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Municipal Operations3.65GHz WiMAX and Municipal Operations
Brad Bowman - Program Director, AccessDelray.org Direct Financial Savings & Increases in Productivity By incorporating a 3.65GHz WiMAX municipal wireless network the savings to municipal budgets will come in two forms. First, there is an actual cash savings realized through a reduction in cell phone style wireless expenses and other forms of internet connectivity. Second, is an increase in productivity, resulting in a financial windfall through FTE (full time employee) savings. These savings are not generally achieved through a reduction in staff but through the ability to not add personnel as quickly as a municipality grows due to advances in technology. Direct Cash Savings Most cities today use laptops in their patrol cars and achieve connectivity through cellular cards. Typically, the monthly costs run about $60-$80 per car. In addition to the cost, the service itself is limited to the speed of the cellular provider’s network. If a municipality/city had 100 patrol cars that would equate to $72,000 - $96,000 per year. Since the 3.65GHz municipal network will cover the whole city that is where most of the time is spent by patrol cars. If the city converted to a 3.65Ghz WiMAX (or 4.9GHz PS) this would allow the city to cut the above costs in half and would provide for both internet/network connectivity and VoIP at better speeds and quality of service (QoS). Savings = $24,000 - $48,000 annually School systems typically have T-1 service to each school. This cost ranges from $600 - $1000 per month per school. These costs would be eliminated because each student would have ubiquitous high speed wireless connectivity throughout the coverage area from their own account. If there were 10 different schools in the coverage area the savings would be significant. Savings = $72,000 - $120,000 annually Many cities have fiber running throughout the city which is either leased or owned. In either case someone is being paid for access. With 3.65GHz WiMAX these services and leases would be discontinued. Increases in Productivity By incorporating the connectivity of a 3.65GHz municipal WiMAX network and the appropriate devices, with procedural changes in workflow, significant productivity improvements can be achieved. These improvements can rapidly translate into cash, bottom-line savings for the operational budgets of municipalities. Below are some brief examples that represent only a fraction of the uses a 3.65 GHz WiMAX network can offer. Building Department - Inspectors typically complete inspection reports manually in the field, then transcribe those reports when they return to the office. This can be accomplished in the field in one step on a laptop or tablet and then uploaded instantly. Because of the efficiency and high speed of the 3.65GHz WiMAX these inpectrion reports can also include photos and blueprints where needed for documentation purposes. This translates into more time in the field.
- Inspectors can receive electronic inspection orders directly from the permitting office or city website to their laptops or tablets in the field, eliminating physically reporting in each morning to get their work orders.
Fire Department / EMS - In the field firefighters typically have no way to access historical records or blueprints. Through 3.65GHz WiMAX they would be able to both access and update this information in the field.
- Remote access to secure lifesaving medical records.
Police - Remote locations such as parks, water and sewer plants or other facilities or problem areas can be monitored with remote cameras from either the police station and/or the patrol car. This gives the field officer a visual of what he or she is about to encounter.
- Alarm systems could also be monitored (for a fee) at the police station. The need for a central monitoring servicer would be eliminated and that would also eliminate the valuable time between the central monitoring trying to contact a home or business owner prior to contacting police/fire/EMS. This would also provide a revenue stream for the police/fire/EMS departments.
- Instant “Amber-Alert” capabilities.
Parks & Recreation - All worker logs can be converted to electronic format, eliminating the need for supervisor’s to track in the field and then enter a second time into the central system.
Public Works - Remote reading of water and/or electric meters.
These examples can go on and on almost indefinitely. But the bottom line is that there are considerable direct cost savings and productivity savings that lead to direct cost savings by deploying a 3.65GHz WiMAX network. While it may not be possible to put a dollar figure on all the examples listed above it is also not really necessary. - How do you put a price on a missing child that is found due to fast action of the police department and the ability to broadcast that child’s image citywide during the crucial first minutes the child goes missing?
- How do you put a price on a father’s ability while traveling to watch his son’s or daughter’s soccer game being webcast on the Internet from remote wireless cameras located at the field?
- How do you put a price on protecting our first responders and providing them with tools that may save their life and the lives of others?
Conclusion 3.65GHz WiMAX Core Services and Applications - Enhanced public safety, first responder applications
- Municipal departmental applications
- Low cost / free internet core access (3-5mps)
- Digital Access, Inclusion, Literacy programs
- Economic stimulus
- Health and financial services
- Public access television
- Public utilities
- Local business internet marketing services, residential, and community portals (Google - gSplash.com)
- Energy Management Services (EMS) / Green Initiatives
- School system access / Educational tools
- Public employee services
- VPN’s / VAR’s / Resellers
- Employer Outreach / Distance Learning & Training / Job Creation
- Visitor Services / Hospitality Packages
- Private security / video surveillance / DVR access
- Digital connectors programs
The unique nature of 3.65GHz WiMAX is that once you have built the core infrastructure to service the internal needs of a city or county you have already done most of the work required to service the public, businesses and communities. Another intriguing aspect is that the revenue generated from these systems remains in the community instead of large incumbent network operators competing to pull every dollar out. As newer technology is introduced to our communities and local governments it is important that everyone take the blinders off and realize the importance of building wireless infrastructures that will enable our cities and communities to define their own broadband futures.
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