Verizon 3G Sunset: What’s Your Next Move?
As we head into the last stretch of 2022, Verizon’s deadline to sunset their CDMA networks is almost here. In 2020, Verizon announced its plans to begin rolling out 5G and freeing up bandwidth by starting the arduous process of sunsetting their CDMA networks. With that, December 31, 2022, has been announced as the Verizon CDMA Sunset date.
With these changes to the wireless landscape, we can expect millions of cellular communicators to become obsolete, forcing many businesses still reliant on 3G products to find a new solution. In transitioning outdated technologies to newer ones, the monitoring industry is often impacted more than other sectors that provide services less reliant on older technologies.
What does this mean for you?
As with AT&T’s sunset earlier in 2022, it is essential to understand that you will need to upgrade equipment. For Verizon, any existing CDMA communicators currently registered will continue to communicate and be supported by AlarmNet as Verizon has extended its CDMA network to Resideo through December 31, 2022. If you cancel a registered/billable CDMA account, you cannot reactivate it. Resideo has also expanded its communicator portfolio to include LTE communicators, which provide a transition to new cellular technology, and offers maximum network longevity.
While companies like Verizon and AT&T have driven efforts to pull their customers into the era of 4G and 5G networks, quite a few end users and businesses still find themselves using devices that rely on 3G networks. Now that they can no longer rely solely on 3G products, enterprises are faced with a choice: switch to a newer network generation with more recent hardware, or find an alternative 3G network that is still active to keep using their current hardware. While it can often be challenging to find 3G products that are still supported after the mainstream providers have abandoned their older networks, it’s not impossible. With companies like CellBounce developing products to adapt 3G-reliant hardware to a more modern LTE network, it’s evident that businesses in the alarm and monitoring industry have opportunities beyond being forced to overhaul and replace the technologies they utilize daily. However, this solution may not remain viable long-term.
For roughly a decade, big-name wireless service providers have pushed 3G networks onto the market, which solidified its place in many businesses nationwide. It seemed as if 3G would have more staying power in the market. However, with providers like AT&T and Verizon pulling the plug on their old networks and only giving a fraction of the time needed to establish 3G to make a plan for its departure, it can be a stressful endeavor for business owners, given the comparatively small timeframe.
Now is the time to look at an upgrade path from 3G/4G and CDMA to LTE. Planning is critical to keep up with the ever-evolving technologies on the market in the modern day. Organizations need to create a plan to continue providing value for their customers. For more information on Communicator Replacements, please contact your local NMC sales representative for more details.