Alvarion releases OFDM kit for public safety

Alvarion today commercially released a version of its BreezeAccess line of broadband wireless infrastructure targeting the 4.9 GHz frequencies used by public-safety agencies in the U.S.

While BreezeAccess is Alvarion's legacy equipment line, replaced by its BreezeMax WiMAX portfolio, Alvarion has tweaked its older technology adding orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and greater range into its standard package, creating a system that Alvarion believes will be able to supply voice over IP and broadband data connections that could be used for public-safety tasks ranging from managing traffic signals to remote video and voice surveillance.

Alvarion said the pre-commercial trials of the system have already been launched with several agencies, and one such system helped uncover a drug smuggling operation in an unnamed jurisdiction, resulting in narcotics seizures and several arrests. The base station supports encrypted non-line-of-sight connections to sensors, cameras and traffic systems equipment with premise radios, and is designed to work with Alvarion's other public-safety system, the BreezeAccess 900, which supplies mobile data and voice communications to vehicles.