In the modern, globalised world it can be the case that some events evolve in little more than a ‘New York Minute’ and networking needs to be procured on an ad hoc basis either to provide or boost existing capacity.
Fortunately, there are now a number of solutions available on the market which can be used to provide bandwidth for network and at the shortest notice. Here’s our pick of the best:
- 4G – The platform’s main advantage is its high speed in comparison to 3G. Users experience much better performance when sending emails or using business systems, videos and other content can be streamed at a much faster rate than possible before. A couple of limitations of 4G is that the footprint is current limited to major cities and towns.
- Satellite, ground mounted – This is a cost effective and powerful system, offering country wide coverage and high-performance throughput even in remote locations. Latency (the measurement of how quickly the internet ‘responds’) is a limitation of the technology due to the way satellite works. This can be minimised through a well-managed network. Weather can also be an issue, and for optimum performance the sky needs to be 100% clear to the south.
- Satellites, vehicular – Quick to deploy systems mounted on vehicle roofs offer similar advantages of their ground-mounted counterparts but are deployed and packed down very quickly. They provide a quick deploy solution for event organisers but have the same limitations in terms of clear line of sight and latency.
- Point-to-point links – This refers to finding a location within the local area which already has high speed internet connectivity. A wireless point to point link can be temporarily installed (typically up to 15km) both ends require line of sight (sometimes near line of sight might work) which can sometimes be achieved by ‘hopping’ in-between. Services can be fast however typically logistics mean installation can take several days.