https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Wireless Networks


A smarter city is a safer city

A smarter city is a safer city

Wireless broadband networks help municipalities provide better service to residents.
  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 1st November 2010

Municipalities worldwide are looking to invest in multi-purpose, citywide broadband networks, thereby creating a “smart city.” They are doing so not only are to better manage multiple local government applications such as traffic management, utilities automation and video surveillance, but also to offer residents a better lifestyle and access to new opportunities through broadband services.

Smart city initiatives provide a cost-effective and efficient approach for managing the city’s day-to-day operations. To do so requires a single, multi-purpose network for a wide range of applications and services, a network that can deliver more real-time access to information, enable better collaboration between different agencies and enhance situational awareness.

A smart city also can be a safe city. Safe-city applications require reliable network infrastructure with high capacity and low latency to ensure the quality of video, data and voice applications, as well as immediate access to data. A wireless infrastructure offers the required reliability along with an improved business case, which is driven by the ease of wireless installation and the ability to deliver multiple services over the same service area.

Safe-city projects can encompass a broad range of applications that leverage the same infrastructure for the overall benefit of residents and to offer revenue-generating municipal services. Such applications can include:

  • Public-safety alarms and alerts,
  • Video surveillance,
  • Intelligent traffic control,
  • Transportation security and access,
  • Automatic meter reading,
  • Municipal access,
  • Mobile work force,
  • E-services (e-health, e-education), and
  • Residential access.

Managing a safe city involves a vast web of independently mandated departments, from law enforcement agencies and fire/emergency medical services to hospitals, government agencies and civilian interfaces — with an even vaster array of devices, needs and security considerations. The wireless technology choice is just one piece of the puzzle; system integrators need end-to-end solutions that address all application requirements and, of course, the seamless integration between them. Successful safe-city network infrastructure ideally will use a best-of-breed architecture that includes point-to-multipoint, point-to-point and mesh wireless topologies for different applications. In addition, the infrastructure needs to be robust, secure and flexible to accommodate growth, in order to support both current and future applications.

While broadband wireless solutions are becoming increasingly popular for safe-city connectivity, municipalities need to consider several key factors when evaluating infrastructure options. These include the breadth and depth of the solution portfolio, including both licensed and license-exempt products, the degree to which solutions are optimized for safe-city and municipal wireless connectivity, and the ability to support creative revenue streams by enabling the addition of commercial applications and services that provide a compelling return on investment.

For example, the city of Houston realized it needed a city-wide wireless network for both its residents and municipal operations. The network it deployed enabled the city to do the following:

  • Provide free broadband access to more than 300,000 residents in underserved, underprivileged communities;
  • Work with school districts and churches that are building computer centers, where kids can get free Internet access and have a safe environment to stay and learn — 20 centers already are available today;
  • Improve safety throughout the city through improved traffic control, including remote control of school zone lights to ensure the safety of children; and
  • Read water meters remotely, which reduces costs and improves the control of water use.

Clearly, municipalities can create significant efficiencies to their day-to-day operations through the use of a unified communication infrastructure. By deploying a wireless broadband network, cities can better manage multiple local government applications and offer their residents a better lifestyle and access to new opportunities.

Today’s infrastructure must be ready for tomorrow, i.e., it must be scalable to support additional devices, mobile connectivity, new bandwidth requirements and real-time application deployments. Realizing the full business potential of a safe-city project requires a network infrastructure that meets diverse application requirements while controlling CapEx and OpEx. It must provide ubiquitous metro connectivity with standard IP interface to end-point devices, and support mobility and coverage that reaches the most remote locations. Reliable connectivity in harsh outdoor conditions is critical, as is the ability to deliver 100% uptime — 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

A safe-city project incorporates multiple applications, some of which are time-critical, such as traffic management, while others may be bandwidth-intensive, such as video surveillance. The safe-city wireless infrastructure must include quality-of-service networking elements to set appropriate priorities for different applications and users. These will minimize data latency and guarantee a certain level of performance by reserving bandwidth for more-important applications, while those that are less important get bandwidth on a best-effort basis. Further, safe-city applications require the highest level of security, as does the network infrastructure that supports it. The security mechanisms within the network must not have a negative impact on performance, which could adversely impact revenue-generating applications.

Safe-city network infrastructure must provide seamless interoperability between disparate applications to communicate critical incident information and to ensure collaboration between agencies and jurisdictions. Moreover, the network infrastructure should be able to leverage future investments in surveillance equipment and revenue-generating applications, and adhere to open standards that enable integration of emerging devices, applications and technologies. Providing IP-based network infrastructure solutions ensures a future-proof implementation, lowering total cost of ownership while enabling adoption of new services and devices as they develop and mature.

