Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wireless Future Magazine January/February 03 | DC Net

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 00:02:33 -0500

http://www.wirelessfuturemagazine.com/dcnet.html

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By
Peter R. Roy

Deputy Chief Technology Officer

District of Columbia

On
the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the District of Columbia’s communications
system experienced an overload of calls and inquiries that inhibited the
coordination and response of government emergency services and clogged
the 911 switchboard. The District’s Office of the Chief Technology
Officer (OCTO) is working to ensure that such a breakdown does not occur
again. To that end, the city is building DC-Net, a fiber-optic telecommunications
network that will be owned and operated by the District. The project,
jumpstarted by the events of 9/11, will place Washington, D.C., at the
forefront of municipal telecom technology.

The development of
DC-Net signals a remarkable turnaround for the city’s communications
systems. Only a decade ago the District’s capabilities were considered
significantly behind the curve. Now, the District has moved to the head
of the pack and will no longer depend on commercial carriers for telecom
services. DC’s wireless initiatives are central to the city’s
tech advancement as the government engineers innovative solutions that
directly benefit citizens.

Improved
communications in emergency situations is the District’s No. 1 priority.

DC-Net will transform the city’s public-safety services by streamlining
communications between law enforcement, vital city departments, federal
emergency teams and the public via radio, telephone, computer and wireless
handheld devices. Once DC-Net becomes a reality, the 911 radio and telephone
network will be faster, more reliable and always on. Washington’s
state of the art telecommunications infrastructure will ensure that once
an E911 call is delivered to the District’s network, there will
be no more busy signals and no more disconnected calls. DC-Net will allow
the District’s inter-agency communication and response teams direct
access to these emergency lines, enabling the DC Government to deliver
a greater volume and quality of emergency services to its community. Improvements
based on DC-Net’s self-healing, fiber-optic “mesh architecture”
and carrier-grade design will enable DC-Net to provide voice and data
service that outperform the District’s current commercial network.

DC-Net is
slated for service in two years, with data service coming online first,
followed by voice service activation. Once fully operational, DC-Net will
save the city at least $10 million per year (or $4,800 each business hour)
in government telecom charges every year after deployment. DC-Net will
be one of the largest municipal networks of its kind, connecting almost
400 District buildings and offering unlimited wireline data services and
supporting backhaul for broad wireless service. While the District will
own DC-Net, the actual management of the new network will be contracted
to an established telecommunications company that wins OCTO’s bid.

The District’s
effort to create a freestanding network independent of the public switched
network began in 1999 when the city entered negotiations with Comcast
on a cable TV “franchise” agreement. According to the agreement,
Comcast would provide backbone for a private fiber-optic communications
network. From there, the District began developing a citywide voice and
data communications system. To facilitate the network’s infrastructure,
the District negotiated a franchise contract with private cable television
providers for free fiber-optic backbone in exchange for coveted access
to the city’s public space (i.e., access to the roads and sidewalks,
in order to build out the cable TV system).

Many cities around
the country have become frustrated with increasing charges by private
cable and telecommunication providers, slow or no high-speed-data rollout,
and inconsistent service provided by private companies, leading them to
create their own telecom infrastructures. By creating their own networks,
municipal governments save money, further community development and promote
economic growth. Additionally, cities can generate revenue by leasing
network space to private providers. Often, the competition stirred between
Internet and data transport providers results in lowered costs and greater
service to citizens.

DC-Net is
unique because of its focus on improving emergency services for residents
in the nation’s capital. Public safety was the catalyst for construction.
However, its applications for voice, data, Web and wireless communications
are tremendous and will likely be emulated by numerous municipalities
around the country. WFM

About
the author

Peter
R. Roy is Washington, D.C.’s deputy chief technology officer.
Within the District’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer,
he currently leads the DC-Net initiative.

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