Digital upgrades for existing lifts

Replace PSTN lines with non-disruptive, compliant digital upgrades for existing lift phone systems in under 1 hour. Avoid costly breakdowns with real-time monitoring and notifications from your lifts ensuring maximum uptime and public safety.

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  • Rapid 1hr Retrofit

    Maintain operational continuity. No downtime. No hassle.

  • EN81−28 Compliance

    Monitored mains power, 2-hr talk time 6-hr standby on battery backup.

  • Resilient 4G Connectivity

    Inbuilt automatic fail-over on detected connectivity issues.

  • WebAlarm™ | Realtime Visibility

    Event log test calls, mains, 4G signal, lift faults, alarms – in real-time!

Technician inspecting an electrical control panel in an elevator lobby.

Always-on connectivity with inbuilt multi‑network resilience

ControlFreq systems are supplied with Global-roaming, multi-network mobile connectivity, with 4G-VoLTE audio on all major network operators. Rapid-retrofit hardware to suit new and existing lift phones simplifies the upgrade.Replace existing analogue PSTN lines with digital 4G-VoLTE communications in literally minutes, ensuring full compliance with BS EN 81-28:2022 (Feb 2025 update).

Map of London showing the location of a building lift with an alert box indicating it has mains power loss.

Real-time visibility with WebAlarm™

ControlFreq devices connect real-time data & analytics to WebAlarm™, giving on-site maintenance, lift engineers and building management teams complete visibility of lift status, power and connectivity, across their entire portfolio. Real-time voice, SMS, push or email notifications speed up resolution and cloud dashboards simplify compliance. ControlFreq offer 7-day technical support to ensure remote assistance is always available when it really counts.

Upgrade the communication path and compliance, without replacing the lift phone

With BT fixed-lines shutting down, upgrading to a digital alternative is essential to remain compliant with BS EN81-28 for lift alarm communications. ControlFreq offer an end-to-end solution of robust, industrial-grade 4G communication hardware, to replace the BT landline. Coupled with monitored multi-network global-roaming 4G connectivity on all major mobile operators and real-time status reporting, ControlFreq keep your emergency lift phones visible and operational, at all times.

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Stay compliant

Ensure legal compliance and avoid fines up to £5,000.

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PSTN switch-off ready

Guarantee emergency phone reliability after the PSTN switch-off.

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Monitored backup

Maintain public safety with monitored backup during power outages.

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Cloud visibility

Improve service visibility with event logs and downloadable reports.

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Instant alerts

Speed emergency responses with real-time notifications.

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Quick retrofit

Reduce disruption with fast, non-intrusive upgrades.

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Passenger reassurance

Increase confidence through clear, reliable communication.

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Audit-ready records

Support maintenance efficiency with compliance-ready records.

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3-day Test Calls

Test calls are logged with export feature to maintain compliance.

A white rectangular electronic device with four screws on the edges and a black antenna on top.
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Installed in a lift motor control room
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Installed in a control cabinet in an MRL environment
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Our LANDLINE-4G digital audio communicator replaces a BT landline for monitored communications

The Landline Replacement 4G-VoLTE Digital Audio Communicator

Upgrade any new or existing lift phone auto-dialler with a universally-compatible 4G-VoLTE voice call communicator. LANDLINE-4G provides a seamless replacement for traditional BT phone lines in emergency lift phone installations without the need to replace the existing auto-dialler. Paired with WebAlarm cloud monitoring ensures full compliance with current lift safety standards BS EN81-28:2022.

Built-in multi-network redundancy.

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Universal compatibility with all lift phone manufacturers simplifies the upgrade

LANDLINE-4G, put quite simply, replaces the BT landline. Out of the box it provides an instant communication path for any equipment plugged into a PSTN phone socket. If your lift alarm is connected to a landline socket now is the time to upgrade to a 4G-VoLTE digital solution to remain compliant. dd the benefits of real-time monitoring that traditional analouge phone systems do not provide.

