Implementing a wireless network to support WiFi access, surveillance, Point of Sale and other applications at temporary, large-scale events can be a tricky endeavor. Anytime thousands of people congregate in a single location with their mobile devices and public Wi-Fi hotspots, it is sure to wreak havoc on the wireless network.
It’s not uncommon for these wireless networks to struggle to handle large amounts of data not the least of which is generated by cameras. The result, often times, is a network that lags, or does not work at all.
While not being able to quickly access emails or social media posts can be annoying to a general consumer, wireless connectivity becomes critical when a police department or security personnel need to access security data and surveillance video to monitor an event in real-time. Or if temporary hospital facilities are deployed, how are they to be connected?
Video Security and Emergency Response are Mission Critical
For many large-scale events that require active monitoring of large crowds, getting the video from the source to a place where it can be monitored can be a challenge, especially if access to fiber is limited. Because laying down new fiber can be cost prohibitive, a wireless network can help solve that problem. This is also true for temporary emergency command centers or hospital extensions.
Providing fiber-like quality, a mmWave network provides reliable communications without interference, unlike the 5 GHz wireless spectrum which is open and often times over saturated.
The fact is that millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless technology uses narrow beams which includes virtually zero interference and network jamming, as well as high security, in contrast to wide-beam wireless systems that need to use multiple strategies to perform in dense areas. Latency in a wireless network that is congested also becomes a problem, especially for surveillance systems operating on a 5 GHz wireless spectrum and when multiple wireless devices are competing to send large volumes of data.
Often time a deployment scenario needs multiple connections in a star topology. For Siklu point to multi-point systems we have built in beam steering which greatly reduces installation complexity as the Terminal Unit only needs to be pointed in the general direction of the Base Unit.
A great example is Super Bowl LIVE event, a 10-day pre-game celebration which was held in Houston where more than one million football fans came to see live performances prior to the big game. With such a large crowd to monitor, it was crucial to implement a wireless network in areas that fiber could not reach to provide continuous connectivity so that the police department and security teams could watch surveillance footage without interruption.
Low-Cost Alternative to Deploying New Fiber
It can be expensive and time consuming to run new fiber lines, especially if these new lines are only needed for a short period of time. Using millimeter wave technology can solve that problem at a fraction of the cost to install a fiber network.
A wireless network can be installed in a matter of hours and dismantled in a relatively short period of time, if needed, saving event organizers time and money on the overall cost of the project. In general, whether it is for a temporary event or permanent project, trenching fiber in a city environment, for example, can be cost prohibitive.
Flexibility to Expand the Network
A temporary network provides integrators and end users with greater flexibility over their fixed system counterparts. Should additional cameras or Access Points need to be added at a later date to provide greater coverage, a millimeter wave (mmWave) network with multi-gigabit capacity allows for scalability without running into bandwidth issues.
The success and benefits of millimeter wave (mmWave) radios in these types of environments is evident. The New York City Marathon, an internationally renowned marathon drawing runners from all over the world, and Tour de France, a multi-stage bicycle race that is perhaps one of the best known professional cycling competitions in the world, each turned to millimeter wave (mmWave) radios from Siklu to provide wireless connectivity.
In each of these cases, millimeter wave radios proved that real gigabit capacity and reliability are doable thanks to Siklu’s millimeter wave radios unique combination of: narrow beams, small-footprint, skipping pre-installation spectrum survey for finding clean channels, and eliminating interference from other networks. Best of all, the solution was easy to install, making it ideal for temporary, large-scale events.