Oliver Vellacott, CEO of IndigoVision, discusses the benefits, applications and
technology involved when IP video surveillance is deployed using wireless networks.
Oliver Vellacott, CEO of IndigoVision, discusses the benefits, applications and technology involved when IP video surveillance is deployed using wireless networks.
A benefit of digital video surveillance is it is compressed and streamed across standard Ethernet networks using Internet protocol (IP). This is exactly the same protocol for corporate networks and the Internet. Digital video can therefore be transmitted across any broadband network connection, such as cable, fiber or wireless.
There are a number of wireless technologies that allow digital surveillance video to be transmitted across large urban areas and from remote locations. As far as the IP video system is concerned, the wireless interface is transparent and is a replacement or extension of the wired network. Connecting to a wireless network is the same as connecting to an Ethernet switch.
Wireless Benefits
Combining IP video surveillance with wireless networks can provide the user with benefits:
● No cable
● Less disruption: With less cable to install, project time frames are reduced and business disruption is minimized
● Lower transmission costs: No expensive fixed lines required
● Expansion and migration
● Remote monitoring
● Mobile applications: Live and recorded video can be viewed over 3-G mobile phone networks
● Heritage protection: At historic sites where installation of cable is prohibited, wireless is the only alternative
Wireless Technologies
Wireless Broadband Networks Wireless broadband typically operates in the unlicensed frequency spectrum and provides high-speed wireless Internet and data network access over a wide area.
For IP video applications, wireless broadband networks can be deployed in a number of configurations:
● Point-to-point, often known as an Ethernet bridge
● Point-to-multipoint
● Mesh wide-area network
Different network technologies, both wired and wireless, are often deployed together to achieve wide area coverage. Chihuahua State, the largest state in Mexico, deployed such a distributed IP video system. Its capital is also named Chihuahua and includes eight other cities.
The distributed system allows an operator in the state capital to view video from any other city in the region. Surveillance in each city uses point-to-multipoint wireless networks, which is connected to the capital by fixed network links.