1Path Puts Focus on Shift Away From 3G Networks
MSP is hiring dozens of technicians to help AT&T and others as they upgrade security systems to 4G and 5G
Technology service provider 1Path is rapidly growing its security system installation and maintenance teams to help security-focused partners like AT&T and Guardian Protection, which are replacing outdated 3G-based security systems in less than two years.
The Lowdown: The phasing out of the 3G security systems is part of a larger push to transition the remaining 3G networks to 4G even as the ramp to 5G begins to accelerate. AT&T and others are planning to replace 3G networks by early 2022.
The Details: The Atlanta-based MSP – which earlier this month rebranded to 1Path from Onepath Systems – is expanding the size of its security system installation and maintenance teams to help carriers and security companies with the transition, which will be a boost to commercial and residential customers as well as channel partners.
The teams, part of 1Path’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) group, offer such services as digging trenches, scaling walls, and setting up equipment and monitoring systems. 1Path began ramping up the hiring in August, has added dozens of full-time technicians, and plans to hire dozens more before the end of the year. The new hires will more than double the size of its installation and maintenance teams.
The company is hiring in 20 states and 80 cities, including Atlanta.
The Impact: The BPO unit isn’t the only 1Path division that’s growing. The company also is filling positions in such units as Data and Applications, Outsourced IT, and Workplace Technologies to address demand that has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background: The shift from 3G to 4G has been underway for years, but the pressure has increased in recent years to make the transition to 4G given the introduction of 5G, which has begun ramping this year and is expected to accelerate. 5G offers a wide range of advantages over 4G, including greater speeds and capacity.
There’s still work to be done. According to a report last year from trade association GSMA, about 17% of subscribers in the United Sates – about 47.3 million – were still using 3G networks in 2019. The same report found that by the end of 2022, 24% of connections in North America will be on 5G networks, and that number will jump to 46% – or about 200 million 5G connections – by 2025.
The Buzz: “Companywide, we were at around 500 employees mid-summer and expect to have more than 700 going into next year,” 1Path President and COO Luca Jacobellis said. “Our growth is a direct result of the strong business partnerships we have and the great work our security system installation and maintenance teams have been doing for years. We are excited about this expansion and look forward to helping our partners and customers achieve their residential and commercial security goals.”
“We were initially hired by our security-focused partners to focus on the major milestone associated with 3G upgrades, but we have quickly added more complex scopes that include on-site upgrades, maintenance, and new installations for residential and SMB customers,” said Chris Lewis, president of the BPO group at 1Path.
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CHANNELNOMICS: MSP Onepath Systems Becomes 1Path
