. An independent alarm can be arranged without an assessment if you would rather not wait.
Yes. Our monitoring centre is in Southport and serves the whole UK, so BL1 to BL7 are covered, including Little Lever, Blackrod, Kearsley and Bromley Cross. Alarms are posted out and set up at home, with no assessment and no waiting list.
Where to start: contact the Telecare team or your alarm provider, tell your phone company an alarm is in use, then plan a digital ready replacement. See our SOS pendant alarms in Bolton page, our digital switchover guide, or read what happens if a telecare alarm stops working. Greater Manchester's advice is on the GMCA switchover page. Call our UK team on 01704 332840.
Holden Grange is a UK telecare provider based in Southport, a TSA member and certified under the TEC Quality Standards Framework. Our alarm receiving centre is UK based and operates 24 hours a day.