The Industrial Internet of Things: A Long-Distance Affair

 

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) requires fast, secure connectivity across distances that most networks haven’t traditionally covered.

Without the ability to connect remote sites and sensors back to cloud-based or private data centers, managing an IIoT network from end to end becomes nothing short of a headache. This is true whether you’re collecting data from offshore oil rigs, managing a commuter rail system or delivering electricity to an entire city.

In these environments, it’s critical for the network operations center to not only have visibility into remote network nodes, but also the ability to transport information across the field based on data they’ve distilled from the edge of the network.

Coincidentally, the way this works is analogous to the industrial application of transferring water from faraway reservoirs and lakes to regional pipes. Think of network information as the water that needs to flow into central processing and distribution plants. The big pipes that connect reservoirs all the way to central plants are like Cambium Networks PTP backhaul links, which can extend as far as 245km. The big pipes travel great lengths to supply fresh water to municipal pipe systems that filter and distribute it to every building in town, just as long-distance PTP links connect to PMP access points that wirelessly beam Internet to multiple locations.

As the IIoT takes hold our industries will increasingly depend on connectivity and data the way cities depend on water utility systems. Internet has something in common with water; it is a resource we must steward carefully, monitor closely and use with maximal efficiency.

At Cambium Networks, we have a rich history of supporting IIoT communications infrastructure – in fact, by our estimate we’ve already connected 5.6 million devices as part of our broader mission to connect the world’s people, places and things. Today, we’re proud to build upon this tradition by unveiling cnReach, a narrowband radio for highly reliable and secure transmissions across long distances.

 

Source: The Industrial Internet of Things: A Long-Distance Affair