The End of 3G: Do You Need to Replace Your Fire Panel’s Cellular Dialer?
As we move further into the new year, society continues to move further away from 3G networks. With the recent widespread launch of 5G, the now ancient 3G is becoming obsolete. While you have probably seen the commercials from various carriers advertising free or discounted upgrades to 5G phones, our mobile phones aren’t the only item we need to think about upgrading.
Monitoring devices and fire panels are important and often overlooked systems requiring a mobile network connection. Crucial to the detection and de-escalation of a fire or other safety threat, these devices receive and disseminate time-sensitive information over a mobile network. As 3G networks are shutting down to make room for their 5G counterparts, any fire panel systems operating on 3G (and even some operating on 4G LTE) need to be upgraded immediately to ensure uninterrupted communication in the event of an emergency situation.
The nation’s most prominent mobile network carriers have set the following deadlines for users to upgrade their network connections away from 3G:
As Verizon has already suspended their 3G service and both AT&T and T-Mobile, who recently merged with Sprint, are close behind, it is imperative that any monitoring devices operating on a 3G network are updated sooner rather than later.
As a life safety and security company, Communication Company has been in the process of notifying our customers of this change and how it will affect their monitoring devices and fire panels. If you are concerned about the future of your life safety and security devices, please contact a member of our Service Contract Sales Team to find out how you can upgrade your devices. Contact us at (574) 299-0020 or visit our website to schedule your free consultation today.