The Changing Communications Landscape: 2G Sunset and the Future of Telephone Lines

Make sure your building’s systems are updated so alarms remain connected to emergency services

On January 1st, 2017, AT&T is shutting down service for 2G devices nationwide as it updates its entire system to more advanced 3G and 4G signals. Far from just affecting cellphones, this process, called “2G sunset,” will have serious consequences for building security alarms, fire alarms, and other life safety systems that use 2G cellular signals to communicate with emergency services providers, including police and fire departments.

What you need to do as a building owner, operator, or manager

First, it’s important to find out whether your building’s security and fire alarms rely on landlines, 2G cellular systems, or 3G/4G cellular systems for emergency communications. If the building’s alarm systems rely on a 2G signal, you should attempt to have the system upgraded as soon as possible. The alarm will still go off – but the signal will not reach the intended recipients after January 1. The upgrade should only take a couple of hours and will have your security and fire alarm systems fully operational and able to contact fire and police departments in an emergency.

Landline upgrades are also recommended

If you’ve discovered that the property that you own or manage is reliant on traditional copper phone lines (Also known as POTS lines) to transmit alarm signals to emergency responders, you may want to consider upgrading to a more modern system. With recent changes to the phone systems, many building operators are finding that traditional copper wires are having signal reliability issues. And the lack of a working signal could prevent successful communications in the case of an emergency such as a break-in, fire, or medical crisis.

Therefore, you may want to replace your alarm communications system with a 3G/4G wireless system, which is a much more reliable communications path for emergency signals, and can provide up to $100 in cost savings per building per month.

To make sure your system is up-to-date (or to have it updated) contact LifeSafety Management today

At LifeSafety Management, we’re committed to providing you with the best service possible when it comes to updating, upgrading, and maintaining your building’s security and fire prevention systems. Not only can we tell you whether your alarm signaling system needs to be upgraded, we can also get the job done ourselves – quickly, effectively, and efficiently – making sure your life safety systems are operational when they’re needed most. Contact us today at (800) 330-1158 or through our contact form for a free consultation.