With the copper network closing on 31 January 2027, the alarm industry's workhorse protocol has an IP escape route. DIDcomms OpenTAP — the TAP-to-SMS gateway behind thousands of UK installations — accepts TAP sessions over TCP/IP as well as dial-up, at 5p per message including VAT on pay-as-you-go. There is no subscription and no line rental; you only pay for messages delivered.
Why this matters for the 2027 deadline
Classic TAP rides on a dial-up modem call, and dial-up rides on the PSTN — which closes on 31 January 2027 (see our switch-off guide). A TAP gateway that speaks IP lets a panel keep its exact behaviour — same message format, same recipient logic — while the transport moves from copper to internet. Small adapters that convert a panel's serial TAP stream to TCP/IP make the swap a config change rather than a panel replacement.
The settings that matter
TAP is famously fussy about serial framing: 1200 baud, 7 data bits, even parity, 1 stop bit (7E1). Over TCP/IP the framing is handled by the adapter, but the panel's dial string is typically replaced by the gateway's IP address or hostname and port. The full walkthrough, including the 8N1 trap that makes messages "connect but never arrive", is in our TAP to SMS guide.
Costs, plainly
- PAYG over TCP/IP: 5p per message including VAT, no monthly minimum.
- Dial-up access numbers (for sites still on copper today): no monthly fee — you pay the call, which is being withdrawn with the PSTN anyway.
- Porting a paging-era panel: usually a re-programme, not new hardware.
Full details and signup: OpenTAP on didcomms.co.uk.
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