Securing FTTH street cabinets smartly and sustainably
Ensuring the security of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) street cabinets is a major issue for telecom service providers. Traditional, mechanical, key-based locking solutions are open to exploitation. Keys are frequently lost or stolen and they can be easily copied leading to the ongoing risk of unauthorized access.
Keeping the bad guys out is one issue. Another, equally as important, issue is ensuring the right people have quick and easy access to the right sites at the right time to guarantee an uninterrupted service.
Fiber optic cables need to be treated carefully to avoid breakage, especially in cold weather when the materials may become brittle. The same can be said of the locks that protect the cabinets. They need to perform reliably in all weathers – both hot and cold.
Most of the above challenges can be solved with the installation of smart locks. However, devices exposed to extreme cold often experience poor battery performance or total battery failure. And it’s now been proven that heat, more than cold, shortens battery life. This rules out the use of a battery-powered locking solution. Smart locks with a keyway can also be unreliable in extreme conditions. Keyways can become blocked or damaged by, for example, water or dust.
Battery-free and keyless for reliable operation
iLOQ has innovated a robust portfolio of products that has been developed to withstand and operate reliably in harsh environments where locks are exposed to dust, moisture and varying temperature conditions ranging from extremely cold to searingly hot weather. There are no keyways that can become blocked. And, most importantly of all, they are entirely battery- and cable-free and require no internet connection or WiFi. Locks are quickly, easily and reliably opened using the induction of an NFC-compatible smartphone. Access rights are sent to an app running on the smartphone. They can be updated and cancelled as needs change giving administrators a real-time view of who has access to where and when at all times.
With security levels maximized, administration and operating expenditure minimized, and maintenance and battery-waste eliminated, smart, secure, sustainable and cost-effective access is guaranteed.
