Ruckus Launches Wi-Fi Access Points for Smart Cities, Stadiums and Public Transportation

By Ruckus Networks. 

Ruckus Networks has launched two new 802.11ac Wave 2 access points (APs). The E510 and M510 APs are designed to provide reliable Wi-Fi coverage in smart cities, space-constrained sites and hard-to-reach areas such as stadiums and public transportation.

Ruckus E510 AP

The Ruckus E510 is the industry’s first embeddable enterprise AP to feature separate RF and antenna modules. This helps facilitate smooth deployment at sites with strict form-factor restrictions or aesthetic constraints.

“The E510 is aimed at the rapidly expanding outdoor market. It is designed to minimize the aesthetic or physical impact at deployment sites such as outdoor digital signage, street furniture, kiosks, lighting fixtures and stadium seats,” Ruckus Product Marketing Manager Bharadwaj Kachapuram told The Ruckus Room. “More specifically, it offers customers a unique, diminutive two-element enclosure that separates the RF components from the antenna module. This allows the E510 AP to flexibly address installation requirements in space-constrained sites – or in smart cities with structures that restrict RF signals, such as inside light poles or underneath concrete buildings.”

Kachapuram also noted that the E510 AP is ideal for customers that demand a low-profile deployment, such as in scenarios where only the antenna itself can be exposed. These restrictions are typically imposed for aesthetic and security reasons, or to protect the AP core circuitry.

Additional key E510 features include:

• Centralized management: The E510 can be centrally managed with other Ruckus APs. This simplifies operations for cities, transportation authorities, public venue operators and service providers.
• Low-profile radio module: At only 21 x 14.2 x 3.3 cm, the E510 base unit can fit into most enclosures – including cylindrical light poles – and expand the reach of any Wi-Fi network.
• Weatherproof BeamFlex+™ antenna module: The diminutive 17.5 x 8.0 x 8.0 cm antenna module is built for outdoor stealth placement and can be positioned up to 3 meters away from the radio module. The BeamFlex+ antennas maximize flexibility and ensure high service quality, regardless of placement location.
• 11ac Wave 2: With 2×2:2 spatial streams, MU-MIMO support and a data rate of up to 867 megabits-per-second (Mbps), the E510 delivers sustained throughput for demanding users and applications.

Ruckus M510 AP

The Ruckus M510 AP is designed for use wherever supported LTE service is available. The M510 is ideally suited for deployment on buses, trains and in temporary locations where Ethernet connectivity is absent, unreliable or cost-prohibitive. Moreover, the M510 can be used anywhere wide area network (WAN) redundancy is required.

“If the M510’s 1Gb Ethernet port is used for wireless access network (WAN) connection, the LTE capability provides a natural backhaul backup resource in case of WAN failure,” Kachapuram explained. “This makes it ideal for remote offices or temporary pop-up retail or construction sites – where the cost of a wired connection is too prohibitive.”

According to Kachapuram, the M510 AP addresses a major unserved Wi-Fi opportunity by supporting deployment scenarios in which both Wi-Fi users and the AP itself are mobile.

“Put simply, the M510’s integrated LTE backhaul connection creates a ‘mobile AP’ for in-vehicle Wi-Fi service on trains, buses, taxis and other smart vehicles,” he stated.

Additional key M510 features include:

• Centralized management: The M510 can be centrally managed with other Ruckus APs. This simplifies operations and eliminates the need for a separate mobile hotspot management system.
• Integrated LTE modem: Allows network designers to create Wi-Fi hotspots at-will – and implement redundant backhaul to improve Wi-Fi service reliability and/or to ensure that SLAs are maintained.
• 802.11ac Wave 2 with BeamFlex+ antennas: With 2×2:2 spatial streams, MU-MIMO support and integral BeamFlex+ antennas, the M510 delivers high coverage efficiency and sustained downlink throughput of up to 150 Mbps when using LTE backhaul.