Getting the best of both worlds
Zyxel’s outdoor LTE router can provide consistent and reliable Internet connections where fixed-line access is not available or where it is prone occasional outages, making it the ideal way to provide connectivity in remote locations, as Luke Harley, Market Development Manager EMEA for Consumer and LTE at Zyxel, explains.
The continent of Europe is one of contrasts. Its towns and cities are a hive of commercial and consumer activity. There are also vast rural and remote areas, many of which are within only a couple of hours reach of urban zones.
This means that the citizens of Europe can have the best of both worlds. They can work and live in the city during the week, and escape to the mountains, forests, lakes, moorlands, plains and coastal areas on the weekends or during the holiday season.
Up to a point
Wherever we go today, we want to be connected to the Internet. And while this is easy enough in urban areas, it’s most certainly not the case once you get out into the countryside. The reason for this is, quite simply, because fixed line broadband coverage is not as readily-available in rural and remote regions as it is in built-up areas.
No escapeFor many city-dwellers, this means accepting that escaping from the city also means being out of touch. But increasingly, that’s not something that we want or can afford to do for too long. It’s not only adults who need to stay in contact. Kids today always want to be able to access social media. Being out of range is, at best, inconvenient and at worst, inconceivable. We might want to escape the city, but we don’t want to escape from being connected.
Fortunately, there is a solution. Cellular network coverage is much better than fixed-line coverage in rural areas. You can get a 3G signal in almost every corner of Europe – and in many places, you can get 4G. This means you can use the hotspot on your mobile phone to get a data connection. But while this is a good alternative for individual users, if you need to support two or more users or guests, it’s not enough. If you share the mobile hotspot on your smartphone you will soon use up your data allowance and battery life.
Clear connection
This is why the Zyxel LTE Outdoor Router (LTE7240-M403) is such a brilliantly useful solution. It can provide consistent, reliable Internet connection is needed in any remote areas where a 3G signal is available. It gives you a direct connection via LTE and as it can be located outside, you can get a very clear signal from the cellular mast. It’s built to cope with harsh environments, so rainfall, dust, and extreme temperatures are really not a problem.
By connecting the Zyxel LTE Outdoor Router to (via Ethernet cable) to a switch, access point or security gateway/access point you can thus provide Internet connectivity to multiple devices and WiFi users.
This makes it ideal for places where there is no fixed broadband connection, or the connection available is very slow or susceptible to occasional outages – which can often be the case in remote areas.
The LTE7240 can be situated just about anywhere and will continue to work reliably in all weather conditions. Of course, it does not have to be located in a remote area – it can be used just as effectively in urban areas where there is for whatever reason, a fixed line connection is not available or can’t deliver the consistent reliability needed.
But it really comes into its own in those far-flung parts of the world where there is less noise and traffic, but also less infrastructure, which means Europeans really can have the best of both worlds – and stay connected at all times.
