Ever hear the horror story of a homeowner who was robbed in Philadelphia and the home security monitoring system failed because the burglar was armed with a pair of pliers and cut the phone line to disarm it?
While that particular story could be fictional (you know, it happened to a friend of a friend), these stories have some foundational truth and they originated back when landlines were the norm. The idea of a snipped phone line was a real threat since the phone line was the heart of the security system. In that time, if you had a home, you had a landline. And if you had a security system, it was most likely tied to the landline.
Today, while landlines are still used, the technological evolution has transformed our primary means of communication away from the rotary dial wall phone to a digitized LTE-enabled touchscreen device (or flip phone with keypad if you are old school).
In the 21st century, there is an ever-increasing amount of homes relying solely on cellphones for telecommunications. Now, almost 25 percent of Americans live in homes without a landline, and that figure doubles when looking at the stats that include young adults (25-29). And therefore, home security systems have also evolved and no longer rely on the hardwire to operate. Instead, they use cellular monitoring.
Cellular monitoring services and cellular monitoring systems are considered the new home security standard. Using cell towers and wireless technology, this type of monitoring system sends signals in emergency situations. But, in spite of some mythical beliefs, cellular monitoring will not affect a cell phone plan. In fact, cellular monitoring doesn’t even require a homeowner to have a cell phone because it uses its own dedicated network to send and receive signals.
In addition, because of the lack of hardwiring, this kind of home security system does not require any wires or drilling. With advanced features, homeowners are able to control their home directly from their smartphones – they can arm and disarm the monitoring system, access live streaming video surveillance, control light and temperature, and even get home entry notifications and an archived entry log.
Because of these perks, a cellular monitoring system is an efficient way to protect your home. Whether the landline gets cut or the power goes out, there is still a guarantee that an emergency signal will be sent to emergency services. And if a homeowner decides that a landline is no longer beneficial or cost effective for the household, it won’t affect the cellular security system.