We’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the switch from 3G to LTE systems, so we compiled them here. If you have any questions that weren’t answered in this FAQ, please ask us here and we’ll do our best to provide you with answers.
What is 3G?
Per Wikipedia: “3G, short for 3rd Generation, is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. It is the upgrade for 2G and 2.5G GPRS networks, for faster internet speed.” The first 3G networks were launched in 1998.
What is LTE?
Long Term Evolution, or LTE, is the fourth generation of wireless mobile communications technology. LTE uses a different radio interface and core network to provide better capacity and speed than 3G does.
You mentioned that 3G is being discontinued. Is everybody doing this?
Yes: all cellular carriers are discontinuing support for 3G systems (or sunsetting them.)
When does 3G go away? I heard that we have until December 31st to do this: why are you emailing me now? How much time do I have?
Not all 3G sunsets are happening at the same time: support for these systems is ending in batches. That means the support for 3G is being discontinued tower by tower every week and there’s no way to know when your area in particular will be affected. Your system could be communicating today and unable to communicate tomorrow. This is why we recommend that customers upgrade their system as soon as possible to avoid any lapses in service.
What happens if I don’t upgrade?
In short, your system won’t be able to communicate with us: it will become a local alarm only. This means that we won’t be able to know when your alarm is going off and that we won’t know to dispatch authorities.
I have more questions. Where can I go?
If you have more questions, feel free to ask us here. We’re always happy to help.
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