Hubert Da Costa, VP EMEA at Cradlepoint shares the importance of ensuring construction site offices are online and why they should utilise technology
As temporary fixtures, construction site offices and marketing sales suites rely on access to their central databases and systems. They require fast and secure connectivity from the start of the project build — yet wired line solutions can rarely meet this time-based objective and often result in months of costly delays between the project start and ‘Internet on’ date.
Other options such as USB modems are not rugged enough or business-grade – these devices frequently break and fail to deliver the quality of connection required. As the use of more advanced applications – for example, Building Information Modelling (BIM) – continues to grow in the construction industry, the need for increased bandwidth grows too, further diminishing the reliability of these options.
Going wireless
LTE, commonly known as 4G, is helping businesses achieve ‘always on’ network connectivity. The technologies built into the LTE networking standard allow mobile network operators to get more capacity out of the same resource, which means the network can handle more traffic and achieve faster speeds. Since the launch of 4G across the UK the reliability of faster networking has been transformative. With the latest innovations in networking, businesses are no longer limited to fixed-line services.
The scale and speed offered by 4G mean that businesses can get on-site or temporary networks up and running incredibly quickly. The reliability offered by these networks means construction companies can be assured of 24/7 connectivity from day one.
Benefits of LTE in Construction
4G networking means that when it comes to working remotely, construction businesses no longer need to wait weeks to be up and running – they can get going without having to wait for expensive cable installations. Some 4G wireless routers reduce the time it takes to set up a remote project site from around 30 days to under 48 hours. This means that engineers and designers can start work almost as soon as they are on-site, an efficiency that would not have been possible before 4G.
For permanent locations, 4G also provides an ideal failover solution. Outages can prove massively detrimental, both to your bottom line as well as your brand. If your Wide Area Network (WAN) is fully reliant on a wired DSL or MPLS line, it can be more at risk of severe disruption. Using a 4G router as your backup is the perfect solution.
4G can pick up if the main network fails, offering seamless connectivity at broadband speeds. A failsafe is essential for the construction industry, where time wasted is money wasted. The site’s connection to central databases and systems needs to be secured, even if the wired line fails.
By leveraging the power of 4G LTE wireless network solutions, construction companies can implement fast, secure connectivity from day one of the site build — empowering the site to progress at full speed, right from the start. A wireless solution delivers a reliable, temporary network — giving sites the fast, consistent network access they need, when and where they need it.
Hubert Da Costa
VP EMEA
Cradlepoint
