Winston Smith, MD of Alvarion in South Africa, discusses wireless security.
What bearing does wireless networks have on security?
Winston Smith: Large-scale metro area networks are becoming an increasingly important tool in providing public services and ensuring public safety and security. Ubiquitous broadband networks have not only proven to be an effective way to support the growing data, voice and video communications needs throughout an entire metropolitan area; they have become a critical element enabling the prevention of crime and rapid first response. Wireless also provides the mobility factor that wired solutions do not support.
What is the advantage of a wireless safe city network?
Winston Smith: Wireless broadband networks create a new and more efficient paradigm for public safety agencies to work together, save costs and optimise utilisation of existing labour. 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, while easily supporting mobile broadband for officials on the move. Wireless allows the flexibility of rapidly adding and moving sensors according to the needs of the city.
Does bandwidth become an issue for safe cities?
Winston Smith: Video surveillance, for example, requires reliable, high quality real-time video streaming. Sometimes existing infrastructure is limited in supporting high-quality video and the other broadband needs of the city. This can be due to overtaxed shared infrastructure, limited bandwidth, or simply obsolete infrastructure that lacks the required Quality of Service (QoS). Wireless broadband networks can complement existing wired infrastructure, or they can be utilised as the core access infrastructure for a safe city and can be easily expanded without the long-term planning and expensive trenching needed by wired infrastructure.
Are wired networks not cheaper?
Winston Smith: Fibre, copper and cable require a significant upfront investment. The CAPEX required for radio equipment is much more economical, as it is directly related to current needs. Radio access networks are modular and can be deployed very quickly. Consequently, wireless guarantees considerable savings in comparison to the deployment of new wired networks, and a return on investment is considerably quicker, particularly when taking into account the recurring costs of leased lines or SDSL links.
Are there any test sites where wireless networks are being used in these ways?
Winston Smith: There are many international wireless network deployments that are being used for security purposes. Caravaggio Municipality in Italy, for example, is using wireless-based video surveillance to support emergency and law enforcement services in an area that could not be covered by conventional wired networks. This deployment includes wireless LANs (local area networks), IPTV cameras, and in the future, a mobile office with a video control system.
The Mid-America Regional Council in the US has implemented a two state, 23 city, 17 jurisdiction and 600 intersection wireless network, supporting an intelligent traffic system for reduced pollution, better traffic flow and emergency evacuation capabilities. Since deploying a cross-city CCTV wireless network for video surveillance, Rosh Haayin Municipality in Israel has significantly reduced crime and regained safety for residents.
The Communaute de Communes Roissy Porte de France, a community of 17 towns and villages spread around the Charles de Gaulle airport north of Paris, deployed a wireless video surveillance network. The video surveillance network allows the police force to access files in real time and on-demand by retrieving information from a centralised data base while maintaining close control and monitoring within each village. And I can list many more similar instances.
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