Surveillance cameras, access control and environmental sensors all depend on constant connectivity. A 4G router and a SIM card can look like the quick way to connect them, but the data these devices produce does not suit how public mobile networks are built.
Built for downloads, not uploads
Phones and tablets mostly download data, and 4G is designed around that pattern. Cameras do the opposite. Real-time viewing, licence plate recognition and intrusion detection all need a stable uplink.
Limited, unpredictable uplink
A 4G uplink often gives each device about 2 to 10 Mbps. Links can be capped and prioritised by the operator, and many plans limit how much data can be uploaded each month. When several cameras share one cell, uplink performance can fall sharply, which brings congestion, higher latency and dropped connections.
What the monthly data looks like
A plan with a 5 GB monthly limit allows only about 16 kbps per device if it is used evenly across the month. A camera averaging 1.5 Mbps uploads close to 490 GB in the same period.
Running cost
With 4G, the upfront cost is low, but the data charges continue for as long as the network runs. A private wireless network is mainly an upfront investment, with no licence fees and no per-gigabyte charges for traffic on the network itself.
Bandwidth you control
A private network is sized for the traffic it has to carry, and that capacity is not shared with the public. Anywhere nodes offer a data rate of up to 1,201 Mbps per radio, and self-healing mesh and ring designs keep traffic moving if a link fails.
Security
On a public 4G network, your data travels over infrastructure that you do not control. A private network stays in the hands of its owner, and Anywhere networks use AES-128 on the wireless link and AES-256 end to end.
Which should you choose?
4G can make sense for a few low-data devices, or for sites where a private link is not practical. For continuous video, or for many devices at one site, a private wireless network gives more predictable capacity and more predictable costs.