Why Outdoor Wireless Technology Holds Prime Importance in a Post-pandemic World?
As more individuals are vaccinated and return to work, many companies continue to use COVID-19 safeguards such as social isolation and restricted occupancy levels, which will likely remain in place for some time.
For many firms, expanding operations to outdoor locations is the logical and safest method to safeguard staff and consumers and the only viable method to scale and grow profitably enabled by the Cisco service provider. Enhancements to technology to accommodate a considerable ‘work from home’ workforce are now colliding with a need for “repopulation” or “return to work.”
These planning efforts consider the possibility that certain work cultures may be permanently altered. This is an exciting opportunity since these plans prioritize service enablement in outdoor places for various organizations and market sectors.
Delivering wifi 6 in the great outdoors
To ensure all our campuses have dependable outdoor operations, the Cisco service provider can test Cisco’s new 802.11AX-enabled Catalyst 9124 access points. While 802.11 is widely believed to be inadequate for large outdoor businesses, the new access points deliver significant gains. Based on a refresh cycle. The Catalyst 9124AXD achieved four times the throughput compared to an iPhone10 in tests (integrated directional antenna).
With the Catalyst 9124 Access Point in mind, the Cisco service provider can see the several features offered by local managed IT services that will help drive the digital transformation program.
Flexibility: The access point’s SFP port enables the use of fiber infrastructure without requiring an external fiber to the copper translator. This is extremely helpful to the Cisco service provider when connecting access points to light poles and other sites where copper cannot be used. Historically, many have attempted to connect outdoor access points using mesh backhauls – which works but falls short of the performance we need from wireless networks today. Especially with 5G-LTE speeds approaching, we need to deliver fast velocity and reliability, not simply coverage.
Aesthetics: The access point is significantly more attractive than its predecessors or comparable outdoor access points in terms of aesthetics. Given that wireless access points are not concealed in closets, this is a critical factor that alleviates placement issues. This is critical since specific organizations place a high premium on appearance with fully managed IT. The Catalyst 9124 APs feature paintable covers enabled by the Cisco service provider customized to match building colors or logos to enhance the access point’s arrival.
Scalability: With wifi 6, you ensure your wireless network has adequate capacity, speed, and user experience in mind. 2.4 GHz bands have better “effective” outdoor coverage ranges and performance with wifi 6.
IoT Ready: Built-in support for BLE5 and Zigbee – will enable and energize outdoor IoT and location services by triangulating devices beyond five feet (assuming sufficient AP density). This could be critical for managing population density in outdoor places and providing equal interior capabilities.
More than a convenience
Historically, outside wireless access was viewed simply as a convenience. Today, we must hold outside wifi to the same standards as we do inside connections. To provide that level of service and assure high-quality customer experiences, we need to look beyond access point placement and consider wifi as a service. Cisco DNA Center’s AI/ML technology, Cisco DNA Spaces for location services, IoT gateway control, user onboarding via customized portals, and user engagement all help Cisco get there. And then there’s the issue of access which needs to be resolved by the Cisco service provider. There are now several possibilities to leverage OpenRoaming to simplify guest wifi onboarding and use a diverse set of IDPs offered by the WBA OpenRoaming Federation.
Reliability and uptime
Hire Cisco service provider for Cisco’s migration to the IOS-XE platform – which provides a unified software platform – offers consistent uptime and the ability to hot patch and upgrade SMUs without requiring downtime. This is crucial since these services are also used to provide public safety, with varying degrees of automation or choreographed operations. The Cisco Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controller is a highly adaptable platform that may be deployed on-premises or in the cloud via your preferred cloud provider. As a result, the platform is highly flexible to any situation.
If your organization is considering reimagining and repurposing outdoor environments, it is strongly recommended that you investigate the new Cisco Catalyst access points. Make careful to explore the opportunity to construct a fabric for digitalization in addition to delivering wireless connectivity. Increase your business value by leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), location services, and enterprise IT managed services assurance to provide users with an indoor-like wireless experience.
