Rising Popularity of GSM Intercoms in the U.S. as Landlines Fade Away: A Convenient Solution for Remote Access

GSM, which stands for Global System for Mobile Communications, is the world’s most popular standard for mobile telephony. In the U.S., it is used by AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as by services that contract to use their networks. Other U.S. providers, such as Verizon and Sprint, use a different technology called CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access).

Due to GSM's global prevalence and the popularity of cell phone intercoms in regions like Europe, only GSM intercoms are currently available. Manufacturers prefer to develop equipment for the broadest market to quickly recover development costs and maximize profits. Although these intercoms were not widely available in the U.S. previously, they are now gaining popularity, especially as analog landlines become obsolete. This trend is supported by the following statistics:

• According to the National Center for Health Statistics, by the end of December 2022, 73% of American adults lived in households without a landline.
• AT&T aims to phase out this "dying technology" because subsidizing remaining customers is increasingly costly.
• The Technical Advisory Council (TAC) to the FCC recommended setting a date for the end of the public switched telephone network rather than allowing it to fade away slowly.
• 70% of respondents to a "Wholesale Voice Buyer Survey" by research firm ATLANTIC-ACM cited the demise of plain old telephone service (POTS) as a major disruptive factor affecting their businesses.

To use one of these intercoms, you simply sign up for a GSM service and insert the provided SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card into the intercom control module. When someone presses the intercom button, it uses the cell phone network to call any landline or mobile phone, regardless of location. As long as there is cell phone service where the intercom is placed, it will work. You can even power the unit with solar energy.

Most GSM intercoms can dial multiple numbers until someone answers, increasing the likelihood that visitors at a door or gate will reach someone. The person reached can press a key on their phone to activate a switch in the intercom, allowing them to remotely open a door or gate. Some GSM intercoms also allow text messaging to control these functions.

Additionally, these intercoms can pre-program telephone numbers so that specific visitors can call the intercom and, based on their caller ID, the door or gate will open. This functionality provides several benefits:

• Allow family members who forgot their keys to enter the house.
• Enable delivery personnel to leave packages inside with specific instructions.
• Eliminate the need to run to the intercom to answer the door.
• Use text messages to latch a gate open for parties.
• Offer convenience and peace of mind with these features.

In the U.S., GSM intercoms are known as Cell Phone Network Intercoms and are now available in a variety of models.