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Challenge
A leading supermarket chain was experiencing a rise in shoplifting incidents and, more critically, an increase in violence against store security staff. In response, the business decided to implement body-worn cameras across their stores, aiming to deter aggression and provide evidential footage where incidents did occur.
The chain opted for cameras capable of recording and livestreaming events in real time, which introduced a significant connectivity challenge. The solution needed to meet three core requirements:
- Reliable, uninterrupted connectivity across all eight store locations to support live video transmission without dropout or latency.
- A fully secure data path to ensure that video recordings and livestreams could not be intercepted or compromised in transit.
- A trusted connectivity partner with experience in IoT SIM deployments for security-critical environments, able to configure and support the solution end to end.
A single-network SIM solution carried too great a risk of signal gaps in certain store locations. The nature of store construction can prove challenging for mobile signal, so the supermarket required a resilient, multi-network approach with fixed IP addressing to guarantee both consistent uptime and secure, private data transmission.
Solution
Working in partnership with a leading body-worn camera specialist, Cellhire supplied unsteered multi-network 4G SIM cards, pre-configured and ready for deployment across the eight trial stores.
Key elements included:
- Unsteered multi-network roaming across EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three, with each SIM locking onto the best available signal in line with GSMA 3GPP standards for reliable coverage across all store locations.
- Fixed IP addressing as standard, providing a consistent, identifiable network endpoint for each camera and enabling secure remote access to the live video feed.
- Private APN ensuring all video data transmitted by the cameras travelled over a closed, private network rather than the public internet, removing the risk of interception.
- Pre-staged SIM configuration so each card arrived ready for plug-and-play insertion into the cameras, minimising setup time in-store.
- End-to-end support from Cellhire’s IoT specialists throughout configuration, deployment, and go-live across all eight locations.
We needed a connectivity solution we could trust completely. With live video streaming running across our stores, there was no margin for signal dropout or security gaps.
Cellhire delivered exactly what was needed: reliable multi-network coverage, fixed IP, and a private APN that kept our footage fully secure from camera to control room.
Result
- Confident real-time deployment. The supermarket chain deployed a live-streaming body-worn camera solution across all eight stores with no connectivity failures, giving security staff and store management full confidence in the system from day one.
- Measurable deterrent effect. The visible presence of connected body-worn cameras gave staff and customers additional reassurance and acted as a positive deterrent that contributed to a reduction in incidents during the trial period.
- Uncompromised data security. All video footage and livestream data travelled over a private APN with fixed IP addressing, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of recordings at every point of transmission.
- Seamless partner integration. Close collaboration between Cellhire and the body-worn camera specialist meant the connectivity solution integrated cleanly with the camera hardware and management platform, with no compatibility issues.
- Scalable foundation for rollout. The trial established a proven, repeatable deployment model that the supermarket chain can scale to additional stores with confidence.