South Wales Police: Reliable In-Vehicle Connectivity

South Wales Police: Reliable In-Vehicle Connectivity

South Wales Police is the largest police force in Wales, made up of around 3,000 police constables and 2,000 civilian staff. Although the force only covers a relatively small 812 square miles, it provides policing services to 1.3million people – 42% of the country’s population – and has to deliver these services in a mix of rural and urban areas.

Watch the full case study now to find out how Westbase.io helped to deliver reliable and secure in-vehicle connectivity for South Wales Police force.

Westbase.io is the most experienced provider of ESN-approved 4G/5G networking solutions, having connected 1000s of emergency service vehicles and teams over the past decade.

We bring together the technical expertise and implementation experience necessary to help emergency services adopt new ESN-ready technology. Working with a network of partners, and representing the leading manufacturers in this space, we deliver solutions which are proven where it matters.

We’ll explore all this, along with the possibilities of ESN, and your service objectives, in your workshop:

Proven Where It Matters EMS Body Image

South Wales Police had previously implemented a handset-based solution which allowed Officers to access central systems from the road, but they were struggling to achieve reliable connectivity – particularly in some of the more mountainous areas they served such as the Rhondda Valley.

This was hampering use of the solution, and so they started to look for alternative connectivity options which led them to the Sierra Wireless AirLink MP70 vehicle router.

Westbase.io provided the Sierra Wireless AirLink MP70 router, AirLink Management Service (ALMS) and Panorama Antennas combination, roof-top antenna for:

  • Persistent and reliable connectivity
  • Advanced network security and privacy made simple
  • Simple to deploy and manage
  • Ability to remotely monitor, manage and troubleshoot the network using ALMS
  • Pre- and post-deployment support
  • Reliable connectivity throughout the South Wales area, even in rural and mountainous locations
  • In-car WiFi which allows Officers to connect their handheld and other devices to the Internet both in and around the vehicle, with the signal strong enough to reach even into victim households
  • ALMS system is used to administer all live devices, regardless of their location – the tool has been reported as “easy to use” but “really powerful”
  • The deployment has also “opened the door” to other connected solutions on the road, such as CCTV and facial recognition, which the force are now exploring

“The Officers have got a lot of things to think about, and the last of which needs to be thinking about whether they can get their data back to source. The MP70 router has enabled us to fill those gaps in connectivity and increase time out of stations […] The in-vehicle WiFi has really made a huge leap towards the 100% connectivity that we were looking for, they just get the best possible signal wherever they are.

Working with Westbase has been a pleasure, as a company they’ve been great to work with, they’ve been really helpful and always been on tap for support. There are always technical challenges, and Westbase have always been ready to step in and help.”

– Gregory Methven, Detective Constable with South Wales Police.

Watch the Full Case Study

Find out how Westbase.io solved South Wales Police’s connectivity issues so that officers could work from the road, while still ensuring their network was secure.