Grand Rapids’ primary goal for high-speed wireless broadband covering the community is to enhance public safety by dramatically increasing the information available to mobile police officers and firefighters. Clearwire service will enable real-time video streaming and photo transfer for police and fire vehicles traveling at up to 70 miles per hour.Service will not only be available for Police, Fire, and emergency medical service providers; but also to municipal field workers, and to the City’s businesses, citizens, and visitors.
Additional anticipated benefits of the high speed broadband WiMAX network include the expectation that a citywide network will:
Improve service delivery to residents and reduce the cost of government
Reduce the digital divide with affordable high-speed broadband service
Facilitate wireless technology use for citizens and visitors
Create a seamless wireless infrastructure to attract and retain young professionals
This has all been accomplished without burden on our taxpayers
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Examples of Potential Police and Fire Uses for 4G Wireless Internet
- Reduce neighborhood crime with the ability to streaming live video from an on-street video surveillance camera to the squad car around the corner as well as to command or emergency dispatch.
Improve incident communication and provide increased visual access to the scene for those at the command post with live video stream from the police or fire vehicle dash camera or even a web body camera.
Public safety and other mobile city staff can send and receive Amber Alerts, mug shots, crime scene evidence pictures, and other high resolution digital photos.
Minimize exposure of police or fire personnel to the extreme danger areas with clear fast communication and virtual scene management.
Locate missing persons within smoke and fire filled buildings with remote thermal imaging technology.
Enter street names, intersections or business names to quickly find the emergency location on computer maps.
Replace tactical worksheets and marker boards with actual building schematics and maps, in the field.
Quickly locate the closest fire hydrant even at night or when covered by snow with computer mapping technology.
Reduce risk with access to critical information such as building occupancy, hazardous materials storage, fire suppression systems, and building foot prints.
Monitor individual firefighter locations at any time with electronic on-scene location tracking.
View real-time, streaming, in-building security camera video before even confronting the event.
Quickly and easy complete after-action incident reports.
Share information with mutual-aid departments.
Monitor on scene firefighter health, breathing, heart rate, and temperature - real time.
Look up important information in Federal, State, and local databases.
Keep up on important information with access to e-mail and other City communications.
Cities and businesses that prosper in the 21st century will be those that embrace and invest in new technology. Imagine a city where government services can be delivered anytime, anywhere and where businesses and citizens are totally connected.
Following are some ways that we can all benefit from a city-wide wireless broadband network:
Low income residents who qualify will pay $9.95 per month for high speed wireless broadband
Connect anywhere, anytime instead of looking for a Wi-Fi hot spot with high-speed mobile broadband that moves with you.
View your child’s school progress report, upcoming assignments, and connect with school staff.
Remotely monitor heating, cooling, and security systems anytime, from anywhere, saving both time and resources.
Make low cost phone calls to anywhere in the world using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
Send live video of your child's soccer game to grandparents who live in another city or country.
Access real-estate listings and take a virtual tour of real estate property.
Browse through online malls or find directions to that new restaurant.
Download your favorite music, video, or movie.
Keep kids connected as they play a video game with cousins who live across the city, state, or country.
Receive expired meter alerts and pay for parking by credit card making parking in the city more convenient.
Minimize red tape and speed up the permit process as building inspectors gain access to critical blueprints, forms, and other important data.
Check email, file paperwork, update inventories and catch up on work when any data available in the office can be available over the wireless network.
IM your friend for lunch.
Conduct effective meetings with an unlimited number of people around the world. See the people that you're talking to and allow them to see your presentation, step-by-step, using video conference applications.
See and talk with your daughter and her date as they get ready to leave for dinner before the prom, even though you are still at work or out of town.
- Enjoy thousands of live and interactive university, business, and self-improvement education programs.
A citywide wireless network will not only make Grand Rapids the “right place” for firms to locate and to do business, keeping and creating jobs, but it will also enhance the desirability of our City's neighborhoods as an outstanding place to live, work, and play.