Renewable Energy Provider Optimizes Connectivity in Remote Sites

A leading provider of renewable energy required a reliable, secure, and high-performance connectivity solution to support their OT and IT systems across multiple remote sites. These locations included solar farms, wind turbine installations, and battery storage sites – often greenfield and completely off-grid.

The infrastructure needed to be operational from day one, with connectivity supporting multiple OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), including SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, radio networks, CCTV (Closed Circuit Television), and local site teams.

Fixed-line broadband was not a viable option due to the isolated nature of the sites. At the same time, each location required a publicly routed IP subnet to integrate with their perimeter security systems. Traditional IoT SIMs weren’t suitable for this setup due to their limitations in routing flexibility and fault tolerance.

CSL implemented its Outpost solution – an advanced SDN-based connectivity platform that delivers the resilience and flexibility needed for complex, remote deployments. The Outpost hardware features a quad-radio design, allowing the use of four independent 4G IoT SIMs. These were deployed alongside satellite connectivity to deliver a high-speed bonded connection with sub-second failover. This ensures seamless performance even if one or more of the mobile or satellite paths drop out.

Crucially, CSL’s SDN overlay network enabled the delivery of a routed public IP subnet directly to the site’s perimeter firewall. This meant each asset—regardless of the OEM—could be brought under the client’s unified security and network model, eliminating the need for multiple independent connections from different vendors.

CSL’s Outpost solution transformed how the customer could manage connectivity across their entire estate. Previously, each OEM would have deployed its own access solution, often outside the security perimeter and with minimal visibility or centralized control.

Now, the entire site is integrated into the customer’s existing IT and OT systems from day one, supported by a secure, resilient connection that behaves like a traditional fixed-line service—but with the added reliability of multiple mobile and satellite paths.

CSL also provides proactive monitoring and remote management, enabling rapid resolution of any issues, including out-of-band access when necessary. In the rare instances where on-site intervention is required, CSL’s engineers can respond quickly.

This deployment showcases the flexibility and power of CSL’s Outpost solution, made possible by CSL’s unique ownership of both the hardware and the network core. The SDN architecture allows CSL to design and deploy custom, routed networks over mobile infrastructure—an offering few others can match.

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