Wireless Networks for Mass Transit
Protecting the security of Mass Transit vehicles, stations and operations took on new significance following the terrorist bombings in Madrid and London. In today’s mass transit reality of terrorism-related crime, an economic downturn and a continued focus on the ecological benefits of increasing mass transit ridership, a number of trends emerge that impact mass transit video security deployments and their associated networks:
- The desire for evidence-grade video and the availability of mega-pixel cameras places higher bandwidth demands on the supporting network
- The need for real-time remote visibility of on-vehicle incidents necessitates uninterrupted high performance connectivity to high-speed vehicles
- The objectives of lowering operational costs and increasing ridership dictates technology investment that addresses multiple uses
BelAir Networks rugged, high-performance broadband wireless gear is deployed in mass transit trains, stations, trackside and railyards to support video security networks. BelAir's ability to provide seamless, high bandwidth mobile connectivity to high-speed trains enables real-time incident monitoring from centralized and remote locations, providing instant situational awareness to mass transit and public safety personnel in the event of an emergency or disaster. BelAir's industry leading performance and advanced networking features including user segmentation, application prioritization, seamless mobility and multi-layer security enable mass transit operators to leverage one wireless network for a broad range of applications. So, the same BelAir network that supports video security, can also be used to enable emergency notifications and data access for mass transit and public safety personnel.
Meanwhile mass transit operations benefit from wireless-enabled communications including: Train car locator, real-time schedule status, route information, secure access to corporate network and Internet, staff VoIP, ticketing, and Food and Beverage Point of Sale services (POS), real-time and look ahead video surveillance of stations, tunnel and track and remote telematics and diagnostics.
And this same wireless network can be used to offer public Wi-Fi access to commuters, enabling them to take advantage of high-speed internet access en route.