Lauderdale County Emergency Management Director, Odie Barrett, has urged his Mississippi community to take advantage of a cell tower opportunity. He outlined a plan for the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors, explaining why now is the time to upgrade.
As the Meridian Star reports, the county currently relies on an antiquated T1 line to serve its emergency response personnel. The T1 line transmits information at a speed of 1.5 megabits-per-second. Those connected to the fiber internet operated by the East Mississippi Electric Power Association enjoy speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 1 gigabit, easily eclipsing the connectivity offered by the T1 line.
Barrett has proposed that investing in a cell tower now instead of committing to renewing the T1 lease would be practical in both forward thinking financial terms, and immediate connectivity improvements. He noted that the county currently leases space for its radio communications antenna on a tower on Sandflat Road at a cost of $18,500 per year. Additionally, he said, the county pays $9,000 per month, or $108,000 a year, for a T1 internet line that runs from E-911 dispatch to the Sandflat tower. With the current lease expiring in September, Barrett advised against spending an anticipated $2.53 million to keep the current arrangement operating for another 20 years.
“That technology of a T1 line is obsolete and has been obsolete for a while now,” he noted, according to the Meridian Star.
Instead, Barrett proposed obtaining a 120-foot cell tower as a donation, and paying to transport, refurbish, and install it in Lauderdale County. He said that the initial cost would be about $12,000, plus another $15,000 for equipment, $10,000 for an equipment shed, and approximately $40,000 to lease a site. Despite the upfront costs, Barrett stated that he believes erecting a cell tower would ultimately save the county $2.3 million over the next 20 years, and provide faster, better digital service.
A concern, however, was raised by Fire Coordinator, Allan Dover. Dover explained that the fire department switched to the Mississippi Wireless Information Network, or MSWIN system, in 2021, and still incorporates some of its older technology. He said he was unsure about the effectiveness of transitioning the tornado alarms to another system.
Barrett responded that the older system could still operate as a back up plan. However, the stronger, better signal provided by a new cell tower would benefit all first responders. The Board of Supervisors vowed to continue the discussion, and to narrow down suggestions for the best site to place a cell tower to achieve the maximum benefit from the service.
Reader Interactions