System and method for cellular connection selection

A component for transferring security event data over one of a plurality of cellular networks of different cellular carriers, the component for use with a security system comprising a plurality of alarms and an alarm panel associated with a monitored building, a receiver associated with a remote central monitoring facility, the component comprising:

• a fixed cellular radio transceiver;
• an application operative on a processor component and communicatively coupled with the fixed cellular radio transceiver;
• and
• a memory operative to store information pertaining to a plurality of cellular carriers that operate cellular networks;
• the application operative to:
• set a minimum acceptable signal quality for a connection between a fixed cellular radio transceiver and a cellular network receiver for a cellular carrier;
• determine a signal quality for a connection between the fixed cellular radio transceiver and each of a plurality of cellular network receivers for different cellular carriers;
• establish a connection between the fixed cellular radio transceiver and a cellular network receiver for a first cellular carrier exhibiting an acceptable signal quality;
• and
• establish a connection between the fixed cellular radio transceiver and the cellular network receiver for an alternate cellular carrier exhibiting an acceptable signal quality when a connection to the first cellular carrier cannot be established;
• and
• the fixed cellular radio transceiver operative to transmit security event data from the fixed cellular radio transceiver to the remote central monitoring facility over a cellular network for the cellular carrier to which the fixed cellular radio transceiver is connected.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed enable a system to:

• set a minimum acceptable signal quality for a connection between a fixed cellular radio transceiver and a cellular network receiver for a cellular carrier;
• determine a signal quality for a connection between the fixed cellular radio transceiver and each of a plurality of cellular network receivers for different cellular carriers;
• connect the fixed cellular radio transceiver to a cellular network receiver for a first cellular carrier exhibiting an acceptable signal quality;
• and
• connect the fixed cellular radio transceiver to a cellular network receiver for an alternate cellular carrier exhibiting an acceptable signal quality when a connection to the first cellular carrier cannot be established;
• and
• transmit security event data from the fixed cellular radio transceiver to a remote central monitoring facility over a cellular network for the cellular carrier to which the fixed cellular radio transceiver is connected.