When planning a WWAN deployment, one crucial question business owners and network administrators must answer is whether or not they’d like to use dual modem routers.
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What Is A Dual Modem Router?
A dual modem router leverages two simultaneously active radio connections to allow users to switch between SIM cards from two different carriers with zero downtime.
Because of the ability to switch between carriers without downtime, dual-modem routers are extremely popular for large-scale deployments or where it’s important to have an always-on backup connection such as connected first responder vehicles.
Improving Installation Flexibility
Imagine a customer had several warehouses spread across the country, and they needed a wireless connection to support IoT applications like inventory management and predictive maintenance sensors.
By using a dual modem router, the install team can test the performance of two different carriers simultaneously to determine which carrier offers the best connection for the customer’s IoT devices. The second best carrier can then fill the second SIM slot, providing a secure connection that will still allow the customer to operate in the event their primary carrier experiences an outage.
This method would also apply to data caps and overages, allowing the customer to set a data limit that will cause the primary SIM to deactivate and begin using the data allowance of the second SIM – effectively preventing overage charges.
Automatic Failover Facilitation
Because the radio connections in dual modem routers are always active there is no downtime when Failover activation takes place.
This is a significant benefit over routers that only support dual-SIM, as those devices require certain carrier settings to be downloaded before the second SIM can activate. While this usually only takes a few minutes, recent research shows that a single minute of downtime can cost larger business over $9,000.
How To Choose Your Wireless Carriers
Determining which carrier is best for your WWAN deployment will be heavily dependent on your location.
For example, T-Mobile may offer exceptional 5G coverage in large cities, whereas Verizon offers better performance in rural areas. By outfitting the dual modem routers used for your deployment with both T-Mobile and Verizon SIMs, you can ensure locations will have a reliable connection no matter where they are. Plus, locations in large cities will still have access to the Verizon network if T-Mobile has an outage, and rural locations can use T-Mobile if Verizon fails.
Our team of 5G specialists has years of experience with site surveys, WWAN deployments, and dual modem technology.
We’d be more than happy to provide a consultation if you’re interested in learning more about setting up a dual-modem router deployment for your business or need help determining which carriers are best in your area. Simply use the form below to request to speak to a member of our team.
