A cellular internet connection for your network. It keeps a site online over 5G or LTE if the wired line fails, or provides the main link where there is no wired line.
It holds cellular modems and SIM cards and connects to a FortiGate or to a cloud manager. The firewall treats the cellular link as another internet connection, so SD-WAN can fail over automatically. Models with dual SIMs can use two carriers.
Keeping control matters most when something fails. If the main line goes down, staff systems and the logging that records inmate activity should stay online. A cellular backup keeps those systems reachable, with the same firewall rules still in force.
- Keeps staff systems and state connections up if a fiber line is cut.
- Keeps the same firewall rules and logging active during an outage.
- Connects small sites like work camps and farm operations.
Check before you buy
Test cellular signal first. Thick walls, and any cell-blocking or managed-access system used against contraband phones, can affect it.
- Automatic failover: SD-WAN moves traffic when health checks show the primary circuit has failed.
- Dual-carrier SIM support reduces reliance on one provider.
- Traffic stays inside the same firewall policies and VPN tunnels when running on cellular.
| Control | Priority | How this helps |
|---|---|---|
| CP-10System Recovery and Reconstitution | P2 | A backup path supports recovery of connectivity after a failure, though it isn’t itself a recovery plan. |
| SC-8Transmission Confidentiality and Integrity | P2* | CJI over cellular should remain inside an encrypted VPN tunnel. |
This helps with availability more than with CJIS. Treat cellular links as untrusted and keep CJI encrypted.
Based on CJIS Security Policy v6.1. This product can support these controls but can’t satisfy them alone. How to read this table