Digital Signage using the R5020-Lite for High-Speed 5G Connectivity
A Robustel Application Example
Application Example – Fast Facts
Industry
Retail, Out-of-Home Media, Quick-Service Restaurants, Directories
Product(s)
R5020-Lite 5G Router, RCMS
Challenges
Large estates of screens depend on reliable backhaul to fetch creative, push urgent updates, and report proof-of-play. Fixed lines are slow to provision, some sites sit behind carrier-grade NAT, and “best-effort” links create missed playouts, costly truck rolls, and unhappy advertisers.
Expected Outcomes
A stable 5G uplink that keeps media players online, predictable failover with Dual SIM for carrier diversity, and fleet-wide visibility so operations teams spot issues early and fix them remotely.
Reliable backhaul is the backbone of digital signage
Digital signage has become a revenue-generating channel, not just a screen on a wall. Menus change by hour, promos react to weather, and advertisers expect proof-of-play. The network path is the make-or-break detail: if content cannot be delivered or the player drops offline, the moment is lost and support costs climb.
With the R5020-Lite as a dedicated 5G uplink, screens deploy anywhere power is available shopping malls, concourses, forecourts, road-side cabinets without waiting for a fixed circuit. Operations teams manage the fleet from the cloud, keep bandwidth under control, and resolve most faults without sending a technician.
Business Challenges
What makes digital signage estates hard to keep current and online? Multiple vendors, changing sites, and ad-driven schedules mean the network must be resilient, measurable, and easy to operate.
- Uptime vs. venue constraints: Venues control LANs and change policies without notice. A dedicated 5G path avoids local IT bottlenecks and keeps playout on schedule.
- Carrier-grade NAT and access: Many mobile networks block inbound access. Without a plan, remote support becomes guesswork.
- Rollouts at scale: Hundreds or thousands of sites need consistent configuration, controlled firmware updates, and a way to prove what changed and when.
- Cost and bandwidth control: Video assets are large. Unchecked downloads can spike data bills and congest links during trading hours.
- Field maintenance pressure: Every truck roll to reboot a player or swap a router erodes margin and breaks SLAs (service level agreements).
Solution Overview
How the solution was delivered with a focus on resilient backhaul, clean remote access, and fleet operations that scale.
- Dedicated 5G backhaul: The R5020-Lite provides a primary cellular uplink direct to the media player over Ethernet. Where coverage varies, Dual SIM policies select the better carrier to maintain throughput.
- Private, consistent access when needed: Use RobustVPN to assign fixed private addresses and enforce role-based, time-boxed access for integrators and support tools—no reliance on inbound public IPs.
- Fleet management in RCMS: RCMS onboards devices with Zero-Touch, monitors signal, data use, and availability, and rolls out configuration or firmware in controlled rings with full activity logs.
- Bandwidth discipline by schedule: Apply policies so heavy content pulls occur during off-peak windows. Set alerts for outliers to catch misconfigured players before bills escalate.
- Hardened, consistent install pattern: A small router and a short Ethernet run to the player keeps wiring simple. External PoE injectors or venue switches power cameras or sensors when required.
Expected Customer Outcomes
What success looks like for the key stakeholders (Head of Digital Operations, Network Engineering Lead) and the secondary stakeholders (Systems Integrator, Field Installer).
The goal is dependable playout, lower support cost, and clear evidence of control.
- Head of Digital Operations: Fewer missed playouts, faster campaign turns, and a dashboard view of estate health by venue, region, and network carrier.
- Network Engineering Lead: Consistent templates, auditable changes, and secure remote entry to troubleshoot players without public exposure.
- Systems Integrator: Standard kit per site, predictable commissioning steps, and remote diagnostics that cut repeat visits.
- Field Installer: Simple placement rules (power + mounting + short patch lead), quick signal checks, and successful first-time turn-ups.
Featured Products
Robustel R5020-Lite 5G Router
RCMS Cloud Device Management
Talk to an Expert
Want your screens to stay online and your campaigns to land on time? Let’s review a pilot site and build the template you can roll out everywhere.