Technology is always moving forward. You’ve probably heard a lot about different cellular signals, like 4G and 5G. Many cellular signal providers have shut down their 2G service as it’s not relevant for most customers anymore. Due to the change, older cellular devices must be retired. This change will affect every device that connects to the internet, including electric car chargers. Why does 2G need to be eliminated? According to digi.com, “the main reason for network shutdowns is that the carriers have limited spectrum available for expansion. To provide a faster, more responsive network to their customers, they must re-use the spectrum with newer, more efficient cellular technology.”
Blink's Solution
What does all this have to do with your charger? While Blink believes in cutting-edge technology, we also know that sometimes "out with the old, in with the new" can disrupt customers. Most public chargers belong to a network, which provides services such as the ability to charge for electricity usage. The Blink Network offers the ability to charge customers who use the EVSE and a lot more; our partners create and export standard and customized reports, including detailed EV charging session data. Custom gauges can also be created to save and use data, such as greenhouse gases reduced and barrels of oil saved. Our first-generation and legacy EVSE units may use 2G cellular signals, and therefore those units will no longer be part of the Blink network. By the end of 2021, cellular signal providers will be shutting down 2G service, and first-generation chargers will be offline. When chargers are offline, drivers may charge for free, causing higher electricity costs and no-host revenue. In other words, with no network, there is no way to charge your customers for usage, control who can use the charger, etc, so anyone could drive up, use the charger for free, with all the costs going to the proprietor.