Hot Seat: Sprinting to Succeed AT&T’s 2G Sunset
Sprint Manager of Emerging and Wholesale Solutions Craig Creason
It’s going to involve rolling a truck in any case, correct?
That’s going to be the case no matter what happens. The technology that was serving that unit is no longer available. That customer has to move to something. We’re providing a cost-effective solution for the industry. We’re trying to help simplify it as much as we can by working with module partners that share the footprint of the device that’s currently in that unit. In many cases it’s an easy swap out. The time of the truck roll is shortened.
Does Sprint propose that dealers should stop with any new 2G GSM installations?
Yes, because that is only going to mean they’re going to have to service that unit in the months or years to come when that technology is no longer available. That’s why we’re aggressively marketing to the industry that there is an alternative solution. 2G GSM, we always want to clarify, won’t be available. But 2.5G [1xRTT] CDMA will continue to be available.
Some dealers are of the mind that upgrading from 2G to 3G is a good opportunity to convert customers to an interactive suite of services and gain additional RMR there. Are home automation services viable on a 2.5G CDMA network?
It is more viable than a 2G GSM network because the 2.5G CDMA data speeds are three to four times faster, so there’s more bandwidth there to do a bit more. But generally if you’re going to get into video and heavy, intensive bandwidth type applications, a 3G and even a 4G technology makes more sense. We also believe that the core business today doesn’t require 3G or 4G technologies. The basic alarm panels and the millions of units out there just require the bandwidth provided by 2G or 2.5G CDMA.
I think things will move as home automation grows, becomes bigger, and bandwidth requirements become more significant. But at that point, two to five years down the road, your LTE networks will be available. So it will be more, “Do I want to go 2G or do I want to go 4G?”
Are there any code compliance issues that dealers need to be aware of when migrating to Sprint’s 2G CDMA network?
I’m not aware of any. Although the wireless technologies are different, we would all be building to the same codes. Each technology would have the same requirement so I don’t think there would be any difference there.
Is there anything else you’d like dealers to be aware about?
You brought up the fact we are having these road shows in various cities. The whole point is to make industries like the security industry aware and not succumb to scare tactics that these lower bandwidth technologies are no longer available. We want to make sure they understand that 1xRTT CDMA is going to be available in the timeframe that’s required for industries, like the security industry, to put a product out there that has a shelf life of seven to 10 years.
That’s the purpose of the road shows. That’s why we are actively working with most of the larger security panel manufacturers and the large central station providers. We work less with the dealers and more with those manufacturers and central station providers to get the message down to the dealer groups.
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About the Author
Rodney Bosch, Senior Editor
Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.
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