SENTINEL Lift emergency connection service

The Telephone network in the UK, based upon the Public Switched telephone Network (PSTN) is closing down. This affects ‘landlines’, which are used widely to provide connectivity for emergency lift communications systems. This is happening at the end of January 2027, and post that date, all existing lines will be terminated. This is often known as the Analogue to Digital switch, moving from a tone-based call set up and signalling arrangement to an Internet Protocol (IP) based solution.

Acting now means that alternative arrangements can be made in time, avoiding risk to passenger safety and compliance.

If lifts use PSTN ‘Landlines’ – often call Analogue lines – for communications by the in-car emergency console, they will stop working at the end of January 2027. An alternative ‘Digital’ communications solution will be necessary in order to ensure ongoing compliance.

For lifts with PSTN lines, the line will stop working, plain and simple. This will mean the lift is no longer compliant with EN 81-28, putting building users at risk and exposing housing providers/building owners and FM operators to inspection failures, legal liability, and urgent, costly retrofits.

Possibly. Fibre networks are primarily being built to meet the needs of residential consumers – and the needs of businesses have not really been considered, although some network builders have looked to fix this in specific geographies, or where a specific contract has been let. If fibre has been built to a building, it’s not guaranteed that it’s available to service the needs of the emergency lift lines – in terms of capacity being available, or being pre-built to a suitable connection point in a lift room.

Communication Providers should know the answer to this question, but if there’s not a definitive ‘Yes’ (in being available to a lift room and ready to take an order), then count on long delays and increased provision costs to get service.

For consistency of operation across the UK, the best option is to move to a Cellular-based solution, like SENTINEL from MEMCO by AVIRE.

Basic GSM units can lose signal, SIMs may expire, and faults often go unnoticed until tested. SENTINEL uses roaming SIMs to find the strongest network, includes extended battery backup, and provides 24/7 monitoring via the AVIRE HUB.

In unmanaged systems, housing providers often end up responsible. With SENTINEL, both are monitored automatically, and alerts are sent if there is a problem. This means you don’t have to worry about checking or replacing them yourself.

Yes. SENTINEL meets EN 81-28 requirements with power resilience, automated test calls, and fault alerts, keeping your lifts compliant and safe.

SENTINEL is installed by your current lift maintenance provider, with AVIRE providing the technology, monitoring, and ongoing support.

Yes. SENTINEL is 4G-ready, uses managed SIMs, includes battery backup, and is supported by AVIRE HUB, ensuring reliability now and beyond the PSTN switch-off.