Who Needs Rugged, Outdoor Wi-Fi Networks?
When we think about Wi-Fi, we tend to lean towards the idea of connections that allow us to access our mobile devices. With a Wi-Fi connection we can stream videos, access our apps, check email, work and basically manage our digital lives. In non-traditional settings, the need for outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity is increasing, but it is accompanied by some unique challenges. Outdoor Wi-Fi Connectivity Industries that operate mostly outdoors are finding a greater need for Wi-Fi connectivity. Campgrounds are providing Wi-Fi as both an amenity and as a tracking and booking tool for managers and campers alike. Golf courses have deployed industrial-scale Wi-Fi networks to monitor irrigation, golfers and other assets throughout a course, and marinas are using Wi-Fi networks for both communication and vessel management needs. There has also been a strong uptick in the use of industrial Wi-Fi networking for security programs and disaster response. Companies can use high-speed Voice, Video, Data and Sensor (VVDS) data transport as building blocks for a security network capable of real-time monitoring. These Wi-Fi solutions are especially ideal for video monitoring, as they provide the bandwidth necessary to transport large amounts of data. Disaster response has also been an ideal application for industrial-scale Wi-Fi. Often times, cell networks can get knocked out during environmental disasters, effectively eliminating a critical component for communication. Today, organizations can deploy these Wi-Fi platforms on vehicles or other response assets that can enable communications in emergency or disaster situations. For any industry with outdoor operations, assets will be exposed to the worst natural elements – extreme heat, freezing temperatures, heavy snow, strong wind, dust storms and more. The challenge is finding a shorthaul, Wi-Fi solution that is rugged and secure enough to withstand the elements, but also advanced enough to enable new types of high-speed, high throughput application solutions. Rugged Wi-Fi Communication Solutions There are solutions designed for robust, secure transport of VVDS information for the edge devices in industrial communication networks. These rugged, shorthaul communication networks are specifically designed for outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity and have proven reliability in extreme environmental conditions. These types of solutions are ideal for oil and gas, utilities, mining, power plants, municipalities, disaster recovery or any other type of industrial applications. They also suit innovative deployments at golf courses, marinas, campgrounds and other settings that require outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity. How would you like to have Wi-Fi connectivity for your own outdoor networks? FreeWave just launched a new contest and the winner will receive their own network of rugged, outdoor Wi-Fi solutions. Enter Today! Contest Closed Enter today for a chance to win FreeWave’s award-winning WavePro WP201shorthaul and Wi-Fi solution. Contest entrants must provide a high-level account of the application of the WavePro, along with a description of the need for the platform. Winners will be announced at the close of the entry period. To enter the contest, please visit http://go.freewave.com/wavepro-network-giveaway. Submissions are due by September 30.
Smart Golf Courses = A Hole in One!
Smart golf courses are coming to a green near you. A modern day golf course requires many things, including real-time monitoring for irrigation and pump systems, automated vehicle location capabilities for carts and players, and the ability to provide employees with the internet connectivity necessary to manage the sprawls of the course itself. As a result, golf course managers are turning toward some of the cutting edge Internet of Things solutions on the market to meet that demand. As far as preferred pastimes go, golf ranks relatively highly for young and old alike. In fact, according to the National Golf Foundation, there are more than 15,000 18-hole golf courses throughout the United States. The American Society of Golf Course Architects estimates that a full-size golf course would need up to 200 acres of usable land, which means that courses in the U.S. take up at least three million acres. By comparison, that’s nearly three times the size of the Grand Canyon National Park. With that in mind, the management of golf courses is a minor feat in advanced agricultural practices and logistics. Smart Golf Course Solution For one Colorado course, the smart golf course solution to its connectivity conundrum lay in the deployment of an industrial-scale Wi-Fi network capable of handling communication, accessibility and maintenance needs. Course managers selected a dual-band, mesh networking platform that provides Wi-Fi coverage in the necessary areas, and with the help of the provider, set up a network that strategically positioned the platforms so that devices and sensors could remain connected via the mesh networking capabilities as they moved from place to place. However, any outdoor Wi-Fi network does come along with its challenges. For example, another factor that golf courses need to consider when determining the best networking option is the weather. Although most courses are situated in areas that don’t typically draw extremely cold temperatures, many are consistently faced with hot or humid climates that can knock networks offline as the communication platforms succumb to the elements. The last thing any course manager wants is to have their communication network fail, especially if that impacts their customer experience. Adopting ruggedized outdoor networking and communications solutions means being confident that the platforms are designed to function without failure – even in areas with extreme weather events or consistently hot temperatures. Additionally, to ensure that the data being collected from irrigation and pump systems is being delivered in real-time allows grounds teams to monitor and predict when the systems are in need of maintenance, or when certain areas of the course are in greater need of water than others, for instance. Today, grounds crews can track this data via handheld devices that can quickly aggregate and analyze data, rather than spend time manually checking each individual service point. Although modern golf courses often look pristine to players and observers alike, upkeep and ongoing service requires constant attention. As these courses begin to deploy more advanced networking systems to become smart in its communication and monitoring practices, the ability for courses to streamline workflow and maintenance needs will only continue to grow.
