California-Based County Uses PNK to Connect Mobile Library
Solution: PNK | Industry: Country Government | Use Case: Mobile Connectivity
Highlights
Challenge
In order to take advantage of technological advancements made during the COVID-19 pandemic, one California-based public library enlisted the help of RTech Solutions. During the pandemic, libraries in the county had to close due to health and safety regulations. To continue their mission of providing free resources to the community, library management had to find an innovative solution. This led to the creation of a mobile library on wheels, aptly named the BiblioBus. The BiblioBus quickly became a welcome sight in the area and is still operating today – months after the pandemic has ended.
Solution
To bridge the gap between library services and community members who were unable to visit a physical library location due to stay-at-home orders, RTech provided the PNK, a Wi-Fi over cellular solution. The PNK enabled mobile connectivity for a bus filled with books, computers, and other library resources while also encouraging community members to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Benefits Overview
From the library’s point of view, this solution allowed them to stay operational when thousands of other libraries across the country were forced to temporarily shutdown. From the communities’ point of view, this enabled them to access books and resources they were accustomed to enjoying at a time when so many other everyday gratuities had been taken away.
Benefits for a Mobile Library Use Case
Slowing the Spread
Arguably the most important benefit at the time of deployment was the health risks mitigated by the PNK. During the height of the pandemic, each person that contracted COVID-19 was estimated to spread the virus to an average of 2.24 – 3.58 people*. By bringing library resources to individuals, this county was able to limit this specific channel of transmission significantly.
Strong Enough To Support Multiple Connections
To be the most effective, the BiblioBus needed to visit the most populated areas. With nearly 486,000 residents residing within this county, each area would have at bare minimum dozens of guests. This meant the PNK needed to be able to support several simultaneous connections without sacrificing signal strength or the quality of its connections. For the BiblioBus, the PNK was more than enough as each Kit can connect up to 100 devices and stay connected for up to 10 hours on a single charge.
Mobile Connectivity
For the idea behind the BiblioBus to work, a solution that could remain connected through constant bumps and bruises sustained from everyday travel was needed. The PNK is enclosed in a ruggedized shell that is weatherproof, impact resistant, and can safely operate in temperatures up to 208 degrees Fahrenheit. This allowed the BiblioBus to remain connected and operational no matter where it went, which in turn empowered community members to access library materials without having to leave their homes.
Solutions
PNK
Encapsulated in a polypropylene-based resin, the PNK is built to withstand impacts, harsh weather, and extreme temperatures.
For this specific use case, the PNK’s ability to withstand light damage caused by everyday travel further solidified its position as the best solution for the job.
Bundled Data Plans
For every PNK, there needs to be a data plan to go along with it. At RTech, our OpEx pricing model means customers don’t pay expensive upfront charges. Instead, they pay monthly for the entire bundled solution.
Referred to as “solutions-as-a-service,” this pricing model is a great way to help smaller businesses access the same solutions as their bigger competitors for a fraction of the initial cost.
Our data plans are available in 5G and LTE from any major North American wireless carrier.
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