MuniWireless

The city of Newton, Massachusetts, has partnered with Galaxy Internet Services to deploy a multi-purpose mesh network for its 80,000 residents.The city of Newton, Massachusetts, has partnered with Galaxy Internet Services to deploy a multi-purpose mesh network for its 80,000 residents.

This is exciting, though not surprising, news. Newton is an urban suburb of Boston and its deployment of wireless mesh will serve to strengthen the grid in that region

Newton is the site of our upcoming MuniWireless Conference, Turning Ideas Into Action. Naturally, we hope to see you all at the Newton Marriot, June 3-5, where we’ll be hearing about the hotbed of muni-wireless activity around the Boston area and throughout New England.

Newton’s network will enable voice, video and data services for municipal, commercial and consumer use. The city is providing access to streetlight poles and buildings in exchange for free access to the network for its city agencies and public safety departments.

Galaxy and Strix are also partners in the deployment of a wireless mesh network in neighboring Brookline. Galaxy will use Strix Systems’multi-radio mesh network to provide 2.4 Ghz Wi-Fi access, as well as long-range 4.9 Ghz public safety communications and dual 5.8 Ghz radios for backhaul.

Services on the 4.9Ghz public safety band will allow police remote access to criminal records, to report incidents and enable surveillance. Fire vehicles will have Wi-Fi enabled laptops installed, allowing firemen in the field to access Newton’s database of structures, hazardous chemical sites, and data needed in emergencies. Other municipal services, such as automatic meter reading, will be done via the network.

Click here for details on our conference, June 3-5..

Click here for more on Newton’s deployment in the press release from Galaxy and Strix.

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