After the date was pushed back in the summer, the closure of BT Redcare, a subsidiary of telecommunications giant, BT, will take place on 15th December 2025. The alarm signalling company has been reducing its staff since July but a technical help desk and reduced support team is available to help answer customer questions up until the company closes.
Customers needed more time to prepare for BT Redcare closure
The closure of BT Redcare was announced last year and we worked with impacted customers in Bristol and nearby to ensure they had the alarm upgrades required. However, there were concerns then within the security industry about the high numbers of alarm upgrades that would be required. It may not therefore have been surprising to some when BT stated in July that a delay was needed “to allow more time for Redcare’s customers to upgrade or cease critical alarm systems.”
The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) estimated in 2024 that approximately 120,000 live systems would be impacted. However, it estimated that 90,000 were legacy products, reliant on the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), that would have needed to be upgraded anyway because of the digital switchover for all telephone services.
The aging PSTN is due to be completely switched off by BT on 31st January 2027 and it has urged businesses to migrate to digital IP connections by the end of this year to safeguard services. In an update in January BT reminded companies that this was not just about phone calls, anything connected to the lines, including door entry systems and alarms, would be impacted.
Consider your alarm signalling options
BT Redcare launched a collaboration last year with the Swedish company, AddSecure. This means when Redcare’s operations cease, the IoT technology supplier will step in as a partner to take on the responsibility of managing customer relationships with alarm receiving centres (ARCs) using BT Redcare’s newer digital alarm signalling devices. AddSecure and BT Redcare also said they would prioritise the transition from legacy to digital devices.
If you still have Redcare Classic, GSM, or Secure, which are legacy systems, then you should take immediate action to ensure your premises will still be protected, and your alarm system continues to have connection with an ARC. This gives organisations and individuals the opportunity to consider alternative IoT alarm signalling providers, such as CSL.
Both of the main intruder alarm partners of Security Group, Orisec and HKC Security, manufacture control panels that offer single and dual path CSL signalling solutions so that the alarm systems have ARC monitoring. Orisec is a CSL Connected partner, which allows us to offer full communication with the ARC and access to Orisec’s Control Plus app.
Advice from insurer Aviva last year stated that a product comparable to Redcare Classic or GSM would be a dual path alarm transmissions (ATS) device meeting signalling category, DP3. The insurer said that any dual-path ATS, certified as meeting the latest version of alarm standard, BS EN 50136, and performing at DP3, would be accepted by Aviva as a like-for-like replacement. This would include a product such as CSL Dualcom Gradeshift Pro DP3.
Choose a certified intruder alarm provider for peace of mind
To be properly insured it is advisable that any replacement intruder alarm system should be installed by a company accredited by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) or the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB). They will also need to have a maintenance contract with companies certified by the NSI or SSAIB. We are by the SSAIB. This gives customers of both companies peace of mind that they will receive high standards of service.
If you are based in Bristol or in the surrounding areas and need an intruder alarm upgrade, or are impacted by the closure of BT Redcare and would like to know more about the alternative alarm signalling options we offer, please get in touch to find out more.
