Cisco announced today a new technology, called the Cisco Metropolitan Mobile Network, that is designed to provide broadband wireless access for government agencies across an entire city.
With a unified IP network foundation, the Cisco Metropolitan Mobile Network is designed to offer mobile access to applications and tools that Cisco hopes might ultimately lead to the increased responsiveness of emergency and other city personnel.
This scalable, standards-based technology consists of Cisco Aironet Series of WiFi outdoor infrastructure and Cisco 3200 Series Routers with the new integrated Wireless Mobile Interface Card that supports IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g for wireless local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) access.
Cisco hopes this technology will help extend network-oriented services and applications — such as real-time data access and video surveillance — across wireless infrastructures and provide government agencies with new ways to improve communications, security and responsiveness using existing and future wireless technologies.
These new products also allow customers to use Cisco wired and wireless backhaul points to connect wireless coverage areas across a city.
“Real-time decision-making and the need for first responders and city officials to access and process information dynamically is becoming increasingly important as the demand to improve security, productivity and operational efficiency becomes more critical,” said Paulette Altmaier, vice president and general manager in the communications business unit at Cisco.
The Cisco 3200 Series Wireless and Mobile Router configured with IEEE 802.11 Wireless Mobile Interface Card starts at US$3,650; the Cisco Aironet 1300 Series Outdoor AP/Bridge costs $1,299; and the Cisco Aironet 1400 Series Outdoor Wireless Bridge costs $1,499.