Case Study: Fairborn Water achieves reliable, full SCADA connectivity with Cambium Networks' cnReach solution

Complete SCADA Connectivity for Fairborn Water

Fairborn Water, the municipal water and wastewater utility serving about 30,000 residents in Fairborn, Ohio, needed a more reliable wireless SCADA communications system after years of operating in crowded unlicensed spectrum near an Air Force base. Many remote telemetry units were serial-only and the utility required a solution that would reduce interference, support modern Ethernet/IP data, and provide secure, uninterrupted control and monitoring. Cambium Networks’ cnReach radios (and associated tools) were selected as the core vendor technology for the upgrade.

P&R Communications used Cambium Networks’ LINKPlanner to design a licensed parallel network and deployed Cambium’s cnReach narrowband radios with cnMaestro management for end-to-end monitoring. The solution provided AES-encrypted links, I/O to migrate serial endpoints to IP, and predictable link performance (up to ~4 miles LoS, ~2.5 miles NLoS). Deployment was rapid (sites took 2–3 hours), allowed interim ISM operation while MAS licensing completed, delivered 24/7 visibility and immediate alerts, and materially increased SCADA reliability for Fairborn Water.

Fairborn Water