Alliance Corporation is proud to be a Value-Added Distributor for Cel-Fi by Nextivity products in North America. This is a repost from a Cel-Fi by Nextivity Case Study.
Timekeepers Security is a Boerne, Texas-based video surveillance company specializing in perimeter and gate security for the oil and gas industry, in particular drilling sites in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Cellular communications at drilling sites can represent a significant challenge, since they are often located in remote regions or in lowland areas that do not provide a clear line of sight to regional cell towers. Poor cellular coverage hampered phone communications, while the lack of Internet connectivity meant guards on duty had to record gate activities on paper.
According to Eddie Serna, Field Operations Specialist, Timekeepers Security Inc., “Cellular phones and tablets simply wouldn’t work in certain outdoor areas. Depending on the location, there were either weak signals or interference from cellular towers in Mexico. One particular location had no cell service of any kind. Given that many guards work in very isolated conditions, making sure they could communicate at all times was essential.”
Given its customer base, CellTeks often encounters projects that demand an innovative approach. For example:
CellTeks was asked to develop a solution that would allow gatekeepers at oil drilling sites to communicate wirelessly via tablets. Most of the ranch properties are in low lying areas with little to no line-of-sight to cell towers.
A high-rise property was having coverage issues in its elevators, despite the multitude and proximity of cell towers. Traditional BDAs were unable to generate enough power. CellTeks opted to deploy Cel-Fi Smart Signal Boosters in elevator lobbies and successfully filled the coverage gaps.
Cel-Fi PRO was deployed to enable search crews to communicate with people at the command centre. “Because this was a temporary situation, the key was delivering a simple, costeffective, cable-free solution that could be easily installed and removed,” says Hershel Craig, Vice President of Business Development
The Cel-Fi PRO systems (four installed to date) provide up to 200 yards of cellular coverage, which has allowed guards in those locations to communicate easily via tablet or cell phone.
Serna estimates that the locations using Cel-Fi PRO have coverage 98% of the time. “Before that connections were very, very unreliable. The only time we might have an issue is if a generator goes down.”
The results have been outstanding, Serna says. “CelFi worked wonders for us. It blew any other solution right out of the water. We have never had any issues with the Cel-Fi system at all.
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