02/24/2022
This is especially true in rural areas like ours!
The Spokane Valley Fire Department wants to remind you an important component of you or your family’s safety net might be compromised. Yesterday, February 22nd, AT&T shut down their 3G Network. This was done as part of a telecom wide effort to upgrade to newer technologies, but it is leaving the older ones behind.
3G has been around for more than 20 years and can be found in older cell phones, ATMs, and this is important, OnStar style automobile services and home health (medical alert) monitoring.
Going forward, if you get in an accident and hit your car’s SOS button, unless your car is VERY new, chances are nothing will happen. You can look up by year, make, and model, whether your car is affected or just hit the button and see if someone answers.
More importantly, if you or a loved one uses a home health monitoring device, especially ones that use an around-the-neck pendant that allow you to go to the store or move around freely in your yard, these may not work anymore.
Home health monitoring companies have been working hard to get everyone’s hardware updated, but they have said that Covid has made it a nearly impossible challenge.
So, one of the best things you can do today is “Push That Button!” and make sure it works as expected. Also, even if it is working now, have the conversation with your provider/manufacturer to affirm they will not be affected when the other telecoms (Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) shut down their 3G networks which is expected to happen by the end of 2022.
So today, check on Family, friends, and your elderly and infirmed neighbors and make sure that they are still covered!
