Transdev Sydney Ferries has successfully completed a trial using Cradlepoint 5G in-vehicle solutions to deliver reliable IP video monitoring and emergency help point services.
Cradlepoint, a global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions, has announced that Transdev Sydney Ferries (Transdev) has successfully completed a trial using Cradlepoint 5G in-vehicle solutions, managed by Cradlepoint managed service partner, Australian Sentinel.
CCTV and Help Point data was downloaded from vessels to Operations Control Office while also providing primary connectivity for public announcement, passenger information display and corporate Wi-Fi. Funding for the project was awarded to Australian Sentinel and Transdev as part of the Australian Government’s 5G Innovation Initiative grant.
Using 5G provides greater bandwidth to support connectivity requirements on modern vessels. As part of a wider Transdev program to fit-out vessels, wharves and offices with refreshed, modern Information Technology, Transdev deployed Cradlepoint R1900 5G Ruggedized Routers on board vessels and at wharves, to deliver reliable IP video monitoring and emergency help point services, which operate throughout Sydney Harbor.
“There were two key elements of this technology that we were extremely impressed with – the 5G connection to the vessel CCTV systems, which enabled almost real-time footage review; and the speed at which we were able to get the connection live,” said Loretta Lynch, Managing Director of Transdev Sydney Ferries.
“Our newest fleet, the River Class produces up to 330GB of CCTV per day. That’s the equivalent of 100 Netflix movies,” said Eric Cannell, General Manager Finance and Commercial, Transdev Sydney Ferries. “And yet our investigation team is now able to download hours of CCTV footage in minutes, which is significantly faster than what we could get with 4G.”
The high bandwidth of the 5G solution means that when streaming footage of CCTV in real-time, the images are clear and accurate. Compared to 4G, the reliability and stability of the 5G solution has greatly reduced the effort and repeated attempts to get visibility and access to all the data, and the new solution was up and running within days.
Australian Sentinel provides a managed service to Transdev, using NetCloud Manager to ensure network endpoints stay connected, protected, always on, available and continuously up-to-date with router and modem software.
“This project is a great demonstration of what can be achieved using 5G wireless connectivity and culturally aligned organizations, who focused on accelerating technology adoption and maximizing benefits,” said Tim Crouch, Managing Director, Australian Sentinel. “One key benefit that we’ve identified is that 5G is more reliable when comparing with that of 4G and we have not seen 5G black spots on the strategically important routes traveled by the vessels.”
Given the ocean-based application, the project required a rugged solution that could withstand heat, cold, salt and motion, with a durable, metal form factor. The Cradlepoint 5G R1900 router is optimized for in-vehicle networks and offers superior ruggedness, performance, security, connectivity, and utility in a purpose-built, compact design.
Using location-based services within NetCloud Manager, admins can easily track and trace vessel locations and routes in real-time and determine LTE and 5G cellular coverage over a traveled area. Additionally, NetCloud Manager offers pre-built connectors that share location data with popular fleet management solutions, providing more flexibility to customers than a one-size-fits-all approach.
“The applications of 5G connectivity are endless – whether it’s in moving vehicles, in IoT devices or for Artificial Intelligence,” said Nathan McGregor, Senior Vice President, Cradlepoint Asia Pacific. “The work that Australian Sentinel is doing with Transdev is an example of the huge impact that 5G connectivity can have on an organization’s operations. The Australian Government invested in this very worthwhile grant initiative and Cradlepoint commends grant recipients for their innovative applications and executions of 5G trials.”
We asked further questions about the project to find out more.
Loretta Lynch, Managing Director of Transdev Sydney Ferries
What is the major benefit of the ability to review almost real-time footage from the CCTV systems?
Safety is key to Transdev Sydney Ferries. The ability to maintain continuous connectivity to our vessels irrespective of rugged conditions and monitor super clear CCTV footage in real time means we can best protect the safety and security of our customers, our people and our assets.
In an ordinary year (ie pre-COVID) our 500 plus maritime employees carry over 15 million customers with tourists ordinarily making up around 40% of customers. As a result at any one time we need to be able to track and trace where vessels are located in order to ensure the safety of our passengers and crew travelling on our vessels.
Under its contract commitments with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW), Transdev must provide high-availability CCTV and Emergency Help Point services.
For new vessels, there is also a requirement for a greater number of CCTV cameras onboard, in addition to providing real-time viewing access to CCTV for authorized personnel and NSW Police.
5G technology better enables this functionality through higher bandwidth and lower latency networks.
What are the benefits of being able to easily track and trace vessel locations and routes in real-time using location-based services within NetCloud Manager?
In an ordinary year (pre-COVID) our 500 plus maritime employees carry over 15 million customers, with tourists ordinarily making up around 40% of customers. As a result, at any one time we need to be able to track and trace where are vessels in order to ensure the safety of our passengers and crew travelling on our vessels.
Why was the speed at which you were able to get the connection live so important to your organization?
Transdev Sydney Ferries is in the final stages of transitioning legacy microwave technologies to fibre connectivity to all wharves. The 5G solution was rapidly deployed to priority locations that were delayed due to unforeseen issues such as marine environment complications and navigating the many wonderful heritage and indigenous sites near and around wharves.
Tim Crouch, Managing Director, Australian Sentinel
Overall, how would you sum up the performance improvements delivered to you by 5G as compared to 4G?
The 5G Innovation trial has highlighted that 5G is far superior when compared to the current 4G solution. We measured and recorded improvement in latency, bandwidth, speed, packet loss, WAN uptime as well as signal strength and quality.
Do Cradlepoint R1900 5G Ruggedised Routers meet your requirements for the level of durability required by ocean-going vessels?
Yes they do. The Cradlepoint R1900 Series router was built from the ground up to handle high-performance mobile 5G connectivity and edge computing. Purpose-built to withstand extreme environments, the R1900 is an all-in-one mobile networking solution ideally suited for installations within a wide range of vehicles.
Cradlepoint NetCloud provides connectivity, network, security, location and IoT services to connect everything in the vehicle, while providing access to IT for remote management, troubleshooting and analytics. When coupled with the Advanced Mobile Performance service plan, you gain full suite of security and AVL capabilities including threat management, web filtering, application visibility, analytics and advanced GNSS/GPS functionality including location tracking and cellular coverage maps.
Tim Evans, Regional Sales Manager, APAC Cradlepoint
With NetCloud Manager offering pre-built connectors that share location data with popular fleet management solutions, how does this provide more flexibility to customers than a one-size-fits-all approach?
Cradlepoint isn’t a one-size fits all solution, we offer prebuilt connectors, open APIs and SDK to allow customers to choose how and what they connect their fleet to. In addition to the Geo View Dashboard that comes pre-built with NetCloud Manager, customers can share their location data through via API’s and have the option of using pre-built connectors or with their own tools to connect to those APIs.
For Transdev Sydney Ferries, further integration is being analysed and planned as part of FY23 portfolio of works.
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