On the Wings of Wireless

Airport uses wireless solution that combines video, data in one network

  • By Paul Gassett
  • Jan 11, 2010

A regional Midwest airport needed a way to automate gate security and deliver wireless video surveillance traffic from remote locations back to its monitoring stations.

It had an inefficient and outdated system to protect the gates that consisted of access points that would require hands-on updates at each location every time there were personnel changes.

The security system also included analog cameras at the gates and airport management wished to upgrade its video surveillance capabilities to IP wireless video cameras. The airport needed a high performing wireless solution that was cost effective to deploy and scalable enough to allow for future modifications and expansion.

Azalea Networks created a wireless solution that combined data and video in one network to allow security personnel to easily update employee accessibility to the facilities.

They could allow individual employees access to certain gates at specific timeframes and make changes to the permissions at will. Azalea’s solution also allowed for upgrades of the video surveillance cameras to perform wirelessly over the same network.

Operating over the 4.9 GHz public safety band, the network consisted of Azalea MSR4000 quad-radio and MSR2000 dual-radio routers specifically designed for outdoor use as well as its MSR1000 router for indoor use. The entire network was deployed quickly and easily to allow for future scalability including Wi-Fi access for airport personnel and travelers.

Wireless Advantages
Public safety agencies have been utilizing wireless, radio frequency (RF) communications for over a half-century, originally for voice communications and later for narrowband data applications.

Advances in technology now make wireless ideal for more advanced broadband multimedia applications, and the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. has recently licensed the 4.9 GHz spectrum for exclusive use in public safety applications, with support for both narrowband and broadband communications. Wireless broadband communications makes it possible for public safety agencies to perform their duties in ways that were unimaginable just a few short years ago.

Live video feeds can give first responders better situational awareness while en route to an incident and command and control personnel can utilize multi-agency collaboration and whiteboarding tools to coordinate response plans. And mobile command centers can bring these and other capabilities right to the scene.

Cost-Saving Technology
Azalea’s wireless solution can save more than 90 percent on installation costs when compared with traditional wired networks. In urban areas, it can be very expensive to trench fiber and obtain the necessary permits to install the network.

Azalea’s solution also is simple and quick to configure. Azalea’s routing protocol allows different subnets for security purposes, providing for greater isolation and more control. Since wireless traffic does not have to come back through a common gateway, setting up the network is greatly simplified.

About the Author

Paul Gassett is director of worldwide marketing communications for Azalea Networks.

Featured

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • The Impact of Convergence Between IT and Physical Security

    For years, the worlds of physical security and information technology (IT) remained separate. While they shared common goals and interests, they often worked in silos. Read Now

  • Unlocking Trustworthy AI: Building Transparency in Security Governance

    In situations where AI supports important security tasks like leading investigations and detecting threats and anomalies, transparency is essential. When an incident occurs, investigators must trace the logic behind each automated response to confirm its validity or spot errors. Demanding interpretable AI turns opaque “black boxes” into accountable partners that enhance, rather than compromise, organizational defense. Read Now

  • Seeking Innovative Solutions

    Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. You may recognize these terms as the “5 Phases” of a grieving process, but they could easily describe the phases one goes through before adopting any new or emerging innovation or technology, especially in a highly risk-averse industry like security. However, the desire for convenience in all aspects of modern life is finally beginning to turn the tide from old school hardware as the go-to towards more user-friendly, yet still secure, door solutions. Read Now

  • Where AI Meets Human Judgment

    Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. It is driving business growth, shaping consumer experiences, and showing up in places most of us never imagined just a few years ago. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.