The PANDAH Personal Alert System uses a proprietary Telstra service in order to send SMS text messages using the standard home telephone land line. This fixed-line service has been in place for several years and the PANDAHLINK base-unit uses this Telstra "Dial-up Access Manager" platform to automatically send SMS messages via the Telstra number 125107.

We have been informed by Telstra that some changes will occur to this dial-in service on November 30th 2011 as follows:-

• Calling Line Identification will be sent with each SMS. The service number to which the PANDAHLINK base-unit is connected will be passed through with the SMS message to comply with industry standards. It will no longer be identified as 77671.
  This will occur on November 16th 2011
  
  
• Pricing - each SMS will be charged at the fixed SMS rate as specified on your plan. The connection fee remains unchanged (currently 25 cents per call).
  
  
• Customers with a Telstra land-line with "SMS Send Barring" will not be able to send SMS messages. This is a land-line that has been specifically setup to block the sending of SMS messages.
  
  
• Customers with a Telstra land-line with "Silent Line Without Override" will not be able to send SMS messages. This is a private line without the ability to selectively override the privacy feature.
  

• Telstra will no longer pass through calls made to their SMS Dial-up Access Manager from non-Telstra networks on and after November 30th 2011.
  This means that following and including November 30th 2011, PANDAH systems connected to non-Telstra networks will no longer be able to send SMS messages to carers' mobile phones since these calls will be blocked by Telstra. This includes calls from previous Telstra-allocated land-line numbers which have been ported to a new network provider.
  

The blocking of access to Telstra's Dial-up Access Manager from non-Telstra networks is outside the control of Pandahcare Pty Ltd and we have no influence regarding these changes.
The issue is with the telephone network providers and not with the PANDAH system itself.

We have been notified by Telstra to advise our PANDAH customers of these changes. Customers connected to non-Telstra networks (Optus, Primus, AAPT etc.) should consult with their network provider to determine whether any alternate solutions are available.

PANDAH systems connected to a Telstra land-line will function normally as before and no action is required. These changes will happen automatically on November 30th 2011.