Seeing is Believing: Demonstrating 5G and Security/Alarm System Coexistence in the Lower 900 MHz Band

There have been concerns within the security and alarm industries that NextNav’s plan to use the lower 900 MHz band for 5G would interfere with devices like smoke detectors and panic buttons. NextNav has already addressed these concerns extensively in the Federal Communications Commission record, but sometimes there is no better evidence than seeing it for yourself. Our real-world demonstration showed that 5G signals and alarm and security industry equipment can coexist seamlessly, without disruption or delay. The team positioned gateways for a smoke and carbon monoxide detector and a panic button on the rooftop 20 feet away from the high-power 5G antenna. This demonstration exposed both gateways to a 5G signal stronger than these devices would ever encounter in real-world use. Yet, everything worked just as expected. When triggered, the smoke and carbon monoxide detector instantly relayed the alert to the gateway and the monitoring application without a delay.