As critical national infrastructure becomes an increasingly attractive target for hostile actors, remote sites—such as wind farms, wellheads, pump stations, haul roads, and transport hubs—are particularly vulnerable. The complexities of establishing effective security in these areas amplify the challenges of defending against threats.
The RockREMOTE Rugged from developer Ground Control is an Iridium Certus 100 transceiver able to enhance data transmission for unmanned vehicles and other platforms, offering a powerful solution for increasing the amount of sensor data transmitted in remote environments.
RockREMOTE Rugged
By seamlessly integrating with Videosoft‘s real-time, low-bit rate video technology, it provides a cost-effective method for secure, high-efficiency communication, particularly in locations where traditional connectivity options are limited.
This integration simplifies surveillance and strengthens security efforts, making it easier to monitor and protect remote infrastructure in challenging environments.
The Growing Threat to Remote Infrastructure
Reports indicate that sites critical to utility and energy production have experienced notable increases in cyber attacks in recent years. From 2023 to 2024, some regions reported a sharp rise in cyber threats targeting these facilities. Equally concerning, incidents of physical attacks on infrastructure have also surged, with attacks on substations including incidents involving firearms, which resulted in significant disruptions to service.
In various regions, there has been a marked rise in acts of vandalism and sabotage targeting power sector infrastructure. These attacks have escalated in both frequency and severity, with incidents involving explosives being used to damage transmission towers. In certain cases, these attacks have led to widespread power outages affecting large populations.
Thefts at construction sites, particularly those lacking on-site security, have also reached alarming levels, with recent reports showing significant increases in such crimes. Similarly, in agricultural sectors, incidents of equipment theft have become a growing concern, with the financial losses from these activities rising year over year.
These attacks often aim to disrupt critical services, with methods including sabotage, arson, and cyber threats, all targeting essential infrastructure systems. The rise in both physical and digital attacks on remote infrastructure highlights the vulnerabilities of high-value assets that are difficult to secure and protect, leaving organizations and governments facing increasing threats to their operations and services.
The Challenge of Traditional Security Measures
Infrastructure such as transport, energy production, and heavy industry spans vast areas, making it impractical to station physical security at every potential target. For instance, the cost of an unarmed guard at a site for 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, would reportedly cost around $3,600, and approximately $6,000 for an armed guard.
Statistics show that most thefts occur at night, with higher frequency in winter, and during long weekends and holidays. Thus, providing 24/7 coverage, especially over weekends, would be advisable, adding significantly to the cost.
Another option is to deploy fences along with cameras and sensors to detect intruders and send real-time alerts to a remote monitoring center. This enables security personnel to monitor multiple sites remotely, reducing on-site staffing costs. If an alert is received, the team can dispatch security personnel, alert local law enforcement, or activate localized deterrents such as alarms, sirens, or lights.
The advantages of this approach are its lower cost, 24/7 surveillance, and scalability. However, it requires a reliable, secure, and cost-effective method of transmitting the video stream (and possibly audio and movement sensors). In areas with cellular connectivity, this is relatively simple, but in remote locations, satellite is often the only feasible option.
Finding the Right Satellite Connection for Remote Surveillance
Satellite connectivity is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Multiple radio frequencies are used, and the type of frequency strongly impacts the form factor of the satellite transceiver. For instance, broadband internet via satellite—such as Starlink, Hughesnet, and OneWeb—uses Ka-band, which supports higher data rates and ample bandwidth (meaning less congestion).
The downside of Ka-band is that it is susceptible to rain fade (signal loss during bad weather), and requires a large antenna that consumes more power and needs precise alignment. While this is not an issue for home installations, remote outstations may face obstacles like mountains, trees, or the outstation itself obstructing antenna positioning.
One solution to this problem is phased array antennas, which can electronically steer themselves to optimal positions. However, they require significantly more power. Solar-powered batteries, for example, would struggle to keep a Ka-band antenna running, especially for continuous operations like surveillance systems.
In contrast, satellite services in the L-band spectrum have smaller antennas and lower power requirements. Iridium and Viasat utilize L-band for data transmission, making them ideal for Internet of Things (IoT) applications where low data transmission and small, discreet, battery-powered antennas are necessary.
L-band transmissions are immune to weather disruptions and difficult to intercept, making them well-suited for mission-critical tasks such as remote surveillance.
However, video streaming from remote, possibly unpowered sites, is not a perfect match for either Ka-band or L-band. Video streaming requires high bandwidth, and high bandwidth satellite services are power-intensive, easy to target, and difficult to position. L-band solves many of these problems, but transmitting video over L-band, which has limited bandwidth, is expensive.
A Breakthrough in Remote Video Surveillance
Two key developments have made it feasible to transmit video over L-band satellite connections at a lower cost. First, low-bandwidth video technology has emerged. Ground Control’s partner, Videosoft, has created video compression and transmission technology that provides real-time, low-bit rate video. It also includes an image enhancement feature that allows users to select and download high-resolution pixels from specific areas of interest in a scene.
Videosoft’s technology is compatible with most standard hardware, including video cameras, CCTV, audio microphones, GPS tracking antennas, and other input/output devices.
Second, midband (higher throughput) transmission services within the L-band spectrum are now available, including Viasat’s IoT Pro and Iridium’s Certus 100. Iridium’s service is particularly suited to remote surveillance due to its Low Earth Orbit satellites, which offer low latency—critical for receiving real-time alerts when a facility is breached or assets deviate from their schedule.
Moreover, Iridium’s network of 66 cross-linked satellites means users do not have to aim the antenna at a specific satellite, which is particularly valuable in areas with dense trees or mountains.
RockREMOTE Rugged: A Simple & Secure Solution
Ground Control designs and builds several Iridium Certus 100 transceivers. For remote surveillance, the RockREMOTE Rugged is an ideal solution. This device has the computing power to run the Videosoft program natively without additional hardware. Simply plug in the camera and follow a few easy configuration steps to get started.
The RockREMOTE Rugged is easy to install and features an IP67 rating, designed for long-term outdoor use in harsh environments. Its compact, omni-directional passive antenna is discreet and harder for adversaries to identify.
Securing a remote site becomes both smarter and more cost-effective. Select from a variety of cameras, audio devices, and motion detectors, then connect them to the RockREMOTE Rugged. The onboard Videosoft technology will compress the data and send it in real-time over the Iridium Certus 100 network to the remote monitoring center.
A Smarter Approach to Remote Security
Securing remote infrastructure has never been more critical or more challenging. While traditional security measures struggle to balance costs and coverage, the combination of low-bit rate video, real-time image enhancement, and power-efficient satellite connectivity provides an innovative solution.
With the RockREMOTE Rugged and Videosoft’s technology, organizations can deploy surveillance systems that are reliable, cost-effective, and optimized for remote environments. Whether protecting critical national infrastructure or high-value assets, this technology provides security teams with the visibility they need, when they need it most.
Live Webinar: Securing Remote Facilities
Join Ground Control and Videosoft Global for a 25-minute webinar to discover how real-time video, audio, GPS, alarms, and IoT sensor data can provide a 360 degree view of your site, anywhere on Earth.
 March 26, 2025 | 15:00 (UTC)
