Florida town deploys wireless networks
Kissimmee, Fla., officials unveiled new public wireless networks last week designed to promote tourism and improve communication for public safety and utility workers. The networks, designed by a local reseller of Schaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola equipment, cover the city’s lakefront area, Kissimmee Gateway Airport and downtown. “Kissimmee’s downtown area is rich in historical culture and is also located at the heart of a major tourist center,” says Maria Grulich, head of economic development for Osceola County where Kissimmee is located. “As the fourth fastest growing county in the nation, we sought to maintain that positive historical character as well as support Kissimmee’s escalating economic vitality.”
Any standard wireless subscriber device with an 802.11 b/g wireless card can access the networks. A separate system allows first responders and other government workers to maintain a connection while driving and to receive video from surveillance cameras while in the field. “[The networks] provide exceptional coverage and flexibility, allowing us to easily expand the network in the future to other users as needs arise,” Kissimmee Technology Director Peggy Sousa says. The Kissimmee Utility Authority and the Toho Water Authority helped the city finance the networks.