  • Avire Memcom

    Avire Memcom

    Telephones installed in elevators for emergency communication, used to call maintenance or emergency services on breakdowns or entrapments.

  • Safeline

    Safeline

    Alarms for fire detection, intruder alerts, and other security monitoring systems that use PSTN to transmit signals to monitoring centers.

  • Windcrest

    Windcrest

    Systems used for access control in residential and commercial buildings, allowing communication between entrances and occupants.

Map of London with red warning icons and a green checkmark icon indicating status.

WebAlarm™ | Real-time monitoring, communication & control for all lifts.

WebAlarm™ is our proprietary ‘OEM white-label’ cloud-based platform that adds real-time monitoring, communication and global visibility to your lift phone systems with virtually no effort whatsoever. It provides monitored battery back up to ensure lift safety compliance and provides realtime insight into an estate of any size.

Learn more
Learn more

Get connected with ControlFreq

Contact ControlFreq and receive a rapid response from our team,

Select options
Remote Monitoring
Critical Communications
Cloud Access Control
Cloud-UI for Remote System Management
Global-roaming IoT SIM Connectivity
Custom solution discovery

The ControlFreq Promise: We respond 7-days a week, 356 days a year.

Frequently asked questions

  • The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is being phased out in the UK. Older lift emergency phones that rely on analogue PSTN lines will stop functioning. To avoid service interruption, these systems must be upgraded to a digital alternative, such as GSM ie: ControlFreq LANDLINE-4G or IP-based communication. Non-compliant lift phone systems may result in the lift being taken out of service.

  • To comply with EN81-28:2022, an emergency lift communication system must include:

    • Two-way voice communication between the lift car and a rescue service.

    • Remote dial-in communication for the monitoring service to dial back into the lift if cut off

    • Physical testing of the lift alarm every 3 days, using a method equivalent to a user raising a genuine emergency call alarm

    • Monitored battery backup for both the autodialler and, if used, the GSM gateway with 1 hour standby and 15 mins talk time.

    • Automated alarm transmission with confirmation from the rescue service, with no user input required once an alarm is triggered.

    • Automatic identification of the lift’s location and ID to the rescue service.

    • Visual and audible indicators inside the lift car, including green and yellow pictograms and an adjustable tone to indicate call progress and status.

  • Upgrading to a ControlFreq LANDLINE-4G ensures compliance with the BS EN81-28:2022 standard. Upgrading to a GSM gateway that does not meet the standard would not the issue of PSTN shutdown. The upgraded system must also meet the standard’s requirements for monitored battery backup, 15-min talk time on battery, self-testing, alarm verification, and passenger indicators. A GSM upgrade must be part of a wider compliance strategy.

  • Yes. The LANDLINE-4G meets and exceeds the requirments with 8 hours standby and 1 hour talk time on battery back up. All other GSM gateway requirements are also met or exceeded.

  • The building or lift owner is ultimately responsible for ensuring that lift communication systems are compliant with BS EN81-28:2022. LANDLINE-4G ensures saftey compliance by meeting all the requirements of the standard. Installation is a simple plug&play process without the need to replace existing lift auto-dialler hardware. By fitting the LANDLINE-4G, compliance is met. Simply power the device locally to the lift auto-dialler and connect the BT connection to the LANDLINE-4G. Job done!

  • Since February 2025 the lift alarm safety standard BS EN81-28:2022, states the system must be tested every 3 days using the same method as. areal alarm call to simulate a real world scenario.

  • Yes. We offer digital upgrades which replace legacy PSTN lines that allows you to leave existing lift phone equipment in place and simply upgrade the communication path from analogue to digital. We offer a managed service including an initial consultation, detailed proposal, pilot trial and measured results prior to a controlled phased rollout.

  • Yes. Pilot trials are offered to prove functionality and suitability for the application before committing to a phased rollout.