Article · 2025-10-07
GSM vs video intercom: choosing how your gate talks to you
A GSM intercom calls your phone over the mobile network — simple, no internet needed, £850–£1,400 installed. An app-based video intercom shows you the visitor and works anywhere you have data, £1,200–£3,500 installed, but wants power and connectivity at the gate. Choose GSM for simplicity and weak-broadband sites; choose video where deliveries, staff and security justify seeing who's there.
The practical differences, beyond the spec sheet
| Factor | GSM audio | App video |
|---|---|---|
| How it reaches you | Phone call (any phone, any age) | App notification with live video |
| Sees the visitor | No | Yes — and records events |
| Needs at the gate | Mobile signal (survey it!) | Power + internet or 4G router |
| Ongoing costs | SIM: £5–£10/month or PAYG | Possible cloud subscription; 4G data if used |
| Failure modes | Network outage; SIM expiry (the classic) | Broadband outage without 4G fallback |
| Installed cost | £850 – £1,400 | £1,200 – £3,500 |
| Best for | Simplicity, second homes, weak broadband | Deliveries, staff, security-led households |
The failure stories worth learning from
The GSM classic: the PAYG SIM quietly expires from inactivity, and the intercom dies silently until the first missed visitor — solved with a monitored contract SIM and a calendar note, which we set up as standard. The video classic: intercom on household Wi-Fi at the edge of range, works all summer, drops every wet autumn — solved by cabling the gate properly or fitting a dedicated 4G router, decided by an actual signal survey rather than optimism. Both technologies are mature; almost every complaint traces to skipped survey work, which is the argument for the installation notes on our access control page.
Our recommendation pattern
Busy family homes with regular deliveries: video, with time-limited courier PINs — the delivery problem is really what video solves. Second homes and rural entrances: GSM for its indifference to broadband, paired with a keypad. Staffed households and estates: video plus fob or ANPR layers, per the estate entrance pattern. And if the budget forces a choice today, duct for video and fit GSM — the upgrade path costs a morning when it's pre-ducted.
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Tell us the opening width, whether power is nearby and the style you have in mind. We measure on site, confirm a fixed price in writing, and never sell door-to-door.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a GSM intercom open the gate remotely?
Yes — registered numbers can dial the unit and trigger opening with a keypress, and most units open free-of-charge by rejecting your caller-ID 'ring'. What GSM can't do is show you who's asking.
Do video intercoms work when the internet is down?
Locally yes (internal handsets still function); remotely only with a 4G fallback router, which we recommend on any entrance where remote answering genuinely matters.