Construction companies rely on networking for everyday planning and collaboration. However, unlike an office-based outfit, it operates on a new site and cannot depend on established IT and network facilities, which poses a challenge.

To get these network facilities to a new location, trenches or tunnels need to be drilled and cables laid for a wired leased line connection. This increases expenses and the time required to complete the job. You often have to continue digging new channels and laying new lines to extend access if you are on a site that increases in size over time, such as a significant housing development.

For modern construction companies who pride themselves on quality and agility, it seems no longer appropriate to wait for wired lines to be built for their internet access before they can progress on a project. Construction site wifi from UK Connect can help expedite the entire process of acquiring internet access for your site so that you can finish your actual project in due time.

What is the difference between Wifi and Wireless?

It is necessary to differentiate wireless from WiFi. WiFi routers offer an internet connection with wireless connectivity so that on-site employees can use their smartphones, computers, tablets, and other gadgets as they walkabout.

It is common for such routers to be connected to wired lines that provide on-site broadband service. But with cellular leased cables, the connection is delivered to your device using radio and microwave technologies, which is how you get mobile 3G and 4G data networks.

What do building sites require connectivity for?

Construction companies and contractors are using more digital devices and apps that rely on a network link provided by fast, secure internet and Wifi. Some services made possible or easier by construction site wifi solutions are:

• On-site communications: Wifi enables workers to make and take calls, answer emails, exchange files and photos, have IM network conversations. It is much more cost-effective to do all of this with a WiFi network than using cell data. Voice-over-WiFi telecommunications systems are free of charge.
• Security: Instead of keeping security officers on-site monitoring video feeds from security cameras around the clock, IP CCTV streams videos to the headquarters security staff or a contractor through the internet.

This dramatically decreases the tracking expense. WiFi-operated access systems have other authentication mechanisms that rely on an internet connection and will stream a picture from a camera at the gate to any device and be opened remotely if needed, again saving anybody who has to handle the gate all day. CCTV is a truly valuable aspect that can help aid security management at construction sites.

• Cloud-based services: Building firms have long used desktop and laptop computers to run CAD applications. Cloud-based CAD computing allows for greater versatility so that new ideas and guidelines can be easily exchanged. As they run on their computer, contractors can relate to the ideas and plans.
• IoT equipment: Building Information Modeling (BIM) uses data from on-site sensors and cameras to generate changing 3D visual models of the site and the construction. These may be mapped explicitly to CAD designs or analyzed before it advances further. As the term ‘Internet of Things’ suggests, secure communications depend on all such systems.

Benefits of Wifi to Construction Sites

Quick installation

Solutions for construction site wifi provide speed and ease of installation, which is a crucial advantage wireless leased internet lines have over wired. Broadband systems get up and running much quicker, subject to landlord consent and any licensing conditions, without trenches to dig and cables to lay. The fast, simple installation often means lower costs.

Bandwidth and performance

Wifi networks offer transmission rates of 10 Mbps and 2 Gbps, which ensures that the performance of gigabit fibre-to-the-local (FTTP) services is easily balanced. It has ultra-low latency, ensuring that the essential cloud and networking resources can operate smoothly with no buffering or bugs.

Temporary and versatile

Wifi also provides a more transient, flexible broadband building site approach. Laying down wired lines means a permanent piece of equipment being built. While some building projects last years, being able to turn off the service when necessary and leaving behind no physical trace is a more convenient approach. Wifi ensures that if the site shifts, links can quickly be transferred or expanded, and you can upgrade the capacity without having to worry about relaying any additional cabling.

Durability

Wifi provides greater resilience than wired cables as an option for construction sites. Wires often carry the risk of being inadvertently cut or broken, particularly in a location where there is a lot of drilling and heavy equipment going back and forth. If that happens, your entire internet connection goes down. This possibility is eliminated with the use of construction site wifi solutions.