Telular SX3I Phonecell SX3i AMPS Fixed Wireless Terminal 1C02A081-SW

Telular SX3I Phonecell SX3i AMPS Fixed Wireless Terminal 1C02A081-SW

The Telular Phonecell SX3I is an AMPS-standard fixed wireless terminal (FWT) that connects a standard analog telephone or fax machine to a cellular network — giving a conventional POTS device wireless connectivity without a landline. The unit bridges the RJ-11 telephone interface to the AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) analog cellular network through its external antenna, allowing normal phone calls to be made and received over the cellular network. It also includes an internal sealed lead-acid battery backup system to maintain operation during power outages.

Specifications & What's Included

• Brand: Telular Corporation (Vernon Hills, IL)
• Model: SX3I / Phonecell SX3i
• Model Number: 1C02A081-SW
• Description Code: PC SX3I<AMPS> 3
• Label: 96020601, Rev. C
• Network Technology: AMPS (analog cellular)
• Telephone Interface: Standard POTS/RJ-11 analog phone port
• Antenna: External whip antenna (attached)
• Backup Batteries: 2x GS Portalac PE6V4.5 — 6V, 4.5Ah rechargeable sealed lead-acid
• Form Factor: Desktop unit
• FCC Compliance: Part 15
• Country of Manufacture: USA

Applications

Fixed wireless terminals like the Phonecell SX3I were widely deployed in the 1990s and early 2000s to provide telephone service in locations where running copper landline infrastructure was impractical or cost-prohibitive — rural areas, remote sites, temporary facilities, and developing markets. By connecting to the AMPS analog cellular network, a single FWT could serve a standard phone, fax machine, or PBX extension anywhere a cellular signal was available. The SX3I specifically operated on the North American AMPS 800 MHz band, which was the dominant analog cellular standard in the US until it was formally sunset by carriers in 2008. Today these units are collected as examples of late-analog-era cellular infrastructure, used for legacy system research, or retained by operators maintaining older off-grid or backup communication systems. The internal battery backup was a key feature for sites requiring continued phone access during power failures.