In our previous article, we explored the hidden vulnerabilities in technology enabled care systems - from mobile mast failures affecting 80% of UK infrastructure that lacks battery backup to the cascade effects that can render even 12-hour device battery backups useless within an hour when supporting infrastructure fails.
We examined how single points of failure create dangerous gaps in emergency communication and why common approaches like multiple SIM cards often provide false confidence.
Now we turn to solutions. How do we create truly resilient emergency communication systems that work when people need them most? The answer lies not in making individual components more robust, but in eliminating single points of failure through intelligent design and multiple pathway redundancy.
Building Effective Resilience Through Multiple Pathways
True resilience comes from eliminating single points of failure, not from extending how long individual components can operate. The solution lies in creating multiple independent communication routes.
The Multi-Pathway Approach
Effective resilience, which Andi was designed around, requires multiple communication pathways operating independently. If one fails, others continue functioning without interruption.
Wi-Fi connectivity provides a reliable connection when the broadband infrastructure maintains power.
Ethernet connections offer direct wired connectivity that bypasses Wi-Fi issues. While requiring physical cables, Ethernet provides lower latency and higher reliability than wireless connections.
4G Roaming cellular connections can work when fixed connections fail, assuming cellular infrastructure remains operational. However, as our CEO Richard Keyse emphasises in a recent post, if the local mast fails, having multiple SIM cards provides no additional resilience since they all depend on the same physical infrastructure.
Intelligent Automatic Switching
The key is software that continuously monitors all available pathways and switches between them based on performance. When one pathway shows degradation, the system immediately switches to alternatives without waiting for complete failure.
Andi could use home Wi-Fi as primary, 4G Roaming SIM as secondary backup, and Ethernet as another backup, with automatic cloud routing providing an additional pathway to the ARC. This creates multiple routes for alarms to reach their destination, significantly improving reliability.
Battery Backup: Important but Limited
Battery backup bridges short-term power interruptions but shouldn't be the primary resilience strategy. With 90% of power outages lasting less than 3 hours and 93% lasting less than 4 hours, a 2-4-hour backup typically covers most scenarios to keep people safe.
The focus should be on ensuring multiple communication options during the backup period rather than extending single-pathway operation time.
Practical Risk Mitigation Strategies
Effective risk mitigation addresses each potential failure point while maintaining cost-effectiveness and ease of use.
Power Protection
Simple power outlet covers prevent accidental alarm unit disconnection.
Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) for routers can extend the operation of networking equipment during outages. BT is preparing to launch "advanced battery backup" units that exceed Ofcom's minimum one-hour requirement, potentially maintaining connectivity for up to 8 hours.
Communication Pathway Diversity
True diversity means backup systems don't share the same failure points as primary systems. Using different network operators helps, but the key insight from our CEO Richard Keyse’s experience is that physical infrastructure diversity matters most.
A resilient system might combine home Wi-Fi, cellular from different operators, and cloud-based routing that can automatically find alternative paths to the ARC.
A Systematic Approach to Risk Mitigation
Each component in the TEC communication chain requires specific mitigation strategies. For the alarm unit and its power source, simple power outlet covers prevent accidental disconnection, while UPS systems on internet routers maintain connectivity during outages.
When only SIM connectivity is available, the internet router becomes a critical single point of failure. The solution is implementing multiple connectivity options - Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and cellular - with automatic switching capabilities that select the best available pathway in real-time.
The cellular mast represents a particularly vulnerable point for SIM-only solutions. As our CEO emphasises, this becomes a single point of failure regardless of how many SIM cards are installed. The mitigation is combining cellular with broadband options, creating truly independent pathways that don't share physical infrastructure.
Mobile and broadband network operators' infrastructure requires multiple options with automatic switching. Cloud services processing alarms need geographic redundancy, which is why ARCs should provide real-time disaster recovery solutions across multiple locations.
The Resilience Hierarchy: What Matters Most
Not all resilience measures provide equal value. Understanding priorities helps organisations achieve maximum protection while managing costs effectively.
First Priority: Eliminate Single Points of Failure
The highest priority must be ensuring that no single component failure can break the entire communication chain. This means implementing redundant pathways with intelligent switching between them.
As our CEO notes, "multiple routes between the dispersed alarm unit and the ARC" provide far better resilience than relying on any single pathway, regardless of how robust that pathway might be.
Second Priority: Reasonable Battery Backup
Battery backup serves an important bridging function during transitions between systems or short-term outages. The goal is to maintain service long enough for alternative pathways to activate, not indefinite operation on battery power.
The "sweet spot" for TEC battery backup appears to be 2-4 hours based on real-world power outage data and user needs. This duration covers the vast majority of power interruptions while keeping devices lightweight, affordable, and manageable for elderly users. Extended battery life beyond this provides diminishing returns because supporting infrastructure typically fails before devices exhaust their power reserves.
Building Solutions That Save Lives
The solution lies in the intelligent combination of multiple communication pathways, robust failover mechanisms, and continuous monitoring.
When someone presses their pendant, multiple independent pathways should be available to carry that vital message to help. Wi-Fi, cellular, and cloud routing working together provide far more reliability than any single pathway, regardless of how sophisticated that pathway might be.
The future of TEC resilience depends on this simple principle: when someone needs help, there should always be multiple ways for that call to get through.
For specific implementation guidance tailored to your organisation's needs, contact 2iC-Care for expert consultation on TEC resilience strategies.