Tropos Networks unveils in-vehicle Wi-Fi cell
Tropos Networks this week announced the introduction of the Tropos 4210, a mobile Wi-Fi cell for in-vehicle deployment. The solution gives municipalities greater flexibility in deploying wireless networks that serve public safety vehicles and allows them to extend tactical networks into uncovered areas on a temporary basis, the company said.
The Tropos 4210 transmits at the maximum FCC allowable EIRP of 36 dBm, overcoming the transmission power limitations of most Wi-Fi clients (which typically transmit at 20 dBm or less), according to Tropos. In addition, the solution creates a large, client-serving coverage area around the vehicle, providing secure broadband connectivity for Wi-Fi enabled laptops and personal digital assistants. This creates mobile tactical or incident networks where mission-critical data is shared among public safety officers, the company said.
Finally, multiple Tropos 4210s can be deployed to create a mesh to extend a metro-scale Wi-Fi network into remote areas to provide coverage to an incident site beyond the range of the fixed network or in the event that the fixed infrastructure has been damaged in a disaster.
In other news, Tropos announced that the city of Oklahoma City, Okla., would deploy the company’s metro-scale Wi-Fi network as part of a $78 million overhaul of the city’s communications system. In addition, Tropos said he City of Philadelphia plans to expand its existing metro-scale Wi-Fi network to cover some of the city’s most famous landmarks.