Enterprises that rely on outdoor operations—such as those in agriculture, mining, sporting venues, and industrial campuses—face unique challenges to ensure reliable and seamless communication across their facilities. Costs, security, and flexibility all come into play, especially for those organizations whose coverage requirements can quickly change based upon operational needs and business factors like expansion or consolidation. In industries that rely on outdoor facilities, private cellular networks are ideal for maintaining persistent, secure, scalable, and cost-effective connectivity, even in the harshest environments. And even in the harshest environments, private cellular offers advantages that far exceed the capabilities that W-Fi, and even public networks, can offer. Here’s why:
Compelling Attributes
Network technologies each behave differently, and some are better suited than others for specific deployments. For example, Wi-Fi is ideal for office settings, and works flawlessly for connecting laptops, servers, printers, and the like. But it is expensive and inefficient to use outdoors. Consider that research conducted by the OnGo Alliance found that every cellular access point needed to provide coverage outdoors would require no less than 10 Wi-Fi access points to cover the same area. And this doesn’t account for the expense of laying fiber to get backhaul to those individual access points.
Mesh: It’s What Matters
GXC offers a unique solution to this problem: we offer a proprietary mesh solution that extends coverage while reducing equipment expenses. This provides significant value to businesses that are looking to expand their footprint or take advantage of fast-moving business opportunities. GXC’s mesh technologies can be set up in as little as one hour, giving customers secure, seamless connectivity across expansive outdoor spaces that would be price-prohibitive for W-Fi networks.
Performance Advantages
GXC’s private cellular technology is ideal for organizations that rely on proprietary data to conduct business, especially in those environments that rely on automated machinery and processes to complete tasks. Contrasted with a public cellular network, which prioritizes downloads to satisfy consumer demands—such as TikTok videos or football highlights—the private network gives businesses the ability to upload huge swaths of data, as well as expedite downloads. This bi-directional control enables IoT devices to collect and transmit data efficiently, ensure uninterrupted operation of automated machinery and software, and maintain operational efficiency—especially in ruggedized industrial environments.
Economics Redefined
From a CAPEX and OPEX perspective, the cost of extending GXC’s private cellular solution to cover additional locations is far more cost-effective compared to extending a Wi-Fi network. Through our proprietary mesh technology, we can increase the coverage footprint by up to two miles—sometimes more, depending on topography—by standing up a single antenna. This can be accomplished in a matter of hours, at a cost that is a fraction of Wi-Fi.
For the sake of comparison, extending a Wi-Fi network requires some significant investment to extend signaling and/or electrical power to a remote access point. For example, some of our customers have learned that depending on soil and obstructions, contractors could charge $60,000 to $80,000 per mile to lay fiber. For shorter distances, typical costs for directional boring and conduit installation range from $10-$20 per linear foot. If it is practical, trenching and burying conduit could run as little as five dollars per linear foot, plus the cost of conduit. But unless the path is free of obstructions, specialized equipment to bore beneath or demolish or repair existing infrastructure can quickly increase costs. In addition, acquiring network gear and services to operate the network can also add to the total. GXC’s solutions prove time and again to be the most cost-effective strategy for providing seamless connectivity across a wide area.
Security
Just as importantly, GXC’s private cellular network is considered more much secure than Wi-Fi. Encryption is far more robust in a cellular network, and customers have total control in limiting who has access to the network, reducing attack vectors and the potential for breaches. These features are critical to an enterprise that must collect and transmit data from sensors that are geographically disparate, such as those used for transportation, mining, or agricultural assets out in the field, as well as to any organization that works in a highly regulated environment. GXC’s solution provides the best option for receiving and transmitting sensitive data in an industrial environment.
Conclusion
Private cellular networks have unique advantages for providing connectivity in outdoor enterprise operations. They offer balanced download and upload speeds, low latency, and enhanced security that are ideal for these deployments.
GXC continues to set itself apart from other providers by offering mesh technology that is specifically designed to deliver reliable and secure connectivity, quickly and cost-effectively. As businesses increasingly rely on data from IoT devices, automated equipment, and AI applications to fuel their outdoor operations, the importance of a reliable and secure network cannot be overstated. GXC’s private cellular networks provide flexibility, reliability, security and cost-efficiency that savvy businesses demand.
