Some people only see the personal benefit to wireless technology, it makes it much easier to conduct business on the go, keep in touch with your friends, and stay current on world events. However, a reliable wireless network is important to a community for more than just those reasons. It can save lives. Alcatel-Lucent published a case study regarding a multi-jurisdictional emergency communications network in the St. Louis area. “A reliable communications network that responders know to go to and use in the event of an emergency is our benchmark for the St. Louis region,” said Nick Gragnani, executive director of the St. Louis Area Regional Response System. Prior to the terrorist attacks of September 2001, emergency managers knew that communication between responding agencies in a disaster was a critical issue that needed to be addressed. Following that devastating series of events, and subsequent natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina, interoperability gained advocates in all sectors of the community. (Source: Alcatel-Lucent Case Study)
Many federal and state representatives have been working hard to reduce the barriers that tower companies face when they are looking to improve the infrastructure in a town; however, members of the community don’t always see this as a benefit. The structure itself causes a lot of concern to residents because they dislike how it looks, but if a natural disaster were to occur, wouldn’t you want your town to be equipped with towers that could withstand strong winds and rain in case of an emergency? Without this technology, people are isolated during times of trouble. This is why it’s extremely important to keep our wireless infrastructure up to date and allow towers to be constructed without resistance.
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