What is cellular telephone entry?

History of landline telephone lines vs cellular networks

For decades, telephone entry systems were physical landline-based systems.  A property owner that wished to have a telephone entry system installed at their property’s gate to screen visitors, would first have to have their own telephone landline.  This landline was necessary for the viistor telephone entry system to connect to and call from.  From the 1980s to 2000s, this type of landline connection was simple to acquire in most urban areas.  Landline telephones were still used by the masses at that time.  However purchasing such a telephone entry system for use in a more rural area was still challenging.  Why? Because the cost to have telephone landlines laid in more remote areas was often cost-prohibitive.

The cost of cellular telephone service started to decline in the 2000s.  This also coincided with the use of high-speed internet as an option for many telephone systems (VoIP).  As a result many families and businesses chose to give up having a landline at all in their home or business.

As landline telephone installations became less frequently requested, the older, existing landlines – installed decades before – were also degrading and needed replacement.  Unfortunately, the cost of replacing or installing a new landline had invariably gone up as well.  This suddenly made it cost prohibitive to install a landline telephone entry system in an urban area. It also helped pave the way for the development of newer, cellular-based telephone entry systems.

How are cellular telephone entry systems different than landline telephone entry systems?

Obviously cellular telephone entry systems work on cellular telephone networks, so they do not require landlines.  They still provide the same voice-based functionality as landline systems did.  Wnen a visitor hits a “call” button on such a system, it rings a designated number where someone can speak to them and grant access.  But cellular telephone entry systems have many more capabilities than previous landline-based telephone entry systems ever had. This is facilitated by the fact most people today have “smart” cellular telephones.  Such phones can see cellular video feeds, users can download apps, use QR codes, and more.

For instance, CellGate’s Watchman cellular telephone entry systems dial nine telephone numbers when a visitor requests access. Most landline-based telephone entry systems only call one telephone number.  So if a visitor today requests access from a Watchman cellular telephone entry system, multiple people or numbers are called to grant access.  Compared to just one number in a landline system, a Watchman cellular system results in fewer stranded visitors.

CellGate’s cellular telephone systems have a smart phone app that gives system owners the ability to grant access from wherever they are.  This is something landline telephone entry systems could never do.  Picture this example. A property owner is at the grocery store.  A FedEx truck arrives to their property to drop off a package.  The cellular telephone system calls the property owner, and the owner grants access from their app – even thought they are not there.  Many such apps for cellular telephone entry systems can also open or close gates or doors on demand, or check the gate status.  All things a landline-based system could never do.

What are cellular video intercoms?

CellGate is currently the only cellular access control product manufacturer providing cellular video intercom technology.  Cellular video intercoms show property owners live streaming video of who is at the front door before letting them in.  Using the CellGate app along with many of the Watchman cellular video intercom systems, owners can talk to and view streaming video of visitors at the gate, take photos on demand, and grant gate entry, all from the app.

Cellular telephone entry systems are often managed by web-based portals.  Such portals can allow system users to easily assign unique codes for regular visitors, create hold open or close schedules, and maintain logs of when people entered or left.  CellGate’s web-based portal is called TrueCloud.  Landline telephone entry systems never had this convenience.  Most codes for landline systems had to be programmed directly on the hardware itself, and there were no logs about who came and went.  Security was not nearly as good with an old landline system as it is with a new cellular telephone entry system, because of the vast differences in features and functionality.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a new telephone entry system for your property, and are trying to decide between a landline-based system and a newer cellular based telephone entry system, make sure you compare the functionality differences between the two types of systems.  While they both might be “telephone entry” systems, there are vast differences between a landline version and a cellular version.  Contact our security specialists to let us help you select the right cellular telephone entry solution for you.