3G/4G Cellular-Based Digital Signage

Tags: Cellular Signage, Education / Schools, Healthcare / Hospitals, Mobile Interactivity, Retail, Retail Digital Signage, State of the Art Digital Signage
Type: Guide
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For years, digital signage deployments were shaped by the limitations of the on-site network connection. If the signge was to be on a network — that is, if it required a remote update and management component — then it had to be located in an area that supported a hardwired network or Wi-Fi infrastructure, complete with either hubs and cabling or individually configured Wi-Fi access points. Cabled and Wi-Fi networks dictated not only how digital signage was deployed, but also where it was deployed — and more often, where it couldn't be deployed.

That meant networked digital signage was found only in sites where the deployer or operator had access to and control over the on-site network. In many cases, it wasn't feasible to tap into or create a remote, stand-alone network for financial, regulatory, secuirty or other reasons. The inherent complexities of on-site, hardwired or Wi-Fi networks has  constrained and limited the deployment of digital signage in virtually all markets, including retail, education, banking, corporate communications, manufacturing, healthcare and others.

Cabled and Wi-Fi networks represent expensive and complex deployments, with increased costs and decreased practicality and flexibility. Hardwired infrastructure continues to be a burden for IT departments to set up, especially in cabling fees and ongoing management. Add to that the extra security, bandwidth limiters and network-load balancing typically necessary to accomodate a digital signage network riding a company's Internet or intranet backbone and the complexity increases. And finally, most digital signage buyers are from the communications side of the business and typically see increased IT investment and maintenance expenses as something to be avoided, if at all possible.

Some locations couldn't support networked signage at all because they couldn't get a network connection. Running a cable may have been too difficult, such as in the case of a billboard display, or Wi-Fi wasn't an option because the location was surrounded by concrete walls. In addition, transitory or mobile systems — systems that are constantly on the move and can't be tethered to a fixed location — also can't continually search for a Wi-Fi connection. For such systems, connectivity was impossible.

Impossible, that is, until recent developments in 3G- and now, 4G-based, cellular networks from leading carriers.

Today's 3G- and 4G-based cellular networks offer unprecendented advantages to the digital signage deployer. Cellular technology makes digital signage more cost-effective, practical and flexible. Digital signage networks that run on cellular-based broadband Internet support provide all the capabilities of a hardwired network without its inherent limitations.

And today, having a digital signage network on a secure and separate connection — a goal that is often unattainable on cabled or Wi-Fi networks without extensive investment — is critical.

Thanks to this new technology, digital signage can be deployed virtually everywhere, even in the most remote locations. New meaning is given to the term "remote control, management and monitoring." The reaction time of the network is shortened, maintenance alerts are provided instantaneousy and the cost and complexity of the network is cut to manageable levels — whether the network is in an office in Manhattan or remotest rural regions, as long as a cell tower is accessible.

Recent developments in cellular technology portend a greater array of features for digital signage networks. The advent of 4G, the fourth generation of cellular-based wireless broadband Internet connectivity, promises to bring a new level of content to networks, including increased bandwidth, interactivity and on-demand video. Although 3G networking provided a breakthrough for digital signage, 4G is expected to be the "tipping point" for a new generation of wireless digital signage deployments as it eliminates any remaining variance between hard wired, high-bandwidth networks.

So what is a cellular-based digital network, and what can it do for a digital signage deployment? Those are the questions this guide is designed to answer for both the business-oriented and technology-focused reader.

We hope that as you read through this guide, you'll be enlightened about the new realm of possibilities that has been opened by 3G- and 4G-based cellular networks.