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Wavelengths
DHS making an impact on
interoperability
By Donny Jackson
April 25, 2008
A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s
Science and Technology (DHS S&T) Directorate coordinated a
demonstration
of voice interoperability between six different manufacturers’
systems
using a new Bridging System Interface (BSI).
During the demonstration, gear from Motorola, SyTech, Valcom, Cisco
Systems, Clarity Communications Systems and Twisted Pair Solutions were
connected via the BSI, and communications were conducted in a scenario
format involving state, county and local jurisdictions operating on
separate bands.
DHS officials were careful to note that the BSI is not a standard, but
a
specification that leverages commercial voice-over-IP technology.
Equipment that allows disparate radio systems to interoperate via an IP
platform is nothing new, but that doesn’t mean that the various
bridging systems easily interoperate with each other, said Dereck Orr,
program manager for public-safety communications standards for the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
“Just because it says it’s IP doesn’t mean it’s
interoperable,” Orr said. “We needed to get that word out to public
safety and to policymakers, as well.”
However, by using IP commonalities, program participants—DHS, vendors
and public-safety representatives—were able to establish a BSI
specification that typically has not been terribly difficult for
manufacturers to incorporate in their solutions, said Luke
Klein-Berndt,
chief technology officer for DHS S&T.
“We were looking for that common technical space and work there,”
he
said. “We wanted to come up with the best technical solution but also
come up with one that didn’t mean dramatic changes for anyone.”
On the surface, the idea of getting multiple vendors that compete with
one another on a daily basis to work together might seem to be a
difficult proposition, but DHS officials insist that wasn’t the case.
The logistics coordinating vendor representatives’ schedules were a
challenge, but once they were at the same table, “things really
started to flow,” Klein-Berndt said.
DHS deserves a lot of credit in making this happen. It’s nice to know
that IP-based connectivity systems should be able to work
together, but it’s much more valuable to first responders to know
that
they do work together and to be able to cite a specification in bid
documents.
Such interoperability is important because federal officials estimate
that as much as $100 billion has been spent on public-safety LMR
systems
across the country, so that’s not an investment that can be
overhauled
overnight. The LMR systems are going to be around for a long time, so
technologies like the BSI are valuable in making that happen.
Of course, the BSI is not the only DHS interoperability initiative. The
federal department also is spearheading development efforts for
multiband radio, radio over wireless broadband (ROW-B), and even an
ingenious system that gives helicopter pilots homeland-security
surveillance assignments that can be accomplished during their return
trips from missions.
By themselves, none of these solutions are the answer to
interoperability—there is no single “silver bullet” that will
solve the problem. But with each successful DHS project, public-safety
communications officials are given another tool that will let them
build
a solid foundation for interoperability, both now and in the future.
E-mail me at donald.jackson@penton.com.
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In the News
Aruba
unveils software-upgradeable 802.11 access points
By Glenn Bischoff
April 25, 2008
Aruba Networks this week unveiled a line of 802.11
a/b/g
remote access points that can be upgraded to 802.11n functionality via
downloadable software.
New York begins
operational tests for statewide system
By Donny Jackson
April 22, 2008
Major operational testing of the first portion of the
New York Statewide Wireless Network (SWN) has begun and will continue
through the end of the month, with the results promising to be closely
monitored by state officials and network vendor Tyco Electronics’
M/A-COM.
Florida EMS
deploys wireless solution for mission-critical communications
By Mary Rose Roberts
April 22, 2008
The Lake-Sumter (Fla.) Emergency Medical Services
announced today that it has deployed Novatel Wireless’ Merlin PC720
modems and Junxion Box routers to bolster the effectiveness of its
wireless, in-vehicle emergency response systems that connect ambulances
to the county’s EMS communications center via Sprint’s network.
Click here for more
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More News
Fortress
partners with Navy on mesh network pilot
April 24, 2008
TrafficLand
works with Michigan Department of Transportation on video
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April 24, 2008
NEC and
Ariane Controls collaborate on digital modem for utilities
April 24, 2008
Times
Microwave Systems announced MSHA-approved RF cables
April 23, 2008
Polk
County, Fla., invests in CAD system
April 23, 2008
Orlando
police department deploys wireless video-surveillance system
April 23, 2008
Meru
Networks announces four-radio access point, virtual software
April 21, 2008
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news briefs
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