Network Sunsets and You
With AT&T investing more than $140 billion in capital and spectrum acquisitions in the last six years in preparation for their 2G network sunset, and Verizon planning to sunset their 3G network, it is likely that you have heard about spectrum reallocation in the news.
Spectrum refers to the spectrum of electromagnetic waves, which includes visible light waves, x-rays, radio waves and many more that we have heard about at one point or another. Cellular networks are operable in small portions of the ‘prime’ part of the electromagnetic spectrum making this portion very valuable to cellular communications companies. As users of 3G and 4G networks continue to increase, there is pressure for these firms to free up and/or purchase more space within the prime spectrum.
This spectrum reallocation has many people wondering what will happen to their alarm system. Because many alarm systems use cellular communication technologies to communicate with their respective central stations for monitoring, many users find themselves completely lost when trying to determine whether or not their devices will still work after the sunsets are complete. Because many systems use 2G cellular networks to communicate with the central station and Verizon plans to keep their 2G network active, it is likely that systems on Verizon’s network will be unaffected by the phasing out of their 3G network.
Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned characteristics of many systems, if your system communicates via AT&T’s 2G network, it will require upgrading.
It is likely that if your alarm system was installed or upgraded within the last three years, it is already equipped to sufficiently handle the network change. If it was installed prior to 2013, it is recommended that you call your alarm service provider to determine whether or not you need to upgrade; although, if you have not received word from your system provider, it is safe to give them a call and make sure your system is ready. AND DON’T FRET! Upgrades to most systems can be done in just a couple of hours and therefore do not require any extensive or elaborate changes to your system or the way it operates.