Alvarion recently announced in a press release that six Chicago area communities have deployed a regional mobile broadband network using a BreezeACCESS 900 system to support fixed and mobile public safety applications, specifically to help crime and fire fighting efforts. The system uses fourteen base stations to cover the entire area, along with the associated mobile terminals installed in the public safety vehicles.

Connecting approximately 50 police cars and 15 fire vehicles, the network is used for dispatch functions, while enabling mobile access to central databases such as the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) records. The system also provides remote access to several video surveillance cameras to monitor and protect public structures, such as the local water treatment plant and city government buildings.

The network was designed and deployed by PCS Technologies in the Chicago area including the cities of Hodgkins, North Riverside, Riverside, Lyons, Countryside, McCook, and the Pleasantview Fire District. Network deployment began last year and has grown incrementally to include additional local jurisdictions.