Taking stock of technologies used for alarm signal transmission shows that the security industry has done a great job of working with cellular and broadband providers to improve reliability and instill confidence.
With more and more residential accounts foregoing a traditional phone line in favor of cellular or VoIP, security dealers increasingly are installing alarm systems that use alternative forms of communications such as cellular, wireless mesh or Internet protocol (IP) communications over the customer’s broadband Internet connection.
For those who may be unfamiliar with them, wireless mesh systems are created when a dealer installs transceivers in multiple customers’ homes throughout a metropolitan area. Each transceiver communicates with a base station, typically located at the central station, and each transceiver can act as a repeater for other customers. This approach enables each customer’s communications to take any one of numerous paths to reach the central station, helping to ensure that communications are successfully completed.