Does My 2GIG GC3 or GC3e Need a Cellular Communicator for Alarm Monitoring?

Yes, you 2GIG GC3 or GC3e needs a cellular communicator for alarm monitoring. This added communicator allows the panel to communicate with the Alarm.com servers, which is required for monitoring. The 2GIG GC3 and the GC3e Systems both support the same cellular communication modules.

A cellular communicator is used by an alarm control panel to communicate across a cellular network. If you have a 2GIG GC3 or GC3e, then an added cellular communicator is required to get the system monitored. This is true, despite the fact that both systems have a WIFI card built inside. The reason why an added cellular communicator is required is because Alarm.com requires cellular connectivity to use its platform. Even though these systems can connect with Alarm.com across IP, they must also have a cellular communication path established, per Alarm.com requirements.

As of January 2020, there are two (2) main cellular communicators used with these systems. These are the 2GIG LTEA-A-GC3 and the 2GIG LTEV1-A-GC3. The LTEA-A-GC3 communicates across the AT&T LTE Network, while the 2GIG LTEV1-A-GC3 communicates across the Verizon LTE Network. Using one versus the other won't really affect your monitoring service or your monthly monitoring fee. With that in mind, it is usually just best to go with whichever network works more reliably in your area. You may want to check coverage maps if you aren't sure.

In order to activate the communicator, you will need an alarm monitoring plan that supports cellular communication and access to Alarm.com. Alarm Grid customers can choose from our Gold and Platinum Level Plans (Self or Full). We recommend checking out our alarm monitoring page for more information. Since both the GC3 and GC3e already have an internal WIFI card, adding a cellular communicator to one of these panels will make it dual-path ready. We recommend using both cellular and IP communication, as having multiple communication paths helps to ensure that your system always stays connected with Alarm.com.