If you are using, or plan to use, new telephone communications technologies at your home or business, such as DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), there may be a COMPATIBILITY PROBLEM between such communication technologies and your alarm system. Accordingly, your alarm system may not be able to communicate properly with our Central Station and, thus, may not properly transmit the ALARM SIGNALS or other signals that you rely on Atlantic Coast to monitor for you.

Alarm systems are typically designed to transmit signals over traditional (analog) telephone lines. Because of this, existing alarm systems MAY NOT function properly with alternative communications technologies. For example:

* VoIP: VoIP involves conversion of analog signals into bits of data for transmission through a digital network over the PUBLIC INTERNET, then translating the digital data back to analog again for the telephonic user on the other end. The analog/digital conversion and re-conversion process can cause distortions and other problems in communications. In the alarm context, the signal sent out by your alarm system may be interrupted or become distorted by the time it reaches the alarm receivers in our Central Station. As such, the alarm receivers may not be able to properly recognize and process alarm signals transmitted through VoIP. Also, there is a high likelihood of numerous FALSE ALARMS due to the nature of internet VoIP communications, thereby exposing you to the added expense of fines that may be imposed upon you by local authorities for false alarms.

* DSL: DSL involves use of a secondary channel over one of your existing voice grade telephone lines. With DSL, the addition of a special filter USUALLY can alleviate any difficulties that your alarm system may have in communicating to our Central Station.

Please contact us if you are currently using, or plan to use, VoIP or DSL, or if you are considering eliminating your standard telephone line in favor of cellular telephone service only. Atlantic Coast strongly recommends that you obtain a STANDBY SOURCE OF BACKUP ELECTRICAL POWER for your cable modem, ADSL, and other devices such as routers, hubs or switches that may affect communications. There are a number of solutions we can discuss with you, including establishing radio backup communications for your alarm system that do not rely on any type of telephonic communications.