I am 82 and alone in a rural area without mobile signal. I use Wi Fi for mobile calls but alarms don’t operate with wifi. I need cover in my home as well as surrounding areas with or without nobile reception. Can you help me, the ones I’ve found are overseas, UK or Usa.
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Welcome to the Community @Dahlia
Unfortunately that problem is not limited to rural, regional, or remote areas.
Do you mean VoWiFi service or that your mobile connects to your WiFi hub for service even when there is no mobile signal? Mobiles generally have a setting to prioritise VoWiFi (when it is available and supported by the telco) or regular mobile service. Would I be correct you are seeking a personal alarm that has the same settings/capability to use VoWiFi as most mobiles?
Would you post a link to one for example?
How large? What sized property are we talking about?
If you have an existing alarm device, what coverage area does it give you?
Do you have a landline?
What kind of internet do you have? Skymuster satellite?
There are a range of service providers for this kind of service in Australia. Have you discussed with them as to whether there are suitable options for mobile-free areas?
I assume WiFi Calling. It may help to know which mobile network (since that may affect the terminology being used).
I wonder whether an alarm unit that expects a landline can be made to work with VoIP.
You could try taking advantage of the new feature on latest mobile phones whereby emergency help can be summoned from the phone but via satellite (so available regardless of no mobile signal - but only where you have adequate clear sky view - so probably outside but not inside).
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Hi @Dahlia, welcome to the community.
Choice’s Denis Gallagher prepared the review of personal alarms:
and the comparison/review of individual devices (online subscriber content):
The information in the review does not indicate whether any work with WIFI/the setup you have been using for communications. Possibly @DenisGallagher might know if any of the personal alarms Choice reviewed might have some functionality which might suit your own circumstances.
As outlined by the above members, the exact setup you have at home to make calls would be useful to understand what options may exist for you.
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HI Dahlia,
yes there are personal alarm units that use Wi-Fi available in Australia. one is called the Twig Neo - small unit like the ones we all know but can get the alarm calls out via Wi-Fi.
Its available from Twig company in Sydney. I hope this helps.
Welcome @choice67
There is an opportunity for Choice to look at a wider range of devices. There is overlap with the market sector for personnel safety/security - lone worker devices. These provide similar features expected for at home medical alerts. At a premium cost relative to the options Choice has reviewed?
Noted:
@Dahlia situation is not unique to her location.
We have variable mobile quality in our home. I’d suggest there is a market (limited?) for devices which can use the home wifi and NBN or a dedicated base station (to NBN, mobile or satellite).
When we first moved into our current home mobile reception was only possible by walking 500m to the higher end of the property. It’s now slightly improved.
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