Cellular Upgrade Shift for Kentucky Alarm Companies

Verizon and AT&T are in the process of a nation-wide network transition to LTE which offers superior coverage and perfor­mance compared to the 3G/4G service networks. Though faster internet and connec­tivity is in our future, all devices that currently commu­nicate via 3G/4G networks (such as older cell phones, power gauges and security systems), will no longer be supported after 2021. In fact, as regular mainte­nance and repairs are needed on existing 3G/4G cellular towers, some carriers are choosing to upgrade to LTE and 5G sooner than expected. 

While techno­logical advances are necessary, this impacts thousands of security systems across the United States, regardless of their provider, as they currently use 3G/4G networks to send alarm signals to monitoring centers. 

In order to maintain continuous and uninter­rupted protection, you may need to replace your system’s cellular commu­ni­cator with a new one. If you are a Bates customer, our highly trained team will make this update as seamless and as cost effective as possible. Simply contact our service department to see if your system needs attention. 

What is 3G/4G cellular sunset?

AT&T and Verizon have announced the shutdown of their third and fourth-gener­ation (3G and 4G) cellular networks. This shutdown will not occur all at once, in fact, it will appear sporad­i­cally across the country and ultimately cease to exist.

Why are AT&T and Verizon shutting down their 3G/4G cellular network?

Data use on cellular networks is increasing as smart­phone technology is requiring more bandwidth. With a smaller percentage of customers utilizing 3G/4G capable devices, the cellular companies no longer want to maintain the network. Shutting down the 3G/4G cellular networks and using that space for LTE and 5G networks will drasti­cally increase data capacity and speed on the newer networks.

How does the 3G/4G cellular sunset affect your system?

Prior to the LTE network, most alarm systems were installed with a 3G/4G cellular device and can only commu­nicate via the 3G/4G cellular network. Therefore, when the 3G/4G networks cease to exist, these security and fire alarm systems will no longer be able to commu­nicate alarm signals to our monitoring center.

If you are unsure about your system’s function­ality, contact your local security provider for more information. 

If you are a Bates Security customer, no worries, we have your protection covered! Simply call us to schedule your service visit.