Requirements

• Volatile Site Environment

  • Construction sites experience continuous changes throughout the project lifecycle. The unpredictable environment significantly affects RF propagation, including signal blocking, reflection, absorption, and diffraction. Such non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation can lead to substantial signal loss. To mitigate this challenge, a phased deployment of Wi-Fi infrastructure is advisable to adapt the changing site conditions.

• Limited space for AP location

  • To enhance Wi-Fi coverage, it is preferable to position APs at elevated locations near power sources. However, construction sites are frequently complex, with limited availability of power supply options, thereby restricting potential installation sites for APs. To ensure optimal Wi-Fi performance in these constrained conditions, APs equipped with long-range coverage capabilities should be utilized.

• Cabling

  • Ideally, network cables such as Ethernet or fibre cables are used to connect APs to the backbone of a Local Area Network (LAN). However, the installation of network cables on construction sites is often impractical due to operational challenges, installation costs, and time limitations. Therefore, during the network design phase, evaluating the feasibility of wireless backhaul as an alternative to traditional cabling is essential.

• Interference Control and Management

  • Interference emitted from other Wi-Fi APs or non-Wi-Fi radio systems operating on overlapping frequency bands may interfere with APs, adversely affecting performance. For effective interference control and management, conducting a comprehensive site survey and implementing appropriate channel planning during the network design phase is recommended.

• Applications and Bandwidth Requirements

  • Understanding the applications that will utilize the Wi-Fi network is critical. For high-bandwidth applications, capacity and channel planning must be considered to ensure sufficient bandwidth while minimizing interference between different APs.

Why Choose Altai

• Super Wi-Fi Coverage by Altai Smart Antenna Technology

  • Thanks to Altai’s patented antenna design and advanced signal processing algorithms, the Altai solution addresses a significant Wi-Fi bottleneck and enhances uplink performance in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments. This optimization allows for the reduction of access points required, thus minimizing self-interference within the network, ultimately leading to lower capital and operational expenditures.

• Mobile AP Station

  • Altai offers an all-in-one solution specifically tailored for dynamic environments such as construction sites. APs are mounted on movable cart, providing flexible Wi-Fi coverage. These APs are powered by solar panel and wind turbine installed on the cart. The excess renewable energy harvested are stored in batteries on cart for emergency usage.

• Long Range Wireless Bridge

  • Despite APs are separated by hundreds or thousands of meters, they can be linked together using Altai Super Wi-Fi solution. The stable and robust wireless link can support high traffic volumes while minimizing the number of AP nodes, resulting in reduced capital and operational expenditures.

• CPE

  • Altai provides a diverse range of AP models. Lower-end models can serve as intermediate nodes, connecting devices that lack Wi-Fi capability to the Wi-Fi network. For devices that struggle with transmission in the 2.4 GHz spectrum due to in-band noise and limited spectrum resources, data can be transmitted via the CPE’s 5 GHz radio.

• Made for Industrial Grade Solutions

  • Altai’s APs feature robust hardware and are designed to endure extreme temperatures ensuring a prolonged lifecycle for devices operating in demanding environments.

Application 1

The outdoor construction site is extensive and has numerous heavy machineries, including bulldozers, compactors, excavators, dumpers, and cranes. Due to the dangers associated with these machines, which require specialized training for safe operation, CCTV cameras and safety alert systems are installed throughout the site to enhance worker safety and minimize risks. Video stream and incident alerts are transmitted to the site office via Wi-Fi, allowing for real-time monitoring. However, the constantly changing site environment can lead to unstable connectivity; physical obstacles such as buildings, terrain, and moving machinery can impede Wi-Fi signals. Additionally, the lack of a reliable power supply limits the installation options for Access Points (APs). Consequently, a single AP failure can disrupt connectivity across a large area.

Altai Super Wi-Fi provides an effective solution to these challenges by emphasizing redundancy to ensure uninterrupted operation 24/7. Our proprietary backhaul redundancy approach connects the site office to the construction area. APs are mounted at elevated locations, such as cranes and the roof of the site office, to achieve line-of-sight (LOS) coverage of target areas. The smart antenna technology makes redundancy in coverage feasible, even with a limited number of APs. Furthermore, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) can be deployed to enhance connectivity for high-bandwidth applications, such as AI cameras. The APs at various locations are interconnected using a wireless bridge and monitored through a cloud controller. In regions facing power supply issues, solar panels can serve as an alternative power source.