Finally, proactive management is paramount to maintaining the availability and performance of the network and the applications it supports. The majority of safe-city applications involve outdoor network devices that are subject to vandalism or damage as a result of harsh weather conditions. The ability to detect changes in performance, identify intrusions and other network impacts will contribute significantly to the value of the safe city as a whole, while maintaining public confidence and respect for individual rights and privacy. Therefore, centralized network management is essential.

Wireless broadband networks create a new and more-efficient paradigm for public-safety agencies to work together, save costs and optimize utilization of existing manpower. Wireless systems link disparate devices and systems of the safe city in a network that is independent of landline infrastructure. This enables real-time, mobile broadband access to critical databases, seamless voice services, live video feeds from geographically spread surveillance cameras and a host of other services in a single, reliable network.

Wireless technologies make it possible to add and place cameras in locations previously inaccessible, and offer the quality of service, high capacity, high availability, built-in data encryption and low latency that is essential for real-time, high-resolution video streaming over large geographic areas. Wireless broadband also offers the flexibility to provide mobile voice, video and data coverage so that municipal agencies always are ready for the unexpected, such as accidents, fires, crime scenes and attacks, as well as the expected, such as sporting events, rallies and municipal celebrations and special events.

Cost-effectively deploying networks that support such capabilities poses many formidable challenges, but these can be met by choosing the right broadband wireless network technology and infrastructure. Fourth-generation WiMAX technology, based on the IEEE 802.16e standard, has the features and attributes necessary to meet the cost, performance and coverage demands required for a wide-area, cost-effective, all-inclusive broadband municipal network. WiMAX also can support complex video-surveillance deployments within safe-city networks, and its scalability makes it the ideal technology choice in terms of bandwidth capacity, geographic expansion and installation of new sites.

Dana Nehama is the vice president of product management for 4G solutions provider Alvarion.

Related Stories

  • New York City’s new broadband network could be model for first
  • Taking a byte out of crime
Tags: Wireless Networks

Most Recent


  • What the 6 GHz band might mean to fixed-wireless access
    Fixed-wireless access (FWA) technology is gaining significant interest in the US market, as evidenced by T-Mobile and Verizon collectively adding 816,000 new FWA customers during the second quarter of this year, while Charter Communications and Comcast collectively lost around 21,000 broadband customers. Leichtman Research Group reported that, over the past year, the US broadband industry added a total […]
  • FirstNet PTT technical progress highlighted by AT&T at APCO 2022
    FirstNet PTT—the mission-critical-push-to-talk (MCPTT) service launched in 2020—continues to evolve with the development of much-anticipated features like LMR interoperability and broadcast technology that will support one-to-many calls, an AT&T official said during a presentation at the recent APCO 2022 event in Anaheim, Calif. FirstNet users can use numerous different push-to-talk (PTT) applications that leverage the […]
  • Researchers developing health-monitoring e-tattoo
    Stories of people embedding digital devices into their bodies are becoming increasingly common; with these digital implants capable of everything from aiding mobility to paying for products, unlocking doors and storing data. A team of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have taken a similar concept and applied it to the […]
  • Verizon Frontline demos connectivity and emergency response to chemical spill drill
    CARY, NC – On a hot and humid morning last week, the Verizon Frontline Response Team gathered in the parking lot outside a local Verizon office building to address a chemical spill emergency. Fortunately, what looked like a jet fuel leak in and around nearby Lake Crabtree from a tanker accident on Interstate 40 was […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • The battle over connected cars drags on
  • UK officials revamp ESN plans again, target Airwave-to-LTE transition for end of 2026
  • PSCR: Dereck Orr highlights features of June 21-24 virtual event
  • FirstNet buildout on pace for March 2023 completion, AT&T official says

Commentary


LTE and liability: Why the fire service must move forward with digital incident command

  • 2
6th May 2022

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

18th April 2022

FirstNet success means no hypothetical ‘shots’ need to be fired, Swenson says

22nd February 2022
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Diffusing the connected car’s ticking data-privacy timebomb dlvr.it/SWdCw2

14th August 2022
UrgentComm

Patch madness: Vendor bug advisories are broken, so broken dlvr.it/SWcvFR

14th August 2022
UrgentComm

What the 6 GHz band might mean to fixed-wireless access dlvr.it/SWctfk

14th August 2022
UrgentComm

FirstNet PTT technical progress highlighted by AT&T at APCO 2022 dlvr.it/SWZtNJ

13th August 2022
UrgentComm

Newscan: D.C. appeals court upholds FCC decision to share 5.9 GHz V2V spectrum with Wi-Fi dlvr.it/SWZQpx

13th August 2022
UrgentComm

Cisco confirms data breach, hacked files leaked dlvr.it/SWV8l9

12th August 2022
UrgentComm

Researchers developing health-monitoring e-tattoo dlvr.it/SWV749

12th August 2022
UrgentComm

Partnership launches no-cost wastewater monitoring service for local governments dlvr.it/SWV5PK

12th August 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X