Bobbies on the beat with a wireless device could become reality thanks to a new product capable of downloading data and sending images or video wirelessly.
The BreezeACCESS device, developed by US-based Alvarion and distributed locally by Comztek, is an outdoor wireless device which allows public safety workers - such as police officers, firefighters, emergency medical units and military personnel - to quickly access critical information from remote servers in a mobile environment.
Hannes Brits, Alvarion product manager at Comztek, says the BreezeACCESS subscriber unit complements existing mobile data systems used by many public safety units and provides them with outdoor points of access into their own systems. Brits says there has been particularly strong interest in the product from fire brigades.
The devices require a series of base stations to be established providing "hotspots" for users when they want to upload data or pull down new information. The BreezeACCESS uses a transmission protocol similar to the 802.11b wireless networking specification. It does, however, include frequency hopping, making the wireless communication more secure.
Brits says the size of the hotspots can range from 2km to 5km, depending on conditions. While most users will use the devices while stationary, they have been tested reliably at up to 90km/h. At 120km/h the signal is slightly less reliable but still usable, says Brits.
Traffic over the wireless link is IP-based and can be accessed by most devices, from a personal digital assistant, to a laptop or a built-in police computer. "When deploying the unit with these existing systems, users enjoy a significant increase in efficiency, as the unit can transfer large amounts of data at multi-megabit speeds.
"Police officers can, for example, obtain arrest warrant data, mug shots and fingerprint information immediately in the field. No more paperwork at a police station, no more wasted time."
Another application, says Brits, is for firefighters to retrieve electronic copies of city maps and building blueprints while in transit to emergency sites. "This will allow them to get there sooner as well as to make critical decisions on the way."
Brits says Comztek is talking to a number of divisions of the public safety service sector and while nothing has been confirmed, there "has been a lot of interest from users like the fire brigades. It is ideal and very effective for users such as the fire brigade and the medical rescue services." To date, however, nothing has been confirmed.
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