Case Study: State of Delaware Interoperable Communications System

Enhancing Statewide Public Safety Interoperability

 

The Client

The State of Delaware. The State of Delaware’s Department of Technology and Information is responsible for the statewide public safety communications systems supporting the State Police as well as many local law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies. In 1996, the State began using a new statewide 800 MHz trunked radio system. Almost immediately, first responders expressed concerns about the inability of the system to provide adequate in-building coverage.

 

The Project

The State retained RCC to assist in recommending ways to strengthen in-building coverage and assist the State in the acquisition of needed enhancements.

 

The project included the following components:

  • Assess coverage of a statewide radio system and develop a plan to improve system coverage inside buildings across the state.

  • Develop a multi-phased implementation strategy with a firm budget that incorporated the implementation timeline.

  • Resolve interference from wireless cellular carriers.

 

RCC's Role

RCC provided many important services for the State of Delaware during this project, including:

 

  • Developed design recommendations for additional radio system sites and in-building solutions to improve coverage.
  • Designed a plan for high-capacity microwave network.
  • Created a plan to eliminate harmful interference from cellular systems.
  • Provided strategic direction in future technology and system migration.
  • Improved system coverage on-street and in buildings across the state.
  • Established a strategic plan for migrating from existing technologies to full P25-compliant voice and data system.

 

RCC’s coverage analysis uncovered one of the most significant problems that public safety has faced in the last decade: some complaints of poor radio coverage were actually manifestations of the cellular interference that resulted in the rebanding of the 800 MHz radio frequency spectrum. RCC quantified what had only been isolated problems at the time, and worked with the cellular carriers to resolve the interference to the State’s system and recommended and implemented improvements in the system.