The proliferation of cellular technology is helping to innovate radio communications so that you no longer have to be within range of a transmitter to communicate. A radio system usually has a range of about 100 miles and is subject to interference from other radio signals and other transmission obstacles. Tall buildings, mountains, and other obstacles can block or interfere with a radio signal and defeat it.
Instead of relying on a limited over-the-air system, radio over IP (RoIP) uses the nation’s cellular networks to enable radio communications. Cellular networks are more adept at handling higher levels of digital communications, including RoIP. Let’s take a closer look at some of the many ways that RoIP improves radio communications.
RoIP Improves Commercial Transportation
The latest telecommunications technology is greatly improving and changing the state of radio communications, which is changing how shipping and transportation providers can communicate and improve their efficiency. The nation’s cellular networks create a virtually endless range of radio communications. There still are some dead spots in very rural areas, but even those are gradually being closed as cellular networks expand.
Radio is the big connector when it comes to over-the-road commercial transportation. Radio communications enable instant communications between the driver and dispatchers at transportation warehouses, centers, and hubs. The benefits of RoIP are helping to make commercial transportation much more efficient. As long as drivers are within a cellular network, RoIP can reach them and make it possible to make routing changes or address other issues as needed.
More Efficient Logistics
Logistics are an important element of commerce and are especially important for ensuring industries, retailers, and service providers have the materials, equipment, and goods needed to continue doing business. Getting items from one point to where they are needed is the general purpose of logistics. When that does not happen, supply chain disruptions occur, and prices tend to rise. With RoIP, realtime location tracking is possible so that the exact locations of those items within the supply chain affirm where they are and when they will arrive at their intended destinations.
Radiofrequency identification (RFID) is the commonly used tracking device that shippers can affix to a single item, a pallet of items, or an entire trailer full of goods that are headed to the same destination. An RFID tag is inexpensive and helps to determine the location of an item or an entire shipment at any point along its journey – including while on the road. The real-time location tracking done by RFID is one example of the many ways that RoIP helps determine the precise location of items and enables the wheels of commerce to keep on turning instead of enduring a supply chain disruption.
More Affordable System
Another great advantage of RoIP is its affordability. A dedicated radio system for commercial shippers might cost $10,000 or more. Despite the investment, shippers might not have enough radios to communicate with drivers while they are on the road fully. Those radios also require maintenance and batteries to prevent sudden failures.
A RoIP system is much more affordable and a lot easier to use. The cellular systems are already in place, so you just need the ability to use them. The RoIP systems enable commercial trucking and other delivery systems to use cellular networks to communicate and track locations. The investment cost is a fraction of what it would be to install a dedicated commercial radio system, and the benefits are tremendous.
Instead of radioing a driver in the cab to learn that truck’s location, the shipper can check the real-time tracking location. A driver could also communicate using a cell phone as well as a truck radio with RoIP access. The cell phone makes it possible to communicate even when the trucker is not in the cab and might be dining at a restaurant. The enhanced communications capability of RoIP and its relatively low cost make it a necessity for commercial transportation systems.
