News Briefs – Friday, April 21, 2006
U.S. Army buys satellite transceivers embedded with RFID
Comtech’s Mobile Datacom subsidiary secured a $12.6 million contract from the U.S. Army to supply its Movement Tracking System (MTS) next-generation Model MT-2012 mobile satellite transceivers. The transceivers feature embedded RFID and GPS technology, specifically Savi Technology’s ISO-compliant EchoPoint RFID reader, which the Department of Defense previously deployed under its In-Transit Visibility network, according to Comtech.
Tokyo launches WiMAX trial
Japan’s largest DSL and optical fiber access service provider chose Alcatel to launch a WiMAX trial in Tokyo. The Alcatel Evolium WiMAX solution will operate in the 2.5 GHz band and includes base station equipment, indoor customer-premises equipment, mobile terminals and integration services. This will be the company’s first WiMAX deployment in Japan based on the 802.16e-2005 standard, which is IEEE’s universal WiMAX standard. The trial network will be deployed in June 2006.
Miss. town receives $50K federal grant for communications upgrade
Ridgeland, Miss., received a $50,000 federal grant to update emergency dispatching tools by purchasing touch-screen technology, reported the Madison County Journal. The recently purchased touch-screen consoles used by emergency dispatchers also act as data centers and link computers and telephone or radio transmissions from one department to another. A first responder now will have access to data in the field, according to the article.
Mesh-enabled multimedia platform supports emergency response program
PacketHop will provide the mobile broadband communications system for a Homeland Security field exercise mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration and scheduled to be held in Redwood, Calif., on April 22. During the exercise, first responders will deploy the company’s Aware Communication Suite, which consists of mobile, mesh-enabled, multimedia-communications software.
Emergency personnel will review emergency communications plans and evaluate emergency organizations’ capabilities in response to a simulated terrorist attack. Participating agencies include the Long Beach Airport Bureau; Long Beach Police, Fire, Public Works and Technology Services Departments; FAA; FBI; National Transportation Safety Board; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and EMS; U.S. Army, Ninth Civil Support Team; and American Red Cross.
