Across Scandinavia, digital signage has become an integral part of daily urban life, providing essential information to passengers waiting for buses, trains, and trams. But the reliability of these screens depends on a crucial connection – one that is made possible by Com4's IoT connectivity.
ZetaDisplay, a leading digital signage provider, has been working with Com4 to ensure that its screens remain online and functioning at all times. From Oslo Central Station to bus stops across the region, Com4's network has enabled ZetaDisplay to provide seamless connectivity to its displays, even in areas where fiber access is not available.
The partnership between ZetaDisplay and Com4 is built on trust and a deep understanding of the Nordic market. ZetaDisplay has been operating since 1999, and its first customer, Flytoget, the Oslo Airport Express Train, remains a customer to this day. The company has since grown to become one of Europe's largest digital signage providers, with operations in eight countries and over 270 employees.
The challenge of providing reliable connectivity to digital signage screens is significant. Many screens are located in areas where fixed lines are difficult or impossible to run, and local Wi-Fi is often unreliable or insecure. Older 2G-based solutions also have limitations, such as the inability to handle rich graphics and real-time data feeds.
Com4's cellular connectivity has solved these challenges by providing a secure, always-on link between each screen and ZetaDisplay's cloud-based content management system, Engage Suite. Each installation pairs a Windows-based PC with an industrial 4G modem and environmental sensors, ensuring that screens connect to the cloud automatically and pull or stream their content without manual configuration.
The system has proven its worth in various applications, including real-time information updates across displays within seconds via Com4's cloud-connected network. This has been particularly valuable during the pandemic, when Ruter, the public transport operator, was able to instantly push infection-control messaging and dynamic updates across its entire public transport network.
The results of the partnership between ZetaDisplay and Com4 are measurable. Real-time control, reliability in demanding environments, fast and simple installation, full remote management, high security, and a predictable service-based business model are all benefits of Com4's connectivity platform.
The partnership also has sustainability benefits. By enabling remote diagnostics, software updates, and troubleshooting, Com4's connectivity platform helps ZetaDisplay avoid unnecessary site visits and truck rolls across its network of installations, reducing its environmental footprint.
Looking ahead, ZetaDisplay is exploring eSIM as its next step. Embedding eSIM directly into display hardware would give each unit a more flexible backup connection, regardless of whether the primary access method is a fixed line or Wi-Fi.
For public transport systems to function smoothly, passenger information has to be reliable, full stop. When screens are deployed across a city without fiber, without Wi-Fi, and without on-site technical staff nearby, Com4's cellular connectivity becomes the invisible infrastructure holding the entire experience together.
By the numbers, ZetaDisplay operates in eight countries, has over 270 employees, and powers more than 120,000 active screen installations across over 50 countries. The company's partnership with Com4 has enabled it to deliver seamless connectivity to its displays, even in the most challenging environments.
