Although the digital era of TECS presents undoubted opportunities, it also means providers need to undertake extensive research into how the UK’s communications network upgrade will affect their services, and the steps they need to take to protect service users.

There is a huge amount of information available online to inform these decisions, from multiple suppliers and other industry organisations, which takes time to review and can contain conflicting or outdated guidance. In this article, T2 offers some pointers on where to start, and the questions you need to ask.

1. Is the ARC and the digital equipment in the field (warden call) you’re considering using provided by the same manufacturer?
When it comes to the new digital world, compatibility equals safety for TECS. Choosing an ARC (monitoring service) from one supplier and equipment in the field can work, but does require due diligence before purchase and robust testing to ensure systems can be relied upon end-to-end. Purchasing equipment from the supplier of your ARC means both have been purposefully designed to work with each other, and thoroughly tested to demonstrate this. As a customer, it also means that if any issues do occur, a single provider is responsible for resolving them, rather than having to seek clarity from two organisations to identify where any faults may lie and how to resolve them.

2. Are you operating your own ARC/monitoring service?
Similarly to the above, if you have an in-house TECS monitoring service, unless you’re considering completely replacing your ARC, the safest option is to upgrade systems in the field using the same manufacturer as the monitoring platform you have invested in. This can also minimise the need to retrain staff to use new equipment and software, and avoid disruption to associated established processes such as onboarding service users and reporting.

3. Does your ARC and equipment use the same version of the BS 8521?
British Standard BS8521 defines the protocol requirements for the communication between an ARC and a grouped-living scheme. Although this common standard assures a degree of interoperability, there are elements of it that can be interpreted/applied differently, therefore it is absolutely essential to double check the compatibility of all elements as proof of the standard is not always a guarantee of reliability in the field.

4. Is the security method used by the proposed digital equipment the same as the one operated by the ARC?
All data needs to be encrypted to avoid potential security breaches, however, there are different ways of providing this between ARCS and equipment in the field. The two main types of security used in TECS are Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or Transport Layer Security (TLS). Each works differently, with VPN encrypting internet traffic and disguising online identity when using public internet networks, and TLS encrypting communication between browsers and a website, protecting data specifically during that interaction. The two systems may not always work with each other, so it’s important to check this before procurement. You can find out more in our dedicated article; A tale of two securities.

5. How many simultaneous speech paths can be created between the digital equipment and the ARC and do they meet your needs?
Analogue systems offer a maximum of two speech paths, limiting capability. For example, if a scheme had a door entry call in progress and another resident tried to make an emergency call, the resident’s call would be held in a queue, not going through until the door entry call was cleared down. One of the key benefits of digital systems is that multiple calls can be handled at the same time. However, depending upon the system, this can vary from two to unlimited, and it’s important for providers to understand the capabilities of their systems and the impact on their day-to-day operations.

6. Can the ARC call back into the equipment in the field?
This is a critical function as there are a number of key tasks that can’t be undertaken if the ARC can’t call into the scheme, such as welfare checks and giving access to the building to emergency services. However, this functionality is not a given; our team has seen several instances where scheme equipment is able to call the ARC but the ARC cannot call into the device; essential to check this with your supplier.

We hope this blog has been helpful, and given you a head start on some of the right questions to ask when planning your approach to the digital switch. If you have questions about these questions, please get in touch for independent advice. Look out for the next part of this blog series, which focuses on analogue to digital converters.

Read part two of this post here.