Firetide says their mesh network is being used at the construction site of the tallest free-standing structure in the world, the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower), in United Arab Emirates. The newly installed Firetide network is being used for video surveillance, VoIP (voice over IP), and RoIP (radio over IP) applications at the worksite.
The Burj Dubai is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008 and will rise over 2,275 feet high.
Initially, communication in and around the site was accomplished using traditional walkie-talkies. However, as the building grew taller, this means of connection became less and less reliable.
“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 Corp which built the system. “With the Firetide wireless network, we are able to communicate with the ease and clarity that befits the world’s grandest and tallest structure. We are so impressed with these results that we plan to use Firetide wireless mesh in many construction projects going forward.”
Since deploying a combination of Firetide HotPort outdoor wireless mesh nodes and HotPoint access points at the Burj Dubai site, workers at the tower now use Wi-Fi-enabled phones supporting VoIP. In addition, a new video surveillance system using the Firetide network is now in place.
