Linkline preparing for new digital future
Forest of Dean District Council has begun upgrading Linkline services for residents to new digitally enabled equipment, ensuring users are ready for the changes to landline phone services in 2025.
Cabinet Member for Thriving Communities, Cllr Jackie Dale said:
“With the nationwide changes to landline services coming into place in 2025, we want to ensure that we’re one step ahead and that our Forest of Dean Linkline customers are not affected.
“Over the past few months, we’ve been working hard to upgrade previous Linkline units to a new digital Linkline unit. This will help to ensure that the service is future-proofed and that we can continue to provide 24/7 assistance for those who need it most.
“Forest Linkline supports people of all ages in our community and has done for over 30 years. These changes to new digital equipment mean that we can continue to provide support and reassurance to our residents for years to come.
“If you, or someone you know is looking for help to feel safe and comfortable at home, please take a look at the Forest Linkline service and get in touch with a member of the team.”
Forest Linkline provides round-the-clock access to a trained operator, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It works with an alarm unit positioned in the resident's home that links to a personal pendant that can be worn around the neck, wrist or clipped to clothing. Should an emergency arise then the button is pressed, and a call is triggered to the monitoring centre. From there, a trained advisor will help decide on the best course of action and ensure that the best possible action is taken so that help can be provided.
The alarm unit has traditionally been plugged into a phone socket, but this is currently being upgraded so that our residents have new digitally enabled units installed. These new units do not require facilities such as internet access and is equipped with two sim-cards inside which will ensure it can always connect to the monitoring service, even in the event of problems with telephone landlines. It will also mean that these new units are ready for the switch to digital landline services.
As part of the Forest Linkline service, Forest of Dean District Council can also install a police approved KeySafe on the day of the alarm installation, providing a secure way to enter the property in an emergency. It can also be used for those with pets who may be at work during the day. By having a KeySafe installed, the code can be provided to a friend or loved one who can access the property and make sure that pets are well looked after.
To find out more about Forest Linkline, including the latest information on the switch to digital units, or to have a KeySafe installed, please visit: https://www.fdean.gov.uk/housing/forest-linkline/
People who have questions or concerns over their phone line and the digital switch should not contact Forest of Dean District Council about this; they should contact their telephone or broadband provider. More information can be found here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/landline-phones/future-of-landline-calls/
Contact Information
Forest of Dean Communications Team
Notes to editors
The technology used to make phone calls from a landline is changing from analogue to digital, as part of an industry-wide shift backed by Ofcom and the UK Government as an important step towards future-proofing the UK's connectivity.
The move comes as part of an industry-wide shift from analogue to digital landlines and will see BT and nearly all other landline operators in the UK, including Virgin Media O2, supporting their customers in making the switch by the end of 2025.
The landline isn’t going away but is being upgraded to replace the decades old analogue technology that is increasingly unreliable and is no longer supported by suppliers and manufacturers. Customers risk facing increased service outages if this urgent infrastructure upgrade isn’t carried out now by BT and other operators. This new future-proof, digital landline technology is also a major step towards preparing the country for a Full Fibre future, in support of the UK Government’s gigabit connectivity ambitions.
More information on the switch to digital can be found here: https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-announces-regional-rollout-schedule-for-digital-voice/
Photos show the new documentation with the updated Linkline logo and the new upgraded digital Linkline box that will be in residents properties.