The NBN Co are rapidly completing the installation of the new NBN network across greater Perth to enable digital telephone and high-speed broadband internet services. While this is exciting news for Perth customers, the new NBN network will affect your monitored alarm system.
That’s because the NBN provides digital communication services that will replace the existing analogue telephone lines (PSTN) the alarm monitoring centre is currently using to remotely monitor your security alarm system. The analogue telephone lines will be phased out.
How to prepare your monitored alarm system
There are two steps to preparing your monitored security alarm so it doesn’t fail when analogue telephone lines are phased out.
First, switch to the NBN
The change to the NBN network is not optional but your connection will not automatically switch over the network. This means you need to arrange to switch to the NBN before the disconnection date.
Once the notice period for your suburb has expired, the analogue PSTN services you’re currently using will be cut off to all customers in the suburb, regardless if you have migrated to the NBN network or not.
Information on this change detailing when your PSTN telephone and internet service will no longer be available can be obtained on the NBN website under Services that will be switched off.
Next, prepare your security alarm system
The new digital NBN network does not provide a stable communication path for your security alarm monitoring. As such, we’re working with our clients to carry out the necessary work to allow their security alarms to remain monitored.
Security alarm monitoring should now be provisioned through a 3G or 4G communicator, which is similar to a mobile telephone in that it communicates wirelessly over the 3G or 4G network directly to the monitoring centre.
The communicator can be installed in your current alarm panel and operates independently from the new digital NBN network. The 3G or 4G communicator future proofs your security alarm monitoring from any further changes you may elect to make regarding your telephone, internet services, network provider or choice of tariff plans.
As the communicator will be part of your dedicated security system, it’s supported by the alarm panel back-up battery in the event of power loss. The communicator will be polled once every 12 hours depending on client choice to confirm it is operating correctly to the monitoring centre.
As the 3G or 4G device communicates wirelessly, there will be no call charges to the security alarm monitoring centre. If you no longer need your landline, it will work out more cost effective if you cancel this service after we have completed our changeover. You will save $30 per month or $90 per quarter on line rental. This will work out cheaper in the long term.
But don’t worry, even without a landline your security alarm system will still “dial” out so that it can be monitored.
What happens now?
Over the next several months, our security alarm system specialist in Perth will contact our clients whose residential security alarms and commercial security alarm systems are being monitored to discuss further.
In the interim, if you would like to arrange installation of the 3G or 4G communicator to your monitored alarm system or require any further information, please contact Alan on 0416 236 772.