APPG Report Summary: 'Care to Connect: Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Migration'

The Digital Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) shared the ‘Care to connect: Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Migration’ report with key parliamentarians on Monday at a launch meeting on Parliament Street. This report highlights key recommendations for managing the ongoing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration, focusing on protecting vulnerable residents and ensuring effective solutions. 

Here are the major takeaways for local government and communication providers:

Data-Sharing Agreements (DSAs)

• DSAs between communication providers (CPs), local authorities, and telecare providers are crucial for identifying vulnerable residents during the migration.
• Challenges include inconsistent responses from local authorities and fragmented approaches across CPs.
• The APPG recommends all local authorities and housing associations sign DSAs, regardless of progress in digital switchover, to promote uniformity and resident safety.

Telecare Devices

• The sale of analogue telecare devices must end, as these can leave residents unsupported during the transition.
• The government, in collaboration with the TEC Services Association (TSA), should enforce higher standards (TEC Quality’s Quality Standards Framework) across the telecare industry to achieve robust digital migration practices.
• Financial support for local councils is critical to replace outdated telecare devices and prevent double costs.

Battery Backup Solutions

• Existing guidance from Ofcom, requiring one-hour resilience for power cuts, is insufficient. The APPG recommends increasing power backup requirements to at least 4 hours in homes and 6 hours for fixed networks.
• Communication and energy providers must jointly create resilient power solutions, particularly for vulnerable residents reliant on telecare devices.
• A multi-sector priority service register should integrate communications and energy service protection for those at risk.

Sunset of 2G and 3G Networks 

• UK mobile network operators plan to stop supporting 2G and 3G networks by 2033, with some networks already switched off.
• There are cases where local authorities and residents have purchased telecare devices using 2G/3G SIM cards, as a lower-cost, interim solution — these devices will need to be replaced again, posing double replacement costs for local authorities and additional risks to residents.
• The government should stop the sale of analogue devices and accelerate efforts to prevent the redeployment of outdated telecare alarms.

Summary

We welcome these recommendations alongside the December 2023 PSTN Charter, the Telecare National Action Plan and the PSTN Non-voluntary Migration Checklist. The conclusions make it clear that coordination between local and central government, industry regulators (such as Ofcom and Ofgem), and communication providers (CPs), as well as significant investment in digital teams at a local level, are essential goals to ensure a safe and inclusive digital switchover for all vulnerable residents and telecare users.

Read the full report here: https://digitalcommunities.inparliament.uk/care-to-connect-public-switch-telephone-network-migration-report

About the APPG

The Digital Communities APPG is a cross-party group of parliamentarians, with the aim to promote the delivery of digitally equipped places that support and foster a connected, healthy, and productive community. This includes the creation and maintenance of sustainable digital infrastructure, as well as providing residents with equal opportunity to thrive in a digital world. The LGA provides the secretariat to the APPG.

Cambridge Management Consulting

Our Public Sector and PSTN teams can help local councils and other public bodies by providing strategy, financial planning, procurement, and project management services to ensure that you have a comprehensive transition strategy and accurate financial costing for the PSTN switch-off. We can help you follow the recommendations in this report by completing a full audit, signing DSAs with CPs and most importantly, protecting vulnerable service users.

Get in touch with Craig Cheney, Managing Partner and lead for Public & Education, to discuss a range of services which might suit your needs: ccheney@cambridgemc.com (or use the form below).

Act now, before time and resources run out.