Camera network

For current server URLs, ANPR/NVR image uploads, RTSP sources, phone cameras and field-device sharing, use the Camera, NVR and field-phone connection guide.

A national network of over 4 million solar-powered cameras with mobile-data (SIM) links, rolled out in waves, plus a vetted community camera programme. This page covers site design, rollout and day-to-day running. For the network and ingest set-up, see Edge, camera VPN and ingest.

A solar site

Part	Typical specification
Camera	ANPR (or face-capable) IP camera with on-board plate reading, IR illumination for night, IP66 or better
Edge processing	On the camera, or a small edge box on the pole for cameras without plate reading
Power	~25 W in total; 300–400 W solar panel; 2 kWh LiFePO₄ battery, about 3 days without sun; charge controller with remote monitoring
Link	Industrial 4G/LTE router with two SIMs from different operators, private APN, IPsec / WireGuard tunnel
Data	~2,000 reads a day × ~10 KB ≈ 0.6 GB a month; full images only for hits
Physical	Pole at 5–7 m, tamper-resistant enclosure, door and tilt sensors
Alarms	Low battery, tamper, link down, camera offline: raised as alerts in Sentinel ID

Final specifications follow the site survey: traffic volume and speed, sunlight hours across the year, and mobile coverage.

Choosing sites

Roll out in waves, by priority:

1. Borders, ports and airports approaches.
2. Highways between major cities, toll gates and bridges.
3. City entries and exits, markets, transport hubs.
4. Areas flagged by Sentinel ID's early warnings (crime hotspots and series).

Register each camera in Sentinel ID with its exact location and direction, so every read becomes a sighting at the right place.

Commissioning a site

1. Install and power the site; confirm the battery charges.
2. The router brings up its tunnel with the site certificate.
3. Register the camera under Cameras (location, direction, push mode) and load its API key into the camera's upload settings.
4. Press Test in Sentinel ID: the last frame and the plate read appear.
5. Drive a test vehicle past and confirm the sighting appears on the map; flag the test plate and confirm the alert.

Running the network

• Health dashboard: cameras that have sent nothing for a set time, low batteries and tamper alarms appear as alerts.
• Read quality: low-confidence reads are listed for correction; corrections improve future reads.
• Maintenance: clean panels and lenses on a schedule set by local dust and rain; replace batteries every 5–7 years.

Community camera programme

Businesses, estates and members of the public can volunteer their cameras.

• The owner registers and accepts the programme terms (signage, public spaces only, no private property).
• An administrator vets the camera and approves it; only then is it registered and given a key.
• Each camera sends snapshots with its own key and can be suspended at any time.
• Volunteers contribute data only. They never search, view records or receive alerts.
• Thank volunteers with a periodic statement of how many sightings their camera contributed, without revealing case details.