Although New York City has yet to make any real inroads in the development of a citywide wireless network for its residents, Mayor Michael Bloomberg did announce today that the city is seeking to establish a Citywide Mobile Wireless Network (CMWN) designed specifically for emergency responders. As we all remember, during the tragic events of 9/11, emergency communications broke down as fire and police personnel were attempting to evacuate and rescure people who were trapped in the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
According to the Mayor's office, the network will give the city's fire and police departments the ability to access and download city maps, building plans, and federal and state counter-terrorism and crime databases while in the field, which is the very type of platform these departments need. A six-month pilot program is scheduled to take place between two competing companies--Northrop Grumman and Motorola--to judge whose platform will work best for the city.
This is an incredibly important development for New York City and it is essential that one of these platforms proves successful in testing. For any city, both big and small, the ability for emergency personnel to communicate while on the go should be a top priority.
