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Low power outdoor handle: Intelligent system solution for control cabinets


Fast Internet and interference-free telephony: that is the purpose of outdoor control cabinets or telecommunications enclosures. Their outdoor installation at the roadside sometimes makes them a target for saboteurs and hackers. In order to protect the sensitive electronics and only allow access to authorised persons, EMKA Benelux has developed an outdoor lock solution: The Low Power Outdoor handle forms an intelligent system with a wireless cabinet that transmits data to a central management with Real-Time Monitoring.

Outdoor Lock Management – Reference Project in the Netherlands

Outdoor cabinets are part of a vital infrastructure: their network covers telecommunications – telephone and Internet for individual households – in large areas.

The maintenance of the distribution boards depends heavily on their security. For example, protection against vandalism, accidental damage, thunderstorms or floods.

However, this surveillance method is very labour-intensive and costly and can become a significant challenge for the operator.

Locking solutions from EMKA Benelux are used in order to control access. Two and a half years ago, the Dutch EMKA subsidiary started cooperating with the security technology distributor TKH Security and some large companies. These companies included the telecommunications sector to develop intelligent outdoor lock solutions. This initially resulted in the Tecnolimit project: across the Netherlands, around 500 switch cabinets were fitted with about 1,500 EMKA electronic swinghandles 1307. This concept has now undergone further development: The result is the Low Power Outdoor handle, and according to Ramon Philippo, Managing Director of EMKA Benelux, it is the “next step in outdoor lock management“. A passive, wireless locker without power connection and an intelligent lock with an integrated card reader form a completely new solution certified according to RC2 burglary protection.

Real-Time Monitoring saves time and costs

A LoRa/NB-IoT connection transmits data to the central Network Operations Centre (NOC). The responsible employee can monitor all lockers’ status via Real-Time Monitoring on the display. This includes how long the lock and door have been open, the temperature inside the enclosure, whether water is penetrating into the cabinet, or whether the cabinet is tilted by more than eight degrees. After an automatic message in the event of a malfunction, the NOC can send a technician specifically to the site in order to check on things. The completely de-energised, battery-operated cabinet can be opened with a compatible key or smartphone – but only if access has been granted in advance. The result: the operator benefits from efficient maintenance, has complete control over the status, saves time and costs. Since March 2021, the first 500 cabinets have now been installed in the Netherlands, which is one of the largest telecom providers in the Netherlands is already being supplied.