MESSAGE FROM TMA PRESIDENT DON YOUNG, ADT replaced and you can easily appreciate the daunting task our members face with this problem.
Obsolescence One hundred and fifty years ago, data communications helped create the alarm monitoring industry, using dedicated copper wire between a protected location and a central station to transmit one bit of data. That single data bit was enough to summon help whenever needed and we’ve certainly come a long way since then. Technological advancement continues at an unprecedented rate. Nowhere in our industry is this more prevalent than with advances in cellular data capabilities that have enabled amazing experiences for our customers. New norms are being defined with astonishing frequency. These technology advancements naturally drive product obsolescence, and accordingly, product innovation. Technology-dependent businesses such as ours are impacted by ever-shortening product-life cycles. TMA members, like all service providers, are experienced in dealing with conventional product and service obsolescence, but the elimination of a fully functioning service, such as the 3G sunset, falls outside this convention. The announced shutdown of the cellular 3G network has widespread and unprecedented impact on our members
and their customers. The overall consequence of the 3G sunset exceeds previous cellular sunsets given the increased dependency all of our solutions have on cellular data communication as the primary means of protecting over 30 million homes and businesses. This includes over 1,000,000 seniors, many of whom are disabled, who depend on this communication for responding to medical emergencies. TMA’s Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC) reports there are approximately 6,000,000 3G-radio units that must be replaced prior to the February 22, 2022 AT&T 3G sunset. Verizon has announced December 2022 as their 3G/ CDMA sunset date. The security industry has considerable experience with cellular technology updates, having gone through the analog AMPS and 2G sunsets. However, the logistical realities of the 3G shutdown are presenting very different challenges, starting with the transition period to move customers off the 3G network being a full 18 months shorter than the last 2G sunset period. Add to this the fact that we now have 3 times the number of radios that need to be
Many of our members had asked repeatedly about the sunset dates before they were announced, understandably nervous about the lead time, but were told those dates hadn’t been decided and would be provided in the future while ensuring the 3G network remained viable in the meantime. When the sunset dates were eventually announced, there was no dialog with TMA in advance to determine the impact to our businesses or the safety of our customers. We were all informed that the decision was made to benefit the advancement of their network migrations and there would be no negotiation or consideration for delaying these dates. Although many in our industry felt this timing was arbitrary and unfair, we began the unenviable task of replacing these radios as quickly and cost-efficiently as possible, until early last year when we were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Few would argue the unprecedented impact this has had to our businesses and has compounded an already daunting task to something much more challenging and, most importantly, unforeseen by anyone involved in the sunset decision process. Upgrading fixed cellular equipment requires alarm technicians to enter homes and businesses to accomplish the conversion. Understandably, most of our customers have been reluctant to provide technicians the needed access to their premises. When there will be a return to normal that allows traditional access to customers locations is anyone’s guess. In speaking with TMA member Kevin Stone, COO Doyle Security, he shared “Quite frankly, the industry is up against a tremendous challenge. We are well underway on our journey to replace Continued on page 6
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Spring 2021 | TMA Dispatch
