Backhauling Urban Surveillance Video over Wireless Infrastructure

London may be the most publicized example, but municipal governments, police forces and transportation authorities across the globe are adopting the example of the British capital by installing video cameras in city centers, airports, industrial zones, schools, and community centers as a tool to increase public safety, prevent potential crimes and provide citizens with an extra sense of security in the post 9/11 world.

The rapid evolution to IP-based cameras used in such applications, which require higher resolution and frame rates, as well as the capacity to support advanced analytics, demands an infrastructure capable of transporting the large amount of high-speed data that is generated. Because it is often impractical, prohibitively expensive and time consuming to lay fiber optic infrastructure amid the hustle and bustle of cities, public security officials can opt instead for a wireless access solution to backhaul extensive video applications to the central control or command center where personnel can respond as required.

A wireless access solution for connecting multiple cameras over a single network, however, has to be expert enough to transmit highly focused video across densely populated areas. Engineered to meet requirements as stringent as these, the Airmux series of wireless multiplexers from RAD Data Communications has become the leading wireless transmission solution for transporting high quality video in urban settings. Their high bandwidth and low latency translate into heightened security.

With a net payload throughput of up to 50 Mbps and a maximum transmission distance of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles), RAD's Airmux is a carrier-class, point-to-point and multi point-to-point wireless transmission system. Its flexible, scalable architecture responds perfectly to the demands of the urban environment while providing face-recognition accuracy. The future-proof Airmux features a robust, high-quality radio link that connects Ethernet between two sites. It saves on operating expenses (OpEx) because it is cost-optimized for video surveillance with asymmetric Ethernet bandwidth support. Its high quality, robust radio link is ideal for surmounting high-interference scenarios posed by the urban landscape. The Airmux can transmit over licensed 2.5 GHz BRS bands or over unlicensed, sub-6GHz bands, an option that enables immediate deployment. In addition, multiple point-to-point architecture allows a dedicated bandwidth to be assigned to each point-to-point link. Transmission is encrypted to ensure security.

The Airmux is easy to install and maintain, a must for cities in which dozens or even hundreds of units have to be deployed while even minor disruptions to traffic, pedestrian as well as vehicular, have to be avoided. In addition, it operates flawlessly even in extreme temperatures of up to -30 degrees Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit).