Social care in the UK is constantly facing long waiting lists with not nearly enough staff members to be able to get to everyone efficiently. It’s a longstanding problem and as the number of people needing support continues to climb, smart care homes have become part of the solution.
Comprising of remote monitoring, connected sensors and video consultations, smart care homes are doing some of the work that stretched teams simply don’t have the capacity for – but none of it is possible without broadband.
Not just any old broadband will work either, it has to be the robust kind that won’t just drop at the most inconvenient time and that can handle multiple devices simultaneously. It’s a tall order in parts of the country where a connection can wobble a little if someone just wants to stream Netflix.
It gets even taller once you start considering what modern care needs to run on a day-to-day basis from fall detection sensors to wearables that track heart and sleep patterns and video calls with GPs. Each of these things require bandwidth and relies on a steady, reliable connection at all times.
Our Experts
- Kyle Szives: Founder of ANTLR Interactive
- Brian Fluhr: Founder & Chief Thriving Officer at SeniorThrive
- Osama Asgher: Founder of Simplify Networks
- Shelli Brunswick: CEO of SB Global LLC
- Evgenii Arsentev: Founder & CEO of Dad4Kids
- Kristian Torode: Director & Co-founder of Crystaline
Kyle Szives, Founder of ANTLR Interactive
“As the world starts to place broadband Internet into the conversation surrounding the independent living of older adults, we need to consider the options that broadband Internet presents.
Options such as virtual and augmented reality can provide a means to engage older adults in productive and social activities. This technology can be used to ensure independence while providing activities and care.
Whether or not technology functions as designed is as important as the technology itself.
A smart care home is only as dependable as the technology behind it. If a monitoring system stops working whenever Wi-Fi drops, it gives a false sense of security, and does not help to ease the mind of the care provider.
A dependable broadband connection is as important as the software and technology designed to help care providers and care receivers. The largest and best opportunity is not to eliminate care workers, rather to integrate dependable broadband and smart, responsive software to enhance and improve care.”
Brian Fluhr, Founder & Chief Thriving Officer at SeniorThrive
“Broadband has quietly become part of the care plan. A video visit with the doctor, a medication reminder, a fall alert, a weekly call with a grandchild: all of it assumes the connection works in every room, not just next to the router in the hall. That is true in a care home, and even more so in the house someone has lived in for forty years. Thick walls, an old router and a back bedroom with no signal can turn a smart home into one that only works when someone happens to be watching.
My worry is that we are wiring older people’s homes faster than we are asking them what they want. The technology should serve the person who lives there, not just reassure the family across town. That means asking first, explaining what each device does and who sees the data, and leaving the off switch in their hands.
The practical first step is unglamorous: test the signal in the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen before buying any device, and fix the connection first. A reliable connection plus a few tools the older person chose will do more for thriving at home than a house full of sensors nobody asked for.”
Osama Asgher, Founder of Simplify Networks
“The UK’s landline switch-off on 31 January 2027 is the biggest change to older people’s connectivity in decades, and broadband is now the line that keeps many of them safe. Telecare alarms, pendant buttons and care-home nurse-call systems were often built for old copper phone lines. As those lines move to digital, every device needs checking to make sure it still works over broadband, and care providers should ask their supplier directly rather than assume.
Resilience matters as much as speed. A digital line goes down when the router loses power, so care homes and vulnerable residents need battery backup for their routers, and ideally a mobile failover, so alarms and calls still get through during a power cut or broadband fault.
Done well, the move is a real opportunity. Cloud phone systems let a care home route calls to staff mobiles anywhere on site and make sure calls from worried families aren’t missed. Good broadband is what turns a ‘smart’ care home from a gadget showcase into a safer place to live.”
Shelli Brunswick, CEO of SB Global LLC
“Broadband should be recognised as care infrastructure. For ageing populations, its greatest promise is greater independence: the ability to access support, maintain relationships and make choices about everyday life.
In smart care homes, reliable connectivity can link remote consultations, sensors and alerts, giving staff information to recognise when someone may need attention. Used thoughtfully, these tools can support more responsive care while preserving the human relationships at its heart.
Geography should not determine who benefits. Satellite broadband can complement terrestrial networks, extending access to communities where connectivity gaps limit services. But resilience matters as much as reach. Providers need backup arrangements for network failures and power outages, because care cannot depend on an uninterrupted connection.
Access means more than availability. Services must be affordable, accessible, and understandable. Older adults and care staff should shape their design, with privacy, informed consent and clear responsibilities built in from the beginning.
The opportunity is to design care around people’s lives, rather than require people to adapt to technology. We should measure progress by the independence residents retain, the connections they sustain, and the time staff can devote to care. The smartest care home uses connectivity to expand choice, protect dignity and strengthen belonging.”
Evgenii Arsentev, Founder & CEO of Dad4Kids
“Without internet connection in a smart care home, there is no fall detection, no telemedicine with a doctor via video conference, no pill reminders. Internet is now part of the care.
As a doctor and a product developer with AI agents, I see this issue from different perspectives. Telehealth is only as strong as its weakest link, and for seniors this link is often internet connectivity.
In a care home, internet speed is typically tested during off-peak hours. But the true test of internet speed is during the evening, when all residents are having video calls with their families. You need automatic failover to another internet line and alarms that continue to work when the internet is down. In my company we have a secondary internet provider for mission critical services to make sure that we don’t lose work if one provider goes down.
In a household, having just one reliable internet line and one easy-to-use gadget is better than having five smart devices that nobody knows how to use.
If you are a care home manager, make sure to test your internet connection during peak hours and verify that your alarms continue to work when the internet is disconnected.”
Kristian Torode, Director & Co-founder of Crystaline
“Broadband is becoming part of care delivery, not simply a way for residents to get online. A sensor might detect that someone hasn’t followed their usual routine, but that information is only useful if it reaches the right carer promptly. The same network can support video consultations, staff communications and contact with family.
This means care providers need to look beyond advertised download speeds. Reliable Wi-Fi coverage throughout the building matters, as does upload capacity when several video calls and monitoring systems are running. On shared networks, care-related traffic should also take priority over guest internet use. Otherwise, a home can invest in smart devices while leaving the connection carrying their alerts as the weakest link.
For older people living independently, connected services can help carers spot changes without making every check an in-person visit. But resilience needs to be built in from the start. If the fixed broadband line fails, will a 4G or 5G backup take over automatically? Is there sufficient mobile signal indoors, and will alerts still reach staff? Those are questions to test, not assumptions to make. Smart care depends on what happens when the connection is put under pressure.”
