Safeguarding the System
As with any system designed to protect the public, it’s also essential to create an element of redundancy that is capable of providing support, even if primary operations fail. After all, even a temporary interruption in the flow of data from surveillance or other monitoring equipment can leave the agencies that rely on them in the dark, which can either prevent or delay their responses to potentially critical situations.
Creating path diversity can be an extremely effective method to reduce the risk of system failure within these networks. This is accomplished by establishing two or more network connections that use either a different type of technology or follow a different physical path, minimizing the chance that both connections will be knocked out at the same time. To prevent any of the data from the agency’s systems from being lost, these pathways must be completely redundant, ensuring that even if one path fails, the flow of data is neither interrupted nor reduced.
While advancements in communications and surveillance systems are providing law enforcement and other agencies with valuable tools to keep our communities safe, these technologies can only be as effective as the networks supporting them. By making the investment now to create a larger, more effective network infrastructure, public-safety organizations across the country will be better equipped to monitor and respond to any situation.
Christina Richards is a vice president at AOptix, which offers a high-capacity wireless backhaul solution that utilizes both millimeter-wave and free-space optics technologies.