Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

New hardware for FTTP and 5G

We are seeing significant demand for single devices that support Gigabit Ethernet and 5G or for 5G devices that can sit alongside Gigabit Ethernet routers.  Internet connectivity is now mission critical to virtually all businesses whether they are SMEs, mid-sized or the largest of enterprise or public sector.  For the channel, these devices need to be robust, reliable and manageable out of the box.  At Jola, every single device that we supply includes unique software that we’ve developed in-house to make the device provisioning zero-touch and to enhance the remote support that the reseller can provide.  Supplying hardware isn’t just a case of shifting a box anymore, now the reseller needs to make sure it will work perfectly with the customer’s particular mix of connectivity as well as any wide-area network-specific requirements such as SD-WAN or VPN connectivity to other locations.  

Benefits

The latest generation of equipment is significantly more powerful than what’s gone before.  Two years ago, using the best external antennas, a typical cellular router, even from a premium brand, would struggle to perform much beyond 40Mbit/s.  The constraint was both the device itself but also the cellular service available.  In a recent test, our entry-level 5G router, inside a building, using its internal antenna delivered 490Mbit/s.

The other major benefit of the new equipment is the cost savings.  Our average leased line customer has 100Mbit/s of bandwidth but our average FTTP customer has 300Mbit/s available to them.  On average our 5G customers achieve speeds of 276Mbit/s (using the Three UK network).  FTTP is around 80% cheaper than a leased line and 5G is around 97% cheaper than a leased line!

As if we don’t confuse people enough with our industry acronyms, we are now using the same name for two completely different things.

You may know that a Cat5 cable supports speeds up to 100Mb/s, Cat5e up to 1000Mb/s and Cat6 up to 10Gb/s, but does this mean that a Cat6 LTE 4G router supports speeds up to 10Gb/s? No.

The LTE Cat6 is part of the LTE-Advanced standard for routers and supports downstream speeds up to 300Mb/s. Cat4 LTE supports theoretical speeds up to 150Mb/s but our real-world experience is more like 100Mb/s. Confused yet?

Many people understand that 4G speeds have increased significantly recently with the introduction of the LTE-Advanced Standard, and can’t work out why their 4G router only ever speedtests below 100Mb/s.

This is because most people have Cat4 routers and don’t know they need a Cat6 LTE router to run faster.

Cat6 LTE routers are usually around twice the price of Cat4 routers so if you paid c£100 or less for your LTE router it is probably Cat4.

There are plenty of Cat6 LTE routers out there but before you buy one, consider that the new 5G Standard also supports Cat6 LTE. 

5G routers are expensive but will come down in price rapidly with volume, so you may want to wait a few months and go straight to 5G.

Jola offers a range of affordable, robust M2M and IoT routers, available to order in Mobile Manager, which will arrive directly at your customers’ sites. The proprietary Jola App, included with all routers, auto-configures the APN and WiFi settings and allows full control over all router settings. Customer configuration is available for suitable projects. The premium models also feature Smart Roaming Technology. Intelligent 4G routers are only to be re-sold with JolaMobile SIMs.

R1510

The R1510 router is a Dual Ethernet port (LAN + WAN) 3G/4G router with advanced software functions at a very competitive price point.

KEY FEATURES

• Highly stable 2G/3G/4G cellular connections
• Ethernet, WiFi and 4G internet connection options with auto-failover
• Fully programmable Linux environment with excellent SDK documentation
• ‘Smart Reboot’ for enhanced roaming SIM management
• Full SMS control for diagnosis and recovery from data network problems
• Very small footprint for space-constrained applications
• Wall-mount and DIN-rail mounting options available

R1520

The R1520 router is a versatile 4G router with 5 Ethernet pots and GPS. It has an E-mark certification, making it suitable for in-vehicle use. Other hardware features include optionally isolated digital inputs and outputs as well as a 10-bit analogue input, capable of interfacing directly with sensors and a range of 0 to 24Vdc or 0 to 20mA.

The R1520(G) model has the same features and specification as the R1520(V) but is supplied with a global PSU and is certified for use in a long and growing list of counties outside of Europe.

KEY FEATURES

• Cost-effective & high performance 3G/4G router
• Rugged design with 9 to 36Vdc power
• E-mark certification for in vehicle use
• Optically isolated digital IO
• 10-bit Analogue interface for direct sensor connections
• Supports Dual SIMs & WiFi/Ethernet as WAN
• Cellular keep-alive and fast failover
• Extensive range of software “apps” for enhanced functionality
• IPsec/OpenVPN/GRE/L2TP/PPTP/DMVPN supported
• Extensive global certifications

Demand for digital signage is increasing in the run up to Christmas, with many supermarkets investing in digital advertising solutions in their stores. Digital advertising boards require 24/7, reliable connectivity that can be rapidly deployed. Typically the advertising screens belong to a third party who are unable to use a fixed broadband connection. MSPs are looking for mobile broadband solutions they can control and manage across multiple sites.

Jola’s Solution

Jola offers a unique solution for MSPs which includes intelligent routers with a wide range of data connectivity options. Jola’s portal, Mobile Manager, gives MSPs the ability to order and manage mobile SIMs and eSIMs globally.

Jola is a global IoT MVNO, providing the UK’s first multi-network eSIM to the channel, offering the best possible service in any location. Our eSIMs offer value for money and have a UK IP address.

Jola’s Intelligent 4G Routers are designed for mobile broadband and large scale IoT rollouts. Devices are pre-configured with the Jola App, allowing auto-configuration. As a result, there is no need for manual configuration on site. Routers can be delivered to store, ready to install, saving valuable time and set-up costs.

To bolster security, Jola can add additional safety measures, to prevent a third parties accessing the routers. Firewalls can be implemented to restrict WiFi connected devices from reaching router management interfaces, whilst leaving the router able to reach the internet. Secondary Ethernet interfaces can be enabled for router management, so the only way to access the router GUI can be via a connected LAN cable. We can also hide the SSIDs to ensure routers are not receiving constant connection requests by third parties over WiFi.

Jola has partners deploying pre-configured, intelligent 4G connectivity for digital signage in stores all over the UK and Europe, negating the need for site surveys and manual configuration.