Texas police department selects MDS mobile data solution
The Portland, Texas, police department will deploy a mobile data communications network developed by Microwave Data Systems, the company announced. MDS iNET 900 radios will be installed in police vehicles to connect officers to the city’s communications network.
Once deployed, the network will enable officers to remotely submit reports and access the department’s computer-aided dispatch and records management systems. It offers multiple levels of security—including encryption and key rotation to prevent eavesdropping and unauthorized network access—data throughput ranging from 256 kb/s to 512 kb/s and long-range coverage, according to the company.
The Portland police department was seeking an alternative to CDPD and other cellular solutions, said Detective Terrell Elliott, in a prepared statement. “Like most small cities in Texas, as well as Oklahoma and New Mexico, we needed a solution that works in a rural area that’s not connected by cell towers,” Elliott said. “This solution provides the access and coverage with minimal infrastructure and no recurring costs.”