The Metropolitan Police has warned that AI is making criminal activity more accessible. It lowers the barrier for fraud and coordinated crime. While that doesn’t change EN 50136 requirements, it is a reminder that threat landscapes evolve. For installers, the question is simple: does the alarm signalling grade still reflect the site’s current level of risk?
What EN 50136 grading actually means on site
A recent report covering the Metropolitan Police’s warning about AI-enabled crime highlights how quickly threat landscapes can change. While the warning isn’t about alarm signalling specifically, it’s a useful reminder to reassess whether a site’s alarm signalling grade still matches its current risk profile.
EN 50136 defines signalling grades based on the level of supervision, path redundancy, and tamper resistance a system provides. Grade 2 covers the majority of standard commercial and residential installations. Meanwhile, Grade 3 applies to higher-risk sites where a single path failure or delayed signal transmission would be unacceptable.
The distinction matters more now than it did when PSTN was the default. With IP alarm signalling as the primary path on most new installs, questions of path supervision and failover are front and centre. A single-path IP solution may satisfy Grade 2 requirements at a straightforward commercial site. In contrast, a dual-path setup, Ethernet plus mobile, for example, becomes relevant when the site risk profile, insurance conditions, or ARC requirements push toward Alarm signalling Grade 3.
The grading framework hasn’t changed. What changes is whether the original specification still fits the site as it exists today. This might not be the case as it was three or five years ago when the system was first installed.
Matching the product to the actual requirement
AddSecure’s NGP range is designed with this spectrum in mind. At the entry level, the NGP Essential IP handles standard IP signalling. This device is straightforward to install. It is suitable for sites where the primary requirement is a reliable post-PSTN path without the overhead of dual-path redundancy.
The NGP Essential Extra, dual radio, and NGP Advanced range introduces mobile path capability alongside Ethernet. This is the configuration that tends to come up when you’re dealing with ARC-affiliated installations with specific grading requirements. Moreover, it is relevant for commercial sites where the customer’s insurer has stipulated a higher standard. Dual-path EN 50136 compliant signalling becomes available here.
NGP Ultimate
At the top of the range, the NGP Ultimate carries LPCB certification and is built for installations where Grade 3 4 signalling is a firm requirement, higher-risk commercial premises, financial sites, or installations where the Insurer has specified it directly. ( our whole range has LPCB certification)
The practical point is that you can match the product to the actual site requirement. Over-specifying adds cost without adding proportionate benefit on a low-risk site. On the other hand, under-specifying creates compliance gaps and potential liability. Neither is a good outcome.
The PSTN migration is a useful moment to reassess
Many installations being upgraded from PSTN dial-up are sitting at a grade that was adequate when the analogue path was in place. Moving off PSTN is a good moment to reassess whether the existing grade still reflects the site’s current risk profile. This is particularly true for commercial sites that may have changed use, expanded, or updated their insurance requirements since the original install.
Building a simple grading review
For installers working through a migration programme, it’s worth building a simple grading review into your site survey process. In many cases the migration itself won’t change the grade requirement. Occasionally you’ll find a site that was under-specified on the original install. When this happens, the move to IP is the right moment to correct it rather than carry the gap forward.
This is where connecting the broader conversation about evolving risks to practical installation decisions makes sense. Not every warning about a changing threat environment translates into an immediate change to EN 50136 requirements. However, if a site’s risk profile has shifted, new stock, expanded premises, updated insurance, higher footfall, then the grading question is worth asking, regardless of what’s prompted it.
Working with your ARC on grade requirements
Grade requirements sit with both the installer and the ARC. Most ARCs have clear views on the minimum signalling standards they’ll accept. Some specify dual-path as a baseline for new connections, regardless of the site’s formal risk classification. If you’re working across multiple ARCs, it’s worth knowing their individual requirements before you finalise a product selection, because thresholds vary.
AddSecure’s signalling platform supports ARC integration across its range, and the configuration process is designed to align with standard ARC connection procedures. If you’re uncertain whether a specific product configuration meets your ARC’s requirements for a given site, that’s a conversation worth having before the installation rather than after.
To explore the full NGP range and find the right fit for your next installation, visit the AddSecure NGP portfolio page.
If you’re specifying an installation and want to confirm which NGP product fits the grading requirement, speak to the AddSecure team. We can help you match the right solution to the site before you quote.