The city of Bangor, Maine, has installed advanced communications technology from Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, to significantly enhance its emergency response communications system. The overall project includes a fiber interface for voter receivers and connectivity for mobile data access points, SCADA, telemetry, video security and future expansion at all city-owned facilities, on one private infrastructure.

    Bangor is using Harris NetXpress IP multiplexers, which enables its legacy radio systems to interoperate with high-speed Ethernet systems, allowing Bangor to operate its two-way radio system over fiber - significantly improving the ability of the city's police, fire and ambulance systems to communicate. Harris was awarded the contract for the NetXpress system from RITEC Wireless Inc., which was selected by the City of Bangor as the systems integrator for the mobile data project. "This project would have been impossible without the NetXpress technology, which solved the latency issues between the legacy system and the new fiber system," said Norm Poisson, president of RITEC Wireless Inc.

    "Fiber is easier to maintain and faster than copper telephone lines, which makes moving to fiber extremely important to public safety organizations who cannot afford to have any downtime when they are running a community's 911 response system," stated Tom Higgins, Fire Captain for the City of Bangor. "One of the most interesting parts of this project is that for the first time, we are able to flawlessly operate land mobile radio repeaters and auxiliary receivers with a voting system connected over an IP network. We are very pleased that Bangor's systems-type approach for improved communications has resulted in a reliable system that provides real-time voice and data, as well as increased safety for our first responders."

    On a single network, the city of Bangor will have total interoperability for Public Safety, including police, fire and EMS. The system will provide for future expansion of the system for Water and Wastewater Districts, City Public Works Department, the county of Penobscot and Bangor Hydro Electric Utility. Harris provides a wide range of products and services for commercial and government communications markets such as wireless, broadcast, and government.

    "Harris Intraplex multiplexers have been serving the T1/E1 media transport needs of commercial radio and public safety operations for decades," stated Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. "With the availability of the NetXpress IP multiplexer, operators are well equipped for the transition to IP."

    Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire broadcast delivery chain. The Harris ONE approach brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that are ideal for emerging media business models and for customers upgrading media operations to digital and high-definition services.