B&B Electronics recently announced that its European operation has provided an extensive fiber, cellular and wireless communications network for the Volvo Ocean Race Galway Grand Finale.

The fiber, cellular and wireless communications network is deployed across 10 event locations, including the docks area, event headquarters, media center, Race Village, Global Village and seaside resort of Salthill. Company officials said that the network supports security, crowd management, Web feeds, live TV and radio broadcasts, video streaming, credit card and point-of-sale facilities.

In addition, it also supports commentator feeds, big screen displays and interfaces to Volvo's own IT Group.

Previously, Galway based B&B Electronics Europe provided network expertise for the Galway leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2009. The company is again providing as well as monitoring the physical communications infrastructure including Internet access and a ruggedized network that is used by the race teams, media and Galway event management teams.

In order to ensure network redundancy and make difficult remote connections, fiber, cellular and other wireless communications technologies were used, according to company officials.

There is a 20 km of fiber in the docks area that includes sections microtrenched into the ground as well as marine fiber installed by divers. Using its GhostBridge Wireless Ethernet Bridges, the company created point-to-point equipment links across the harbor to establish Internet connectivity at remote locations -- where wired infrastructure was not feasible.

Additional network equipment included the company’s ELinx Ethernet Extenders, ELinx ESW Series Ethernet Switches, Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) Switches, and Cellular Wireless Routers used for failover connectivity.

Launched last year in February, GhostBridge creates a transparent, secure, high-speed -- up to 150Mbps -- point-to-point link between two remote devices or networks, eliminating up to 15km of expensive and damage-prone wiring, said company officials.

B&B worked with the Galway event organizer, Let's Do It Global, to provide the network.

B&B Electronics is a provider of rugged M2M connectivity and communications solutions for wireless and wired networks. “Our engineers are increasingly asked to help connect M2M devices being deployed in increasingly challenging locations, and where network boundaries are being relentlessly stretched to reach them, but this project takes the cake,” said Jerry O'Gorman, managing director at B&B Electronics Europe.

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