AICC Report

AICC Membership

Members share what’s in it for them

By Lou Fiore, Chairman, AICC

I recently reached out to a few AICC members to get their perspective on why they have been and continue to be members of AICC. This is what some leading companies are saying about AICC.

Stanley Oppenheim, DGA Security

“Our company’s membership and participation in the AICC is a critical component of our success. Our membership has always provided us with an early, in-depth sophisticated view of the changing communications environment. With this information we are able to make informed decisions at our company based on knowledge only available to us from the AICC.”

Rick Simpson, Vice President Technical Service, Vector Security

“AICC delivers timely, relevant and critical information to the membership related to the constant changes occurring within communication technology. Quarterly updates on important FCC issues related to radio spectrum allocations, 5g technology and legislative updates provide clarity to the complexities and unknowns of communication landscape. Visibility to major cellular carriers on a consistent basis provides valuable insight to both frequency sunsets and updates to evolving technologies. With knowledge of sunsets and impending changes to radio spectrum, businesses today can better plan for future impacts to both short and long term planning. AICC provides a forum of open exchanges, opportunities to connect with your peers, connections with manufactures and a view of future solutions,”

Richard Roberts, Honeywell Security

“Honeywell supports the mission of AICC to monitor and influence developments at the federal level (mainly the FCC) affecting the ability of the alarm industry to use telecommunications technology to send alarm/trouble/supervisory signals from the protected premises to the supervising station. The telecommunications industry is undergoing tremendous changes and it is critical for Honeywell to have a front row seat to understand the changes so that our offerings are up to date and compliant”

Russell Vail, Alula

“The reason why my company is a member of AICC is because, no matter how we slice it, the alarm industry is bound to communications. Communication is the life blood of this industry and we are attached to “third party” communications companies that are regulated by the Federal Government. This is one of the most important committees in the industry and keeps abreast of all communication issues. Without communication there is no alarm business.”

Scott R. Elkins, President, UAS

“UAS, a longtime member of AICC, simply stated, is a better company as a result. In this, the fastest moving time in the history of our industry, AICC helps to keep UAS well ahead of the curve in learning and reacting to communication related matters ranging from various communication sunsetting issues to long term government legislation that will most certainly impact the industry and everything in between. Being able to share freely, learn from, and have access to other AICC members, many of which are the very best from the operating dealer community to the leading vendors and manufacturers, is a material benefit to any member or would be member.” continued on page 22 [21]

David Carter, NetOne

“As communications of all types are extremely critical to our NetOne companies as well as the whole industry, our involvement with AICC is paramount to our success. As an example, nowhere else do we have the ability to have direct access to developments at the federal level (FCC), open dialogue with the cellular carriers, or a leading edge understanding of evolving communications technologies. AICC brings all this and much more together. Without AICC, we’d only be learning things after the fact, which is just not acceptable as we strive to keep up with our fast changing environment.”

Shane Clary, Bay Alarm

“Even as a large regional company, we do not have the resources by ourselves to keep track of the proposed changes that are promulgated by the FCC and Congress in regards to telecommunications, net neutrality, robocalls and other matters. The same is true with the ever changing environment of technologies that the carriers are offering.”

Others have reiterated that they are members to gain visibility into and exert influence on Federal telecommunications policy and telecommunications carriers and also to leverage collective alarm industry guidance and resources.

I would like to look back on what AICC does and how far technology has come. I have been a member of AICC since 1987 and honored to be AICC’s volunteer chair since 1992. When I first entered the security industry in 1973, alarm communications was mainly performed by Direct Wire, McCulloh and some high security applications using voicegrade telephone lines configured in “open window” and later “closed window” bridges.

What followed those early days was an endless and accelerating stream of newer technologies. Cellular technologies such as AMPS, 2G, 3G, 4G, now 5G and soon we will be speaking of 6G, as 5G will eventually either sunset or perhaps As 6G moves up higher in frequency, what might be the next leap? What might 7G look like? Perhaps the next generation will be a combination of the integration of smaller and faster computer chips with innovative software and the practical limit of the radio spectrum. Applications now only dreamt about or not even imagined will begin to emerge in that new world. AICC was involved throughout, helping to make sense of it and helping to guide the FCC and Congress and also working with the carriers to a more favorable outcome for the alarm industry, including influencing the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Our efforts even reach out to dealing with the International Telecommunications Union in Geneva, Switzerland regarding satellite interference. If and when there is a new Telecommunications Act, we will be there!

Perhaps after reading what AICC is about, if you are not a member you might consider joining AICC. If you are an installing company or a monitoring company, you should be aware how the FCC and Congress can affect your use of communication technology. If you are a manufacturer, you should be aware of what technologies are around the corner. In either case, you owe it to yourself, your company and your stockholders to stay abreast of communication technology and whatever pitfalls the FCC and Congress may put in your way and what new opportunities are available.

These days we meet virtually. But, when we meet again in person, our meetings are also a wonderful networking event.

Learn more about AICC activities and membership on TMA’s website at www.tma. us/about/our-committees/ aicc-committee/ About the

AICC PAC Increasingly, the alarm industry is looking to Congress for help on telecommunication issues of concern to the industry. Last year, and again this year, we sought congressional help on robocalls. This year we have been asking for help on delaying the cellular 3G sunset.

Traditionally, we have been able to gain support from Congress because we protect the life, safety, property, and health of millions of Americans. But despite the vital public safety role we play, telecom network providers have a much larger footprint in every congressional district, and they are constantly in contact with members of Congress. This includes an active program of political giving, which gives them an added advantage.

Until now, we have depended on a small number of TMA and AICC members who have been willing to step up when we need political money. But as our need for help increases, we need to change our approach. Members of Congress are constantly inundated with competing requests for help. If we want members of Congress to focus on our message and concerns, we need to make this an industry wide effort.

That is why we are asking each TMA and AICC member to contribute $1,000 to the AICC PAC. Please note that contributions must be made with a personal check, not a corporate form of payment, and cannot be reimbursed by your company. Send your contribution made out to the AICC PAC to TMA at 7918 Jones Branch Road, Suite 510, McLean, VA 22102. This is a suggested amount, but because this is so critical to the industry’s future, we urge you to contribute any amount with which you feel comfortable.