Anyone know anything about ERF Wireless andthe personel involved?
I'm just wondering if the State Police picked a WSIP company that was
instrumental in the original aid to the area during the crisis, or just some
company that won the bid?
Tom DeReggi
RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc
IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dawn DiPietro" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org>
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 6:13 AM
Subject: [WISPA] Louisiana State Police to Build Statewide Wireless Network
Louisiana State Police to Build Statewide Wireless Network
11:47AM 11/16/06 [ back to top ]
Agreement Provides Louisiana With Access to the ERF Wireless Statewide
Wireless Broadband Network for Law Enforcement Operations and Disaster
Recovery.
ERF Wireless announced today that it has entered into an agreement with
the Louisiana State Police to construct a statewide wireless broadband
network. This network, to be known as Louisiana BankNet, will be owned and
operated by ERF Wireless, with the tower infrastructure provided by the
Louisiana State Police. Funding will be provided by participating
financial institutions. The $5 million network will provide wireless
broadband connectivity to the Louisiana State Police and to the regional
banks that ERF Wireless currently serves and will serve in the future. The
network will also support wireless broadband Internet services (WISP) to
many underserved areas of Louisiana.
As part of the agreement, ERF Wireless will provide the Louisiana State
Police with access to continuous, point-to-point wireless connectivity
through the entire State Police tower network. ERF Wireless will also
deploy its newly announced SatNet product to provide fault-tolerant
communications at certain key nodes inside the network. In addition,
during times of declared state emergencies, ERF Wireless will make
available to Louisiana's first responders expanded bandwidth, VoIP
communications, high-resolution video surveillance at the backbone towers
and across regional banking networks, video conferencing, and free use of
wireless hotspots across the network -- all to support disaster recovery
efforts.
Col. Henry L. Whitehorn, Superintendent Deputy Secretary, Department of
Public Safety & Corrections, Public Safety Services (Louisiana State
Police), commented, "This Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with ERF Wireless
is very good for the people of Louisiana as well as the Louisiana State
Police. The past year has been a very trying time for all of us in
Louisiana. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had a significant impact on our
communications capabilities throughout much of the state. When ERF
Wireless suggested working together to upgrade our communications
capability, to help our local financial institutions and to provide
emergency WISP services free of charge to first responders and to our
citizens, I knew this would be a win-win solution. We are looking forward
to working with ERF Wireless to provide Louisiana with all of the benefits
available through this state-of-the-art wireless network."
Dr. H. Dean Cubley, ERF Wireless' CEO, commented, "We're pleased to enter
into this agreement with the state of Louisiana and to provide enhanced
services to our financial institution customers. This is a perfect example
of how private enterprise and government can work together to provide a
critical service to citizens, government entities and local financial
institutions. This secure network will be a benefit to all involved. The
Louisiana State Police get an upgraded, fault-tolerant communications
capability throughout the state. The financial institutions receive
reliable, high-speed, encrypted communications across our BankNet
circuits. And, many previously underserved areas of Louisiana can take
advantage of the new ERF Wireless WISP services that will be available
soon in cities, towns and rural communities all across the state.
"The construction of Louisiana BankNet will begin within the next thirty
days," said John Burns, ERF Wireless COO and chief architect of the
company's milestone agreement with Louisiana. "ERF Wireless has been
involved in a sustained R&D effort over the last three years to develop
the technology, file the patents, identify the needed applications,
address regulatory concerns, finalize the design and deploy five operating
networks across three states. The Louisiana portion of our planned
nationwide BankNet system is the nucleus for our overall strategy for
serving the U.S. banking industry."
The construction of Louisiana BankNet will proceed in phases, with the
first phase beginning in Baton Rouge, then continuing east along the
Interstate 10 corridor to New Orleans, then north around Lake Pontchatrain
through Slidell and Hammond, and returning to Baton Rouge. The second
phase will begin in Baton Rouge, then proceed west along the Interstate 10
corridor through Lafayette to Lake Charles. The third phase will begin in
Lafayette, then advance east along the U. S. Highway 90 corridor through
Morgan City and Houma to New Orleans. Later phases will cover all areas of
the state in a similar manner. "We plan to complete as much of the network
as possible before the next hurricane season hits by leveraging the
resources of our strategic partners," said Burns.
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