What is 5G?
5G stands for fifth-generation cellular wireless and it is the new generation of cellular technology that offers three new features: bigger channels (to speed up data), lower latency (to be more responsive), and the ability to connect a lot more devices at once (for sensors and smart devices). 5G will allow your alarm signals to be communicated to our monitoring center more quickly and efficiently, allowing them to respond even faster. 5G will also increase the speed of your remote app for arming, disarming, etc.
Why do we need to upgrade?
In our world today, the demand for more, faster data is always growing. As this demand increases, cellular companies have to discontinue old networks such as 2G and 3G in order to make room for 5G, and LTE. Mobile companies are re-purposing their older lines to full 5G in order to provide faster, more efficient, cost effective networks to their customers. They began slowly rolling out 5G in 2019 and plan to phase out the 3G network by the end of 2022. As cellular providers upgrade their networks to full LTE & 5G we need to be sure your alarm system’s cell transmitter is upgraded so it can successfully communicate your emergency alarm signals to our central station.
Could 5G be dangerous for our health?
A rising concern as the new 5G network is being slowly rolled out, is the health risks it may pose. However, there is evidence that 5G will actually be safer than its previous generations.
Rather than towers, 5G will use small boxes, or “base stations” that will be installed in a much greater quantity than LTE. These boxes send out electromagnetic waves, much like cellular towers, however, 5G waves are actually much shorter, less powerful milometer (mm) waves that can’t travel very far and have a very hard time traveling through walls. In reality, these mm waves seem to be too short and too weak to actually pose any threat to our health, and here’s why:
The reason things like UV rays, X rays, and Gamma rays are so dangerous is because they are powerful enough to penetrate our skin and damage our DNA by breaking atoms and molecules apart. Cellular waves, however, are too weak to break those chemical bonds, and because 5G waves cannot penetrate more than a couple of milometers, they get blocked by our skin.
What’s next?
If your alarm system has not been upgraded to the most recent LTE version, it’s time to schedule a service call. We know you just upgraded from 2G to 3G in 2016, but we are only able to install what is available and now we need to upgrade from 3G to LTE. If you would like more information about how 5G or LTE will improve your security system or would like to schedule an upgrade, give us a call at 612-822-4094, or fill out the form below and one of our sales reps will contact you within 1-2 business days.