Forward-thinking companies have been deploying increasingly sophisticated digital solutions to their frontline workforce, including purpose-built devices and applications. However, the ability for these tailored solutions to quickly, reliably, and securely connect to the corporate network or the internet remains an underserved requirement. Find out how Techstep, with Celerway GO, bridges these connectivity gaps on the frontlines.

Techstep is an Oslo-based provider of managed mobility services with a mission to help public and private organizations in the Nordic region improve the workdays of their employees. By bundling mobile device management, software, hardware and connectivity into managed services and solutions, Techstep enables enterprise employees to do their work across mobile devices and locations, with a high degree of security and operational stability. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, has 300 employees, and serves more than 500 enterprise customers in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Frontline workers often lack a dedicated professional-grade mobile connectivity solution, so they inevitably resort to public WiFi or personal MiFi to connect their professional equipment. “The missing piece of the puzzle, and a consistent ask from our customers, is an easy, truly portable way to provide fast, reliable, and secure connectivity to their employees in the field, no matter where.” says John Olve Andersen, Director of Managed Services at Techstep.

Techstep has had first-hand experience with Celerway’s innovative router technology. So when Celerway launched its most compact, battery-operated dual-modem router, the GO, Techstep quickly recognized it as a perfect fit for frontline workers.

The pocket-size GO leverages all available cellular connections to create secure and professional-grade connectivity. With its dual-modem design, GO effortlessly outperforms dual-SIM offerings in the market. In addition, its proprietary Phantom technology ensures that connections remain uninterrupted, even when switching between mobile networks.

Since its launch, Techstep has demonstrated how Celerway GO flawlessly bridges the connectivity gap for frontline workers in diverse sectors, including Media and Broadcasting, Aviation, Emergency Services, Security, Law Enforcement, and more.

In 2020, a national broadcaster approached Techstep inquiring about connectivity options for its field journalists. Its field teams are always on the move with dedicated audio and video streaming equipment in tow. Still, they can only report from locations with adequate internet access.
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Celerway GO has allowed journalists to focus on the story instead of network technology.

Techstep proposed an ultra-portable solution: the pocket-sized, battery-operated, dual-modem router Celerway GO, recognizing the equal importance of mobility and connectivity performance. Techstep set up the unit with two SIMs from different mobile operators. With its proprietary Phantom technology, GO employs both cellular connections simultaneously to provide seamless, high-performance, and stable connectivity.

With their equipment connected to GO via WiFi or Ethernet, the field team can now report from places where previously no audio, much less video, could be streamed. “The performance and stability of the connection, with just how simple it is to use and its ultra-compact form-factor, makes GO the perfect companion for the field journalist.” says Andersen.

Celerway GO is now an indispensable part of the broadcaster’s field kit for its journalists. In addition, the device has since supported the broadcaster’s field teams on locations at major international sporting events and from places they couldn’t have gone before.

“Celerway GO has allowed journalists to focus on the story instead of network technology. It has freed journalists from location constraints and opened up new possibilities of where they can report from.” says Andersen.

Around the same time, Techstep encountered a similar ask from an innovative European airline specializing in long-haul flights. The airline equipped its pilots and crew with iPads and installed purpose-built applications. For example, they envisioned pilots being able to download fuel and other pre-flight reports with their aircraft docked at the gate. Also, the iPads would support push-to-talk between cabin, gate, and ground personnel.

However, connection issues constantly plagued early field tests. Commercial internet access is available at airports, but mostly in passenger areas. When an aircraft has docked at a gate, it has limited options for connectivity: onboard satellite units are near inoperable from the shadowing effect. At the same time, airport WiFi signals are too weak or non-existent.
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Celerway GO not only delivers the secure and reliable connectivity needed for pilots and crew, it gives our customers peace of mind.

Techstep saw this as a perfect use case for the ultra-portable dual-modem router: Celerway GO. So Techstep field-tested the devices with 2 SIMs: one from a European operator and another from the destination operator. To further boost signal reception, compact antennas were attached to the units.
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GO now provides the much-needed connectivity, even at the gates. With the iPads connected to it, pilots and crew finally experienced the full potential of all their custom applications. Furthermore, GO is simple to operate, allowing the staff to focus on their aircraft's operation and passenger safety rather than a piece of network equipment. Lastly, all GO devices are centrally managed and updated with the latest security patches by IT via Celerway's cloud administration application.

“Celerway GO not only delivers the secure and reliable connectivity needed for pilots and crew, it gives our customers peace of mind, knowing that the devices are up to date with the latest security features.” says Andersen.

Today, the Norwegian airline continues to grow its innovative digital program for its frontline staff. Since its successful field tests, the airline has equipped nearly every plane in its modern fleet with a Celerway GO.

With the proven successes of Celerway GO in the field, Techstep began extending its use to customers with innovative frontline strategies.

The ability to securely and reliably communicate from the field is critical for emergency services. For example, ambulance personnel depend on dedicated, secured phone connections to hospitals, police, and firefighters. They also increasingly use wearables like Realwear to live stream patient data to hospitals. Ambulance equipment, however, is frequently without encryption capability. Furthermore, there is never a guarantee that cellular signals are available, much less reliable, at the scene of an emergency.

The ambulance service has previously tested other compact routers as potential add-on equipment to their vehicles, but with subpar results. So Techstep proposed Celerway GO as the perfect candidate for the job.
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Accidents don’t just happen where there are good internet connections.

Techstep supplied the emergency vehicles with GO units, each equipped with 2 SIMs and compact antennas, as a dedicated mobile communication solution. With the stability of the connections provided by GO, field personnel can now call securely through VoIP from their smartphones. At the same time, they can live stream patient data reliably back to the hospital. In addition, the pocket-size, battery-operated units never impeded their mobility, allowing them to communicate from virtually anywhere at the scene.
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“Accidents don’t just happen where there are good internet connections. GO gave our customers the confidence that no matter where their frontline workers are, there will be secure, professional-grade connectivity to let them do their job.” says Andersen.

The recent crisis in Ukraine sparked a similar need for the law enforcement community as the demand for refugee relocation escalates. Border agents and law enforcement personnel increasingly rely on government digital solutions in the field to help with security and identification efforts. Often they are at hotels, in foreign countries with higher security risks, or in rural areas where connections are unreliable.

Techstep equipped these field agents with GO units, where one of the two SIM cards installed on each unit is always from a Nordic operator. With the built-in modern VPN, these agents can now connect reliably and, more importantly, securely to governmental databases, regardless of where their duties take them. The agency has since included GO as part of its standard travel kit.

Innovative digital solutions for the frontline workforce demand innovative connectivity solutions. As organizations rapidly extend their digital reach to the frontline, the need for a truly mobile, professional-grade, and secure connectivity solution has become urgent.

Celerway GO is the perfect fit to bridge this connectivity gap. It has been proven in the field for the frontline workforce across diverse sectors such as Media and Broadcasting, Aviation, Emergency Services, Security, and Law Enforcement. GO delivers for the frontline workforce:

• Seamless and professional-grade connectivity: the dual-modem GO leverages all available cellular connections simultaneously, providing seamless, high-performance, and stable connectivity. Its proprietary Phantom technology keeps connections uninterrupted, even when switching between mobile networks.
  
• Portability and mobility: GO is ultra-compact and battery-operated, making it an easy addition to any field or travel kit. Need a boost in areas with poor coverage? Add on antennas. Need the same while on the move? Powerful compact antennas are available.
  
• Security and manageability: GO can automatically encrypt connections with its blazing fast built-in VPN—no additional user setup or configuration required. Furthermore, with Celerway’s cloud administration application, all GO devices can be centrally configured, managed, and kept up to date with the latest security patches by back office technical personnel.
  

GO gave our customers the confidence that no matter where their frontline workers are, there will be secure, professional-grade connectivity to let them do their job.

Contact us to learn more and discover how GO can help your frontline workforce deliver their best, wherever they are.