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A data connection in the year 2020 is as crucial as gas, water and light. It just has to be there and it has to work. Even on a construction project. Without good communication, a project of this magnitude cannot be carried out. So says Rutger Muijsers of TWS. Commissioned by BAAK, the specialist in business data and information connections will provide a high-quality (wireless) network solution on the entire route of the Blankenburg connection for five years.
TWS is a regular customer of Ballast Nedam, one of the combiners in construction consortium BAAK. “Contractors actually always know where to find us when a data connection needs to be set up quickly and temporarily somewhere,” Muijsers says. “In large infrastructure projects, there is usually no fiber optic network available that can be plugged in. With our ‘connectivity as a service’ philosophy, we know how to quickly and securely design, implement and manage a good, wireless broadband connection.”
TWS provides connectivity. Muijsers: “On a construction site, it is usually not profitable to set up a fiber optic network. The operating costs are far too high. A radio link, on the other hand, is a very good alternative and often the most logical choice. With the current state of technology, it is quite possible to achieve a decent bandwidth through the air; a few hundred megabytes to even a few gigabytes is no longer a problem. For BAAK, we set up a 100 Mb connection with coverage over the entire route. Of course, we have to get that bandwidth from somewhere. We have an extensive network of radio transmitters, especially at high points, so we can basically irradiate the entire country. For this project, we set up a licensed connection from the Cellnex mast in Rotterdam to the construction site.”
The jet link on the Blankenburg connection will remain on the air throughout the project. “Given the long duration and lack of height on the project with many obstacles, we chose to install a 40-meter high lattice mast on the construction site,” Muijsers explains. “If required, we can also take care of the permit application, probing, et cetera. In this case, that was taken care of by BAAK itself. In any case, the contractor combination does not have to worry about the data connection. Again, we provide connectivity, a reliable and secure connection. This is a total solution. Everything that's involved or required is on our plate. Including all the hardware to guarantee bandwidth over the entire route. Moreover, the connection is monitored 24/7. In case of any failures, action is taken immediately.”
The jet link on the Blankenburg connection is faster and more reliable than a fiber optic alternative, according to Muijsers. “A big advantage of our solution is that we can reach any point in the Netherlands from our network. Construction projects are often located in outlying areas or in areas where the fiber optic route is already fully utilized. A beam connection then offers a solution. Many large companies have therefore been customers of ours for many years.” Muijsers does see a change in demand. “Where previously people mainly bought in on technology, nowadays they ask for a total solution. It is then up to us how we fill that in. A positive development. This also gave rise to our ‘connectivity as a service’ model. We provide a temporary connection that is purchased as a service at a monthly rate where the equipment remains the property of TWS. It avoids large investments in hardware.”
Besides setting up a high-quality (wireless) network solution over long distances, TWS is also strong in setting up indoor Wi-Fi solutions. “These too can be purchased as a service,” Muijsers said in conclusion.
