Relevant information on Mobile phone signals for residents
Ofcom and the government have been reviewing this issue at intervals for many years. Their responses have increased in sophistication as the deadline has approached. [a,e,f]
For vulnerable residents, the problem can be divided into two areas: 1. their internet provider, and 2. their healthcare/telecare providers.
1. On the healthcare side, the government released a Telecare National Action Plan [a,f]. It outlines responsibilities for care providers, who must ensure that patients have working solutions in place before any switchover happens. This may consist of replacing existing telecare technology with newer internet-compatible units. The NHS already has access to, and deploys, internet-enabled telecare systems.
2. On the internet side, Ofcom has mandated that internet providers must make provisions for landline-dependent customers (vulnerable users and those with poor/no mobile signal). To this end they must ensure that landlines remain operational during a power cut [d]. Several ISPs already do this [b,c,d]. It usually involves delivering a free battery backup unit which will keep the customer's router and landline phone bases powered on during a power cut. They also must not take any switchover action which would endanger vulnerable customers [a,e,f].
From this, we can offer the following suggestions to residents.
1. If you are a vulnerable resident, you should notify your internet provider (ISP) immediately. According to Ofcom regulations, ISPs must not do anything to jeopardize vulnerable users [b]. They should send you a battery backup, potentially along with an engineer visit to install it. They should also delay any mandatory switchover due to take place, giving you or your healthcare/telecare provider more time to prepare. [a,b,c]
Even if you are not vulnerable, if you have poor or no mobile reception at home, you should contact your ISP and ask for a battery backup. According to Ofcom regulations, ISPs should offer landline operability in power cuts. [d] Whether they will do so probably depends on how good and proactive a company they are.
Vodafone have committed to offering battery backups for free to any customers who need them (i.e. are vulnerable or have no mobile signal) [d]. BT customers can log into their BT account and register themselves as vulnerable users from within the MyBT section, which accelerates the process [c]. Customers of other providers may have to phone customer support to progress the issue; I'm not sure how far along every provider is on this initiative.
Concerned customers who do not meet their ISP's criteria and don't want to wait - or fight - for a solution can buy their own battery backups; these are typically around £100 online and will keep your router and phone running for several hours.
2. Vulnerable residents with telecare or technology-assisted care (TAC) in place should contact their care providers - doctors, specialists, social services or manufacturers - to clarify if their technology is compatible and ready for digital switchover. Healthcare services are fully aware of this situation and should be ready to replace old telecare tech, or adapt it, or confirm its compatibility, as appropriate [f]. It is perfectly possible to provide telecare and TAC through an internet connection; many care technologies are already digital and internet-based. It is also perfectly possible to operate older telecare technologies, that expect a landline phone, through a digitized phone service - but this needs assessing, and adapting as appopriate, by experts [f].
3. Do not look to mobile network technologies as a one-stop solution - they are unreliable. The residents' fears are perfectly justified, but a mobile signal booster would not offer a satisfactory solution to these issues, because (i) many older telecare solutions use landline technology and therefore can be adapted to a digital landline but not to mobile networks and (ii) mobile signal is inherently less reliable than wired tech like broadband due to interference and obstruction. Especially from atmospheric moisture - this is why your phone signal is suddenly terrible on certain days, depending on the humidity. If a mobile phone, or mobile signal based technology, were your only lifeline, that would be a perilous situation indeed.
Having said that, in any safety culture, two solutions are better than one. If there could also be something done to improve mobile signal in the village bottom, that would definitely be a useful secondary security for residents - mobile phones are a useful backup, and any opportunities on that front should be explored - but they should not be considered a first line of attack on this problem.
References & further reading
[b] Which? article on the switchover:
[c] BT's support plan for vulnerable customers:
https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-
https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-
[d] Vodafone's battery backup scheme:
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/
[e] ISPreview - Telecoms Minister call for ISPs to delay switchover for vulnerable customers and offer battery backups:
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/
[f] Community Care report on the Action Plan:
https://www.communitycare.co.
https://www.communitycare.co.