Wifi Revolution

Korea-based Samsung Corp. has deployed a Firetide (News - Alert) mesh network at the construction site of the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower), in United Arab Emirates. The newly installed Firetide network is being used for video surveillance, VoIP, and RoIP applications at the construction site of the tallest free-standing structure in the world.

Scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008, the Burj Dubai will rise over 2,275 feet high. Although communication in and around the site was initially accomplished using traditional walkie-talkies, this means of connection became less and less reliable as the building grew taller.

“The increasing height of the building posed a major communication issue – after a certain height and distance, communication via walkie-talkies became unclear, which created delays and safety concerns,” said Chang Geun Lee, project manager for Samsung (News - Alert) Corp. in a statement.

Thanks to the Firetide wireless network, Samsung is now able to communicate with the ease and clarity that befits the world’s grandest and tallest structure. The company is very impressed with these results and plans to use Firetide wireless mesh in many construction projects going forward.

A combination of Firetide HotPort outdoor wireless mesh nodes and HotPoint access points has been deployed at the Burj Dubai site. Workers at the tower can now experience clear, reliable communication using Wi-Fi -enabled phones supporting VoIP, and greatly enhanced connections using RoIP. A new video surveillance system using the Firetide network is also now in place.

Bo Larsson, chief executive officer of Firetide noted that Samsung’s choice of Firetide certainly gives testament to their ability to support the most unusual and demanding of the connectivity requirements.

Samsung SDS, an IT service provider in Korea and the systems integrator on the project, reportedly recommended deploying a Firetide wireless network.

According to Jerry Jang, project manager for Samsung SDS, even boosting and amplifying the radio signals of the walkie-talkies failed to resolve the issues. Following thorough competitive evaluation and testing of various products, the Firetide mesh network was chosen as the best solution for their situation. The network was deployed quickly and easily, and greatly enhanced the safety and productivity of workers at the massive construction site.

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Anuradha Shukla is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering call centers, CRM and information technology. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

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