Where it all began

Many years ago, phone calls were connected by a switchboard operator at a local exchange. They would insert the right plug into the right socket so the call could be connected. Automated systems to connect phone calls started to be used in 1913, with the last switchboard operator in New Zealand finishing up in the late 1980s.

Since then, phone calls have been connected through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) which is operated by Spark. However, with technology changing at a fast pace, the underlying way communications are carried use digital services like Internet Protocol (or IP), so Spark is progressively retiring the PSTN network. This work started last year and will progress on an area by area basis aligned to PSTN exchange areas.

How does this affect you?

If you have a security or medical alarm that is connected by your landline phone line, regardless of who your provider is, this change will likely mean you will have to either add a communications module to or upgrade the alarm panel of your security alarm, or for medical alarms, change the type of medical alarm you use.

What is SECURELY® doing to help you?

Our team is already hard at work looking at the type of alarm you have and identifying the options available to keep your alarm talking to us. We are also working closely with Spark and Chorus to ensure we have the latest information about which areas will be changed and when, so we can help you manage this change.

Looking a bit deeper at the options available for your security alarm:

1. You could purchase a communicator module that is installed into your existing security system that would then connect to our Monitoring Centre over the mobile network and not use the PSTN network.
2. If you alarm is quite old, it might not be able to have a communicator installed, so you would then need to either replace your control panel with a new one that could continue to use the other parts of your alarm like the motion sensors and smoke alarms, or it might mean you have to upgrade the whole alarm to maintain a connection to our Monitoring Centre.
3. The third option is to take this as an opportunity to upgrade your home alarm to be “smart’. SECURELY® has a smart home and security platform that you can manage from your smart phone as well as continuing to use our Monitoring Centre.

Ask our team about a special offer to upgrade your alarm

If you would like to discuss the options for your alarm you can contact us on 0800 904 904 8.30am – 5.00pm, email technical@securely.nz or visit our Contact Us page