Silicon Valley invites auto centers, responders to join initiative

Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network says it will form two wireless users groups to collaborate with design teams in designing the network and exploring applications to run on it.Earlier this week we reported that San Carlos and Palo Alto, California, have agreed to serve as test cities for the proposed Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network to be deployed by Metro Connect, a coalition of private companies including IBM, Cisco, Azulstar and SeaKay.

Brian Moura at the city of San Carlos has alerted us to an addition to the test site program that promises to return research that will be useful in the design of municipal networks and in the deployment of public safety applications–the creation of two wireless users groups.

JVSVN is exploring the creation of a users group that will join Silicon Valley automotive research centers with engineers from Metro Connect; the Intelligent Transportations Systems User Group will explore traffic management applications using the auto industry’s 5.9 GHz frequency, as well as the initiative’s wireless broadband network.

Emergency communications organizations in the region will be invited to team with the Metro Connect team and the Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force in the second group, the Emergency Response User Group, to insure that the wireless network design meets the needs of public safety organizations.

Each city will build a one-square-mile test site serviced by 30 to 45 access points during the 120-day test period. According to a press release issued by JVWSV,

“The Concept City areas will demonstrate the network’s infrastructure layout, and potential uses to residents and businesses, as well as city and county officials throughout the region. The network will not be open to the general public during the initial portion of the test phase. “