You might be wondering; how does this change affect your Careline service? Well, we’re here to help you understand.

What is the Switch off about?

Openreach, the UK’s largest telecoms & broadband network provider, is switching off copper cables in 2025, because it is part of a national effort to modernise the country’s telecommunications infrastructure. Copper cables, which have been in use for over a century, are not capable of providing the faster broadband speeds and higher bandwidths required by modern digital services.

What does this mean for you? It means that you will no longer be able to use your traditional landline phone and broadband service as you do today. Instead, you will need to switch to a digital service, such as fibre broadband and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) also known as digital voice services, to ensure that you can still make calls and access the internet.

How does the digital switchover affect Careline?

With the digital switchover, there may be questions about the performance of Careline’s service, especially as your alarm system is connected to a traditional phone line. While certain adaptors can be used to facilitate the transition to the new digital system, it’s essential to note that these alarm systems weren’t initially designed for this purpose.

Is there an alternative version of Careline’s service?

Absolutely! The Careline’s Digital Alarm Unit serves as an alternative to the traditional Careline service. The Digital Alarm Unit is a state-of-the-art system. Simply plug it into a power socket, and it’s ready to use. The unit is equipped with a SIM card (used in mobile phones), where it can contact Careline’s dedicated team swiftly when assistance is needed. Additionally, this system operates even during power outages, thanks to its 40–70-hour backup battery.

How and when should you transition to Careline’s Digital Alarm Unit?

Transitioning to Careline’s Digital Alarm Unit is a straightforward process. To get started, please reach out to Careline Community Service via phone at 01553 616200 or email careline.operators@west-norfolk.gov.uk. Their dedicated team will guide you through the transition smoothly. To ensure a seamless switch, it is advisable to make the transition before the digital switchover takes place, allowing you to have your new equipment ready well in advance.

In summary, the digital switchover is transforming the telecommunications landscape, impacting traditional care industries alarm systems. Careline’s Digital Alarm Unit offers a modern and dependable solution to ensure your safety in the digital era.

For any inquiries or assistance with the transition, do not hesitate to contact Careline Community Services. RLS Computer Services and Careline Community Service are dedicated to your well-being, no matter how technology evolves.

Further Reading

https://www.careline-cs.org.uk/products/careline-home-alarm/

Careline Digital Switchover Information Flyer

If you are torn on the idea of picking up a new PC because yours is getting old and slow but don’t want to spend the money on a brand-new computer just yet, another great option is looking at some physical upgrades for it.

SSD Upgrades

Our most popular improvement is an SSD upgrade. This is taking the old hard drive (HDD) in your computer, where everything is stored, and transferring it to a new solid-state drive (SSD). Almost every new computer you buy will come with an SSD and now we are able to bring your computer up to the same level. On paper it is 2x faster than your old HDD, but we have recorded improvements of over 3x the speed on booting up and opening applications, and with prices starting at £80 for a 500GB SSD, including data transfer and fitting, this is the first upgrade we suggest to people when their computer is running slow.

RAM Upgrades

Another enhancement we have seen performance benefits from are RAM upgrades. We often see older computers with 2GB-4GB of RAM which is fine when they came out but with applications becoming a lot more resource intensive, we suggest 8GB as an adequate amount. The price of RAM has dropped over the years as well, so prices start at £60 (fitted) for 8GB of DDR4 RAM which makes this a very low-cost solution to an out-of-date computer.

Health Checks

If a physical improvement is not necessarily what you are looking for, then maybe a health check would be better. This includes a full service of the computer, diagnostics, updates and clear out of unneeded system files. Bringing your computer in for a service doesn’t just speed it up though, it will keep it clean, up to date and give it an extended life as well. But not every computer comes in for its service and then straight back out, just like your car, there can be issues we find with the computer, but the service gives us the opportunity to catch it before anything catastrophic happens like a failing hard drive. Just having a chance to look at the computer will allow us to spot any problems starting to arise and can either fix them or suggest a replacement before it’s too late and you end up with all your data lost. With Health Checks costing £48 it is worth contacting us and getting your computer in, so you can browse with the confidence that your computer is healthy and secure.

Still time to buy a new computer?

If none of these options interest you and you have still got your heart set on that new shiny PC, we can also help you out there. We sell new and renewed computers so if you tell us your needs and budget, we will be able to find you a PC that fits you perfectly. Whether you need a fancy custom-built PC, a new Fujitsu laptop for work or a renewed* HP computer for home use we supply it all and if you buy through us, we move your data from the old machine to the new one for free.

*Our new ‘renewed’ range of computers are really showing their worth at the moment, not only are they a fraction of the price of a new computer but they are also more eco-friendly by keeping the amount of tech trash down and creating a new life for these computers. If you would like to find out more about these watch our YouTube video here explaining what we have on offer.

Contact us

If you are interested in any of these services and would like to book in a time to upgrade, or even if you would just like some more information on it, call us on 01553 776937 or email support@rlscomputers.co.uk

As part of our HOMEPLAN+ IT support, we apply updates, upgrades and patches to our clients Windows devices on a specified date each month.

If you are subscribed as a HOMEPLAN+ Silver member, you will receive our RLS Patching & Updates on the 28th of every month making sure your key applications are up-to-date and reduces the risk of vulnerabilities that can attack out-dated software.

RLS Patching & Updates Service is the solution to manage the updates and patching for both your Windows operating system and literally hundreds of applications. Now you don’t need to worry if your computer and software is up to date by adding Patching & Updates to your HOMEPLAN+ membership, we have you covered.

Features Include:
• No need to worry about updates
• 100’s of applications checked daily
• Real-time scanning
• All critical updates applied
• Updates deployed monthly
• No on-site visits required

What Gets Updated / Upgraded?

All current versions of Windows are checked including 100’s of 3rd party applications. For a comprehensive list of applications that are included visit: https://info.pandasecurity.com/patchmanagementapp

How Do Do We Carry Out The Work?

We have included Patch Management to your Panda Anti-Virus and Security software to run a series of checks periodically which analyses applicable applications on your PC. These are then checked for critical vulnerabilities and if there is a update or upgrade available, push them out on the 28th of every month.

What Do I Need To Do?

• Leave your Windows computer, laptop or tablet switched on
• Make sure your device is connected to the internet
• If using a mobile device make sure it is plugged into the mains supply

How Will I Know It’s Completed?

Your PC may reboot several times during the course of any updates. If you don’t hear from us assume everything is alright, however in some cases we might need to access your device to complete an upgrade, in these cases we will make a separate arrangement to complete the work.

What Happens If I Miss The Deadline?

If you forget to leave your device on, don’t worry it will get completed either the next day or when you next switch on your device. We must warn you that if this does happen, we cannot guarantee it won’t disrupt your day.

The service is just one of many other features of our new HOMEPLAN+ service and provides a whole host of other services you can add to your membership. These are designed to help you make the most out of your membership and provide extra security and peace of mind.

If you are interested in our HOMEPLAN+ service or you have any questions please email us at info@rlscomputers.co.uk or call 01553 776937.