First Responder Solutions from Continental Wireless

Rapid Deployment Infrastructure - RDI

Services - First Reponders - Wireless Systems - Add on Subsystems

Commercial-Off-The Shelf (COTS) Solutions in a rapid deployment package.

Continental provides deployable  telecommunications solutions in mobile packages for first responder and homeland security applications.

 Deploy wide area communications systems in response to incidents, and emerging situations, in  hours, not weeks or months.

Using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products and technologies Continental can quickly produce and ship first-first article units for any communications requirement, typically within 30 days.

Wide Area  Footprints

RDI packages from Continental Wireless are typically self sufficient containing on board power and environmental subsystems, with a crank up tower for communications antennas. Depending on the communications technology this makes it possible to establish an communications foot-print covering thousands of square miles within hours of arriving on site and covering tens of thousands of  miles in a week.

RDI packages can be on-the-air providing critical communications services within 4 hours of arrival on site,

RDI Components, Communications Packages and options

The RDI package

• Mobile - Continental can provide Vehicle mounts, Towed, or Transportable equipment shelters. The towed version, as shown, is generally the  optimum trade off between costs and mobility. RDI configurations are air transportable.

• Power - Typically RDI packages can accept commercial power, and are equipped with a no-break power subsystem backed up by an on-board generator option. Solar power options are also available for long term operation in isolated locations.

• Rugged -  Shock mounting of all electronic components as well as shock mounting of equipment shelters lets you take an RDI package to where the action is.

• Environmental - Active and passive systems available

• Affordable - Continental provides the most bang for the buck by using COTS components for both the RDI package and the communications subsystems. Providing the advanced features, in minimum time at minimum cost.

• Available - COTS provisioning shortens the delivery cycle. First Article Systems Test (FAST) units typically ship from our Texas fabrication facility 30 days after receipt of order, subsequent deliveries are produced in accordance with your schedule.

• Documented - Each RDI package ships with full copies of our engineering design package, including material lists, cable run lists, and acceptance testing results for all RDI and communications subsystems components. Included in the Continental documentation package are recommended preventive maintenance procedures as well as all equipment and subsystem manuals.

• Expandable - RDI packages are typically engineered with oversized space, power, and environmental subsystems so that additional subsystems can be added in the future as your functional requirements evolve.

Continental Services - Continental Wireless will supply turnkey provisioning of your RDI system, our state of the art materials management and sophisticated engineering and project management software systems will track your system from Concept-to-Cutover.

• Engineering - Continental's system engineering department designs and details each unit according to your requirements, all sub systems, including power and environmental support systems, are sized correctly to support your communications packages. Communications packages are engineered and documented for all aspects of operation, including frequency and path planning

• Installation - Equipment is shelterized, configured and tested at our Dallas Metroplex location. On request Continental will establish a fabrication facility at your location, Continental engineers will provide supervision of equipment shelterization and testing performed by your technical staff, or by third party firms as part of a formal OJT program.

• Project Management - Continental uses its state of the art logistics and project management software systems to track your project from Concept-to-Cutover, insuring and on time and on budget delivery or your system and all support services.

• Support - