bridges at speeds up to 108 Mbps and at distances up to 30 miles. AIRAYA’s public safety and homeland security products are recognized worldwide for their ease of installation, reliability, and high performance in public safety applications. Current public safety and homeland security applications include site monitoring and video surveillance, IP and TDM voice services, and IP data networks between 2 or more locations.The Challenges in Public SafetyHigh-speed IP-based services between central public safety communication facilities and remote locations are either very costly or not available in many areas. In addition, the challenge in meeting the expanding needs of growing communities requires public safety officials to be creative in the use of new technologies. New technologies such as wireless and satellite communication equipment are now viable solutions, extending, and in some cases, replacing existing wireline infrastructure.The Farmington Fire Department, a non-profit municipal fire department for the City of Farmington, NM, provides Fire/EMS services with 75 firefighters working out of 6 fire stations. Randy Wakeland, the Technology Coordinator for the Farmington Fire Department, was tasked with creating a system to provide reliable IP services to these 6 remote fire stations, some of which were more than 8 miles away from the main communications tower; a combined distance of more than 32 miles for all locations.Previously they experimented with dedicated T-1 phone circuits, and then expanded to 802.11b WiFi links for their Wide Area Network (WAN). But T-1’s didn’t have the needed bandwidth for their client server based applications, and 802.11b didn’t provide the security or reliability required by the department.“The 802.11b was congested and our links were failing. The AIRAYA 4.9GHz radio was chosen for our ‘last mile’ links because of price and immediate availability of hardware following the FCC release of the 4.9 GHz frequency band to Public Safety” stated Mr. Wakeland. “AIRAYA’s multipoint base stations were affordable on our limited budget and provided connectivity to multiple stations as well as future mobile apparatus” he added. “The integrated outdoor/indoor bridges purchased provided connectivity to third party antennas for greater flexibility”.The AIRAYA SolutionFarmington Fire chose to implement an AIRAYA WirelessGRID™ wireless multipoint system operating in 4.9 GHz, the FCC licensed frequency-range reserved for the exclusive use of public safety officials in the United States.Co-locating three (3) base stations operating on different channels allowed for the aggregate capacity needed to operate the system. Outdoor subscriber units installed at each remote fire station allowed Farmington Fire to connect to the main communication tower, meeting the goals set by the department.Currently, AIRAYA WirelessGRID™ 4.9 bridges are being used as the primary backbone to The Farmington Fire Department’s PC WAN. They found that the radios were easy to configure and install, and provide links ranging from 2 to 8 miles (point-to-multipoint) with no failures. This infrastructure will support 4.9GHz mobile clients (such as their command and special response vehicles) once they are outfitted. Through careful capacity planning and system design, this installation meets the city’s current requirement and allows for future expansion.According to Randy Wakeland, Technology Coordinator for Farmington Fire, “AIRAYA’s equipment is the preferred choice for ‘last mile’ connectivity to these departments. We are very satisfied with the AIRAYA products and especially AIRAYA’s technical support.”Presently, projects are underway for the San Juan County, in conjunction with the City of Farmington, to expand their WAN to 14 surrounding County Volunteer Fire Departments. This approved expansion will also provide limited support for future mobile clients as they are deployed.The AIRAYA advantage: Why AIRAYA?WirelessGRID™ wireless bridges for public safety are designed for use in licensed public safety frequency bands. WirelessGRID™ bridges for public safety also operate in 5.3 GHz and 5.8 GHz unlicensed bands, allowing for expanded capacity beyond the 4.9 GHz band. WirelessGRID™ bridges are FCC Part 90 certified for high power radio operation; support multiple co-located base stations for higher system capacity; and support 5, 10, 15 and 20 MHz wide channels in 4.9 GHz. AIRAYA’s exclusive bridge protocol and proprietary transmission mask provide additional layers of security for public safety networks.The types of services actively being utilized across WirelessGRID™ public safety networks include video surveillance and location monitoring, TDM and VoIP voice, and many types of other IP data.With more than 5000 installations in more than 50 countries worldwide, AIRAYA WirelessGRID™ bridges provide a proven, timely and cost-effective alternative to xDSL and satellite IP networks, as well as competing wireless solutions.About AIRAYAFounded in 2001, AIRAYA develops and markets high-performance 5 GHz wireless data solutions for building-to-building broadband wireless access (BWA) and in-building wireless networks (WLAN). The company is privately held. AIRAYA products are available through a network of North American and International distributors and resellers. For more information, visit the AIRAYA web site at http://www.airaya.com, email sales@airaya.com, or call toll free 1.866.2AIRAYA (224.7292), International 1.408.776.2846.Contact:Monique Sadoff, Marketing Communications CoordinatorAIRAYA, CORP18449 Technology DriveMorgan Hill, CA 95037Phone: 408.776.2846 X204Email: msadoff@airaya.comhttp://www.airaya.com
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