Unflappable Reliability & No Latency

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 fibre is limited. Because laying down new fibre can be cost-prohibitive, a wireless network can help solve that problem. To provide fibre-like quality, a mmWave network delivers reliable communication from the camera to a central command centre without interference, unlike the 5 GHz wireless spectrum which is open and often times oversaturated.

The fact is that millimetre-wave wireless technology uses narrow beams which are immune to interference and network jamming, and are highly secure, in contrast to wide-beam wireless systems that need to use multiple strategies to perform in dense areas. This eliminates latency issues, which can be an issue for surveillance systems operating on a 5 GHz wireless spectrum and when multiple wireless devices are competing for the same or there is a large volume of data to be communicated.

A great example is Super Bowl LIVE event, a 10-day pre-game celebration 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 fibre 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 fibre lines, especially if these new lines are only needed for a short period of time. Using millimetre wave technology can solve that problem at a fraction of the cost to install a fibre 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 fibre 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 need to be added at a later date to provide greater coverage, a millimetre wave network allows for scalability without bandwidth issues.
Should a port or city determine that it needs to cover a larger area than originally planned for an event, more radios points and surveillance cameras can be added at any time. In addition, the system is flexible enough to connect to both permanent and temporary command centres, dependent upon the needs of each specific event.

The success and benefits of millimetre wave 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 millimetre wave radios from Siklu to provide wireless connectivity.

In each of these cases, millimetre wave radios proved that real gigabit capacity and reliability are doable thanks to Siklu’s millimetre 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.