Public Safety Broadband Wireless Networks
Recent emergencies have demonstrated the criticality of getting the right information into the hands of those who needed it most, in real time, and across jurisdictional boundaries. As a result, there is heightened interest in using wireless communications more effectively for public safety applications. Local governments and public safety agencies across the nation are evaluating the benefits of broadband wireless networks for remote access to information, both mission critical and routine, to improve real-time situational awareness for better decision making and enhance collaboration and information sharing.
While wireless networks have been used to support police, fire, EMS, emergency management, transportation and traffic management, inspectors, and other government users for decades, they have been limited to basic voice and very limited data transmission. Advancements in commercial cellular radio technology and changes to radio spectrum allocation and policy are creating opportunities for public safety and government users to now deploy and access the most advanced systems for mobile data communications. Next generation broadband wireless networks enable remote access to a wealth of high-speed mobile applications, including real-time video, rapid database lookup, and the exchange of rich graphical information. And because of increased network speed, these networks provide a near immediate availability of critical information where and when it’s needed, enabling faster decision making.
The availability of new broadband networks is a major breakthrough for large cities and counties, in particular those that are potential terrorism targets or vulnerable to natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, mud slides, and wild fires. First responders in these locations must control network resources to ensure that services will be available when needed. To ensure around-the-clock availability, they must control where coverage is provided and how system capacity and throughput are allocated, and which users have access to the network and priority access.