On-site modems are dependent on electricity to function, unlike POTS. If a property is relying on VoIP and loses power, it may also lose phone service. “Managed” VoIP services alone won’t be a solution to sustain consistent alarm coverage.
Given the switch to VoIP, many alarm vendors are now offering “Sole Path” radios that depend on single cellular radios. But like VoIP, these radios can also be unreliable, with possible delays caused by periodic traffi c overload or weather conditions. Cell sites are taken offl ine for servicing and often late at night or early morning. There have even been widespread cellular outages on rare occasions when cellular providers experienced connectivity loss at one or more sites.
Sole path radio conversions are simply not a reliable alternative for fi re/life safety.
Building redundancies into any fi re or security alarm system is key to meet the requirements of the alarm system manufacturer’s expectations. Owners may want to consider using one “Managed” VOIP phone line alongside an additional Cellular Radio. This is known as “Dual Path.” As long as services are kept up to date and in good working order, this should ensure transmission of their alarm signals to the Central Station. The onus is on businesses and HOAs to ensure systems comply with their insurance policies — this includes reliable communications!
An even better solution is to use a 4G/5G cellular radio backed up by a wired internet connection to establish a redundant communications solution for one path and use a “Managed VoIP” service for the other. This radio equipment includes a backup battery for power outage concerns. Switching even one path from POTS to a combination of internet and voice service can save associations money and improve alarm system monitoring reliability as POTS leaves.
Alarm system cellular communicators today must be at least LTE capable, as earlier 2G & 3G radios no longer work. Property managers should regularly check their fi re systems for
Associations should:
Contact their monitoring provider and obtain information on alarm signal communications links (i.e., telephone lines, ethernet, cellular).
Have your monitoring provider add a second comm link path if only one circuit is in use (i.e., ethernet and cellular).
If a monitoring provider is unable to provide dual, dissimilar, redundant communications paths, consider a different provider or bring in a company that can add a second assured communications path.
Ensure all monitoring and communications equipment is California Fire Marshall approved and has a 24-hour battery backup to operate during extended power failures as required by the NFPA.
messages displayed on keypads or panel sounders emitting. The displays should only have a green power light (NO yellow or red lights), and/or state “Ready” or “System Normal” with no other messages.
As the telephone industry tries to rid itself of the expense of its dependable legacy POTS system, it opens up opportunities for errors. It ultimately comes down to the manager to do their homework. Always do business with a licensed and experienced fi re alarm vendor, so when the system rings for help, the call is received.
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