Mayor C. Jack Ellis Says Macon is Bridging the Digital Divide with Motorola's' Motomesh(TM) Solution for City-Wide Wireless Access
MACON, GA - April 30, 2007 - Macon residents can now take full advantage of wireless broadband access throughout the city. Mayor C. Jack Ellis and Motorola today announced that the City of Macon has deployed MOTOMESH(TM), Motorola's multi-radio broadband solution, to enable municipal-wide wireless broadband access to its constituents. The mesh network will provide wireless access on the 2.4GHz unlicensed frequency for residents and municipal workers, and in addition, will provide secure and dedicated wireless data communications for first responders on the licensed 4.9GHz public safety frequency.
The Macon MOTOMESH network is part of an effort by the city to bridge the digital divide. Public access to the Wi-Fi network can be established with any standard wireless subscriber device using an 802.11b/g wireless card. Residential users will have wireless Internet connectivity to the Macon network at broadband speeds, giving all citizens an opportunity to access the Web tools and applications they need most to succeed.
"Our administration has taken substantial steps in meeting its promise of providing cutting edge wireless technologies to both Macon's citizens and its first responders," said C. Jack Ellis, Mayor of the City of Macon. "We needed a solution that would provide our first responders with the information they require in the field, while allowing other city agencies and, most importantly, our residents to move forward in the digital age. After an extensive evaluation of municipal wireless broadband solutions, Motorola's MOTOMESH multi-radio solution proved to be a perfect fit."
In addition to providing public access, the new mesh system supports the mission critical data and video needs of first responders in the field. For example, the MOTOMESH network allows officers to monitor high-quality video feed from cameras placed in heavy traffic and high-crime areas. Macon officers will also have mobile broadband access to county criminal justice databases, Amber Alerts, and the county mug shot and fingerprint system. Macon's firefighters will be able to use the network to enable vehicle tracking and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) mapping of hazardous material storage areas, utility infrastructure locations and to create tactical plans for commercial building responses.
Macon is also using the Motorola Canopy® point-to-multipoint broadband solution for wireless backhaul, plus Multi-Net Mobility(TM) mobile VPN, and Motorola AirMobile(TM) for intelligent data transfer and network roaming capabilities. Eventually, the city plans to expand the network, creating an entire city-wide cloud for public access, extending the network applications out to other government agencies including the local sheriff's office.
"The City of Macon is a leading example of a community that has embraced innovation for the betterment of its citizens," said Girish Rishi, Team Leader for the Data Solutions Organization at Motorola. "By delivering these state-of-the-art applications on a municipal-wide scale, the City of Macon is providing its citizens with the resources they need to bolster economic development, while enabling municipal workers and public safety personnel to proactively reduce crime and better serve the community."
Mayor Ellis added that the city of Macon is continuously working to close the digital divide. Since the inception of the official city website, Macon has received the "One Simple Guide Web Award", and twice honored with the "Digital Cities Golden Web Award".
Ron Wildman
Media Specialist
478-751-7226 - 478-719-1830
Ron.Wildman@macon.ga.us
Pam Benke
Motorola, Inc
407-562-4032
pam.benke@motorola.com
