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DataRemote

Life-Safety & Compliance

Fire & Burglar Alarm Communication

Keep fire and burglar alarm panels connected to monitoring centers as copper POTS lines retire. Cellular communication that meets NFPA 72, IBC, and UL 2050 requirements.

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NFPA 72

Compliant path

48 hrs

Battery backup

UL 2050

Monitoring support

All panels

Protocol compatible

The Stakes

Alarm signal delivery is not optional.

Fire alarm and burglar alarm panels depend on a reliable communication path to reach the central monitoring station. If that path fails — because a copper POTS line has been retired, degraded, or disconnected — your alarm system cannot signal an emergency.

DataRemote replaces the POTS line with a managed cellular connection that alarm panels recognize as a standard analog phone line — no panel reprogramming, no signal protocol changes, no service disruption.

If your alarm panel loses its POTS line:

  • Fire alarms cannot signal the monitoring center
  • Burglar alarms cannot transmit intrusion alerts
  • Your building may be out of NFPA 72 compliance
  • Insurance coverage for monitored alarms may be voided
  • AHJ may require the system to be taken offline

Signal Protocol Compatibility

DataRemote appliances work with all standard alarm signaling protocols — no panel reprogramming needed.

Contact IDSIA DC-09FSKDTMFBFSKAdemco4/2Modem

How it works

The DataRemote appliance connects in place of the POTS line on your alarm panel's RJ-11 jack. The panel sees a standard analog dial tone and communicates exactly as it did over copper — while DataRemote routes the signal over cellular to your monitoring center.

The Copper Problem

Copper POTS retirement is accelerating.

Telecom carriers are aggressively retiring copper infrastructure. Alarm systems still dependent on POTS lines face compliance failure — not if, but when.

2025–2028

POTS copper retirement window

UL 2050

Monitoring center certification at risk

100%

Signal delivery required by NFPA 72

How DataRemote Protects Alarm Communication

Reliable signal delivery. Every time.

DataRemote appliances replace the POTS line with a managed cellular communication path — delivering alarm signals reliably, with full code compliance.

Universal Alarm Panel Compatibility

NFPA 72-Compliant Communication Path

48-Hour Battery Backup

Multi-Panel / Multi-Line Support

Ara Connectivity Monitoring

Non-Disruptive Retrofit Installation

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Hardware

Recommended Appliances

POTS-compatible cellular appliances for fire and burglar alarm communication — meeting NFPA 72 and UL 2050 monitoring requirements.

#1 Recommended
DataRemote 90X5 modular POTS IN A BOX and business gateway platform, angled view 5G RedCap

90X5

Modular POTS IN A BOX® / Business Gateway Platform

Modular PIAB and business gateway platform combining a 1 Gb/s router, 5G RedCap WWAN with LTE fallback, 4-8 FXS voice lines, and swappable power/battery modules — built for telephone line replacement, fixed wireless access, and internet backup.

View specs
DataRemote 90X1 5G POTS replacement appliance, side angle 5G

90X1

5G POTS replacement with automatic internet failover

Enterprise 5G appliance that replaces up to 8 analog POTS lines with an integrated ATA, 48-hour battery backup, UPS power output, and automatic cellular internet failover.

View specs
DataRemote 90X2 LTE POTS replacement router LTE

90X2

LTE POTS replacement with automatic internet failover

The LTE sibling of the 90X1: replaces up to 8 analog POTS lines with an integrated ATA, patented UPS power output, 48-hour battery backup, and automatic cellular failover across North American LTE bands.

View specs

Solutions

Purpose-built for the lines that can't go dark

Our #1 Solution

Most deployed

POTS Line Replacement

Migrate copper voice, fax, alarm and elevator lines to a managed 5G/LTE appliance — preserving every signal your life-safety devices depend on.

Up to 50% savings8 lines per applianceFull E-911
Explore POTS Line Replacement

Solution

Internet Backup & Cellular Failover

24–48 hour battery backup and instant cellular failover — your business never goes dark.

Learn more

Solution

Fixed Wireless Access

Primary or failover business internet over 5G/LTE, with automatic failover and battery backup baked in.

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

Why do fire and burglar alarms still need a phone line?
Many fire and security alarm panels signal a central monitoring station over a telephone line using analog protocols — Contact ID and SIA over DTMF — and rely on line seizure and supervision to guarantee the signal gets through. When the copper line goes away, that communication path must be replaced without breaking those behaviors.
Does POTS IN A BOX® preserve alarm signaling?
Yes. DataRemote's appliances preserve DTMF in-band and out-of-band signaling, line seizure and supervision, so fire and burglar alarm panels communicate with the monitoring center exactly as they did on copper — now over managed cellular or wired IP.
What about power and connectivity failures?
Each appliance includes integrated battery backup (up to 48 hours on the 90X1/90X2) and automatic cellular failover. Line-status monitoring through Ara alerts you if a line goes down, so issues are caught before they become a coverage gap.
Is the hardware compliant for security and government use?
DataRemote hardware is NDAA §889 and TAA compliant and carrier-certified, with UL-listed appliances and batteries across the product line — meeting the standards security integrators and government buyers require.

Protect your alarm communication before copper is gone.

Talk to a DataRemote specialist about transitioning your fire and burglar alarm panels to cellular POTS replacement.

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