Customer stories
But technologies don’t always play nicely together as one cellXica warehousing customer found out.
If barcode scanners are to perform quickly and without error then network coverage needs to be comprehensive and reliable. Yet warehouse racking’s steel lattice framework creates radio frequency interference, resulting in a high density of costly wired Wi-Fi access points if coverage is to be maintained.
Matching technologies to the environment is therefore key. In warehousing and logistics, cellular radio’s reach and range beats Wi-Fi, meaning that for one cellXica customer a private mobile cellular network was the answer.
Two cellXica M4Q LTE base stations, using Band 3 (1,800MHz) shared-access spectrum, provided complete coverage across a client’s warehouse, instantly making up to 50 Wi-Fi access points, their cable runs and switches redundant. And the M4Q’s single-cable PoE configuration kept installation disruption to a minimum.
With the private LTE network providing fast data rates and full indoor coverage, quick and accurate bar code scanning was assured, and faster, more reliable stock control the result.
Everybody likes a day out and there’s no better way to enjoy the summer sunshine than with a visit to the seaside. Yet on high days and holidays it’s not just the beach that’s crowded but the local mobile networks too. With no reliable mobile signal, and being beyond the reach of fixed Wi-Fi, beach vendors found it next to impossible to sell an ice cream, rent a deck chair or take electronic payment for a donkey ride.
Recognising the frustrations of tourists and vendors alike, the local authority teamed up with a specialist integrator and a public network operator to deploy a temporary private 5G network along the length of the seafront.
cellXica’s M5Q cellular radio was chosen for the job, the base station’s weatherproof, all-in-one design and low power requirements making installation on lamp posts straightforward. The network used band N77 (4GHz) shared access spectrum for full 5G coverage, with connectivity via existing power and fibre infrastructure.
Supplemented with battery-powered MiFi devices to create local Wi-Fi hotspots, vendors could once again use their existing EPOS terminals anywhere on the beach.
With stable connectivity and excellent coverage, businesses could reliably take payments during the busiest days of the summer, and tourists could once again enjoy their ice creams, whether from the comfort of a deck chair or the back of a donkey.
Yet mobile networks are often overwhelmed by onlookers, the media and those directly affected, leaving emergency responders without dependable connectivity at the very moment it’s needed most. Alternatively, and no less challenging, is the absence of any network services when responding to incidents in isolated or remote areas, beyond the reach of fixed infrastructure.
Recognising the need to solve this mission-critical challenge, a UK-based connectivity specialist developed a vehicle-mounted mobile LTE private network specifically to support emergency operations. Their solution centred on cellXica’s M5Q Plus one-box network, with integrated core software by Attocore. Able to operate stand-alone, the solution also accepts a satellite backhaul connection ensuring the network can link to the internet, anywhere and without recourse to local infrastructure.
Crucially, by using dedicated spectrum, the base station also creates a secure “bubble of coverage” around the incident, enabling emergency personnel to quickly connect with each other and external digital services, without competition from public network traffic.
When you really need to communicate, the radios really need to work. cellXica’s high performance, high-reliability mobile networks perform every time.
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