When BT announced it would stop selling new Redcare alarm-signalling products at the end of February 2024, the industry assumed a managed wind-down. It did not get one: the classic Redcare service closed for good in late 2025, leaving well over 100,000 private and commercial alarm systems needing a new path to their Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
Why Redcare mattered so much
Redcare was not just a phone line — it continuously polled the alarm panel over the wire and could detect the line being cut. That made it the default for insurers for decades. Its closure leaves two legacy problems: panels still physically wired for redcare-style signalling, and insurers whose policies name "BT Redcare" as an approved path.
Where systems are signalling now
- Dualcom IP/GPRS path signalling — the mainstream replacement: a roamed GPRS path plus broadband, with the ARC monitoring both. Insurers have largely signed these off.
- TAP to SMS for alerting — where a panel (or its dialler) just needs to tell an engineer something is wrong, a TAP-to-SMS gateway such as DIDcomms OpenTAP keeps the panel's existing modem and turns its messages into texts. It is the cheapest fix for sites that do not need a full ARC contract.
- Hybrid setups — path signalling for the ARC plus TAP/SMS for engineer alerts, which is increasingly common on commercial sites.
What installers should do this month
- Inventory every site still showing a redcare STU or Classic/Advance modem.
- Check the insurer's approved-replacement wording before quoting.
- Where alerts rather than ARC signalling are needed, re-programme the panel's TAP destination to an IP gateway — OpenTAP's settings are in our TAP to SMS guide.
Related: OpenTAP goes PAYG over IP at 5p a message
Need a number that survives the switch-off?
DIDcomms virtual numbers and SIP work over IP from day one — free PAYG to start, no contracts.
Browse UK numbers on didcomms.co.uk →