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TeleEye protects mobile towers

Traditional manned guarding methods are not financially viable for remote mobile towers.

Mobile communication towers are at constant risk from the threats of theft and vandalism. Since they usually contain primary or backup generators to maintain their daily operation, the diesel used to fuel these generators is in high demand from thieves. Apart from fuel, the sites contain high value telecommunication equipment, cabling, batteries among others, essential for the smooth running of these facilities. Mobile communication towers must be protected from these risks since incidents of theft and vandalism greatly affect the reliability and quality of service of the networks.

Traditional manned guarding methods are not financially viable due to widespread locations and the remoteness of many of these towers. The cost of 24-hour manned guarding and the difficulty in managing guarding personnel at these sites has forced mobile communication providers to seek effective alternatives.

South Africa’s leading mobile service providers have setup remote video response centres (RVRC) equipped with the TeleEye remote monitoring and video alarm verification solution to protect their towers.

TeleEye provides a comprehensive event-driven surveillance solution where remote operators can take immediate action once an incident is detected and act to effectively deter the intruder and protect the site from further risk. These systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of 24/7 security management and deter such criminals.

Solutions installed include TeleEye RX series Video Recording Servers connected with TeleEye cameras, outdoor detectors, PA speaker horns and pepper gas systems. For event-driven surveillance, TeleEye sureGUARD installed in the RVRC can protect numerous sites 24-hours per day. The alarm management system allows the site to be remotely armed and disarmed, set with entry/exit, fire/24-hour or normal zones. Detection triggers the RX which then connects back to the RVRC. The operator can verify the incident by viewing the alarm images from all the associated cameras before, at the time, and after the event was triggered. If a genuine case arises, the operator can operate the RX and take necessary action by issuing an audio broadcast, activate sirens and switch on lighting. If necessary, the operator can operate the RX to activate the pepper gas spray.

Efficient video management solution

TeleEye RX Video Recording Servers combined with the TeleEye sureSIGHT Integrated Video Management Platform provide an effective control room viewing and management solution. sureSIGHT provides live camera views from multiple sites concurrently of critical areas such as generators, cables, containers and gates. It provides remote operators with video patrol schedules ensuring routine video patrols of the sites on a regular basis. Interactive site maps are also provided to assist with operator orientation when navigating remote sites.

Multistream video compression

TeleEye SMAC-M multistream coder provides for four independent video streams which optimise performance and deliver no compromise in both recording and transmission within the allocated bandwidth. Allowed bandwidth for surveillance purposes can be controlled and allocated according to remote security and management requirements and policies. The RVRC can connect on separate bandwidth at differing speeds to managers who require concurrent viewing from their mobile phones without affecting the critical RVRC operations or bandwidth allocation.

Whenever TeleEye RX detects a breakdown in the primary connection, it can switch the communication over automatically through to a 3G USB modem to ensure the connectivity between RVRC and the site are maintained. The system helps to manage numerous sites with functions like video loss alerts, power fail detection, system health check and end-to-end site checking. sureGUARD allows operators to ensure every site is connected properly when an event is triggered.

While mobile providers sometimes rely on internal and third-party service providers for the smooth running and maintenance of their mobile towers, it is imperative that maintenance, refuelling, construction and other tasks are closely monitored. TeleEye remote monitoring solution allows mobile operators and management 24/7 live viewing of their sites from the RVRC, notebook computers and mobile phones.

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