MIDCOAST – Happy with that phone service, alarm service, or electronic features on your car? If you still have a Blackberry, uh oh. That three and four “G” network that your devices have depended on for years is about to go the way of the dinosaurs.  

There’s nothing magical about 5G. It is just the next logical number in a list of mobile networks. 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, and now 5G, for a fifth-generation mobile network. Why the switch? Space. 5G has its bandwidth but takes over the three and 4G bandwidth, as well.  

This year, the plans and timing to phase out 3G services will vary by company and may change, said the Federal Communications Commission, advising people to, “consult your mobile provider's website for the most up-to-date information.”

You’re going to need a new phone and an upgrade on your car data systems and home alarm installations. And what happens if you don’t? They simply stop working. Not even 911 will work on your phone.  

In the case of a home fire alarm, the system will still detect a fire, but will not be able to call emergency services or a central dispatch. Some model cars depend on 3G for emergency services, roadside assistance, and traffic updates. GPS works off of satellites and will not be affected in most cases.  

Karma Johnson, public relations for Seacoast Security, said it is something we’ve been preparing for, for a very long time.  

Stephen Haynes, vice president and owner of Seacoast Security, said in an email the company had to deal with the same issue in 2017 when the cell network was phasing out of 2G.  

“This was not the first time and we’re sure it will not be the last time we will face this challenge,” he said. “We dealt with it when the cell network was phasing out the 2G. From that experience, we were able to put a plan in place.” 

Haynes said the plan in place has been very successful.  

He said overall, most customers understood and took the steps necessary to address the issue and keep their system functioning properly. 

Ray Sisk, director of the Knox County Emergency Management Agency, said the switch will have little impact on the communications center.  

“Knox County has five electronic message trailers that we manage remotely,” he said. “We can add information to them. Remove information and we do that remotely. A couple of them are not 5G compatible.” 

Sisk said the state is sending out a technician from PA. Because there are so many in Maine. It’s a simple matter of switching out a module.  

Other than that, he said, we’re not affected.     

Kevin Pruyne, a service writer for Quirk Chevrolet, GMC in Rockland, said there are around 1,700 automobiles in dealer possession around the state that will need an upgrade. And that is just for the OnStar systems.  

OnStar is a subsidiary of General Motors and provides subscription-based vehicle security. Turn by turn directions and emergency services.  

Pruyne said it would affect model years 2010 through 2014. He said before February 22, it was just an upgrade, but owners who waited until after that date would need a hardware update and purchase a new subscription service.  

He said the service can also provide vehicle tracking, concierge services, an immobilizer, and detect airbag deployment.  

All cell phone networks will have switched over to 5G by December 31, 2022. And how long can we expect 5G to be around? If judging from the past is any yardstick, we expect 5G to be around about 10 years.  

It was the 1980s when 1G technology was introduced with analog voice. The 1990s saw digital voice and 2G technology. Around came the millennium and mobile data came in the form of 3G. 2010 saw mobile broadband and in 2022 we get wireless everything.  

For now, it seems to satisfy the world’s insatiable appetite for better mobile phones, as 5G technology and 5G devices become more mainstream.  

In 10 years, who know what our requirements might be.