CASE STUDY
Had residents taken usual precautions for tsunamis by heading to higher ground , where the fires started , they would have been in even more danger .
To restore vital communications , a private company based in Maui took it upon itself to set up a community Wi-Fi project .
Some service providers deployed Cell on Wheels ( COW ) mobile cell towers to provide temporary enhanced cellular coverage .
But COWs are powered by satellite connections and often do not have the required bandwidth to support more than a few data connections at a time – as was the case in Maui .
The fire itself was also an obstruction to these technologies – it took the carriers 10 days to two weeks to get the first COWs operational .
Obstructions and sporadic connectivity in conjunction with limited bandwidth can prevent access to vital information , applications and real-time data .
In turn , this prevents the effective execution of crucial , life-saving tasks .
Maui has unique topography . On the west side of the Island , where Lahaina is located , the utilities follow the coastline because it is the easiest route .
There were several communities in north of Lahaina which were not directly affected by the wildfires , but suffered greatly as they lost power , water and communications .
As part of the efforts to support displaced residents , and affected communities , Rajant Corporation teamed up with Hawaiian technology solution provider SITECH Solutions .
The partnership supported the Community Wi-Fi effort with higher performing networking nodes called BreadCrumbs that could provide longer range connectivity with the cellular COWs focused on cleanup areas . The enhanced coverage restored critical connectivity to businesses , residents and displaced people in West Maui .
Todd Rigby , Director of Sales , Rajant , said the company ’ s mesh network offers enhanced connectivity and can support the real-time delivery of voice , video and data .
“ This is particularly useful for enabling the capabilities of drones , robots and other Industrial Internet of Things ( IIoT ) devices being used by frontline staff to monitor the emergency situations , and facilitate communications ,” said Rigby .
Rajant creates a wireless mesh using BreadCrumb nodes which can be deployed on any asset , anywhere , to extend or improve operational coverage .
BreadCrumbs can also be attached to IIoT devices , drones , robotics or personnel .
Each BreadCrumb can make many concurrent active connections to ensure voice , video and data can be transmitted directly from a location to the central control center .
BreadCrumbs can also act as high-performance Wi-Fi access points enabling connectivity , even if traditional LAN connections are not available .
With access to real-time and critical information of a raging wildfire , firefighters and frontline crews can provide a timely and effective response to an evolving and unpredictable situation .
“ To navigate robust and harsh environments , wireless mesh nodes can create a self-healing network by relaying information and data to establish multiple redundant connections .
“ This means that people and their data can keep moving even if or when a node is damaged or lost in the blaze and ultimately enable 24 / 7 / 365 anywhere connectivity ,” said Rigby .
“ Wireless mesh networking technology can be deployed swiftly , being self-optimizing and resilient in ensuring that communications are consistently available – critical in enabling emergency services to undertake predictive and preventative measures to counter the complications inherent in a wildfire .
“ When a dangerous situation , like the Maui wildfires , unfolds , having access to reliable and unfailing wireless connectivity keeps residents and businesses connected to their loved ones when they need it most .”
Joey Walker , Technology Manager , SITECH Solutions , said : “ Thanks to Rajant ’ s BreadCrumb nodes our engineers were able to enhance the vital communications for frontline responders and citizens in a matter of days .
“ Collaboration is essential in such devastation and need – this was reflected in our work with Rajant to provide much-needed connectivity to a region reeling from massive communication failure .” p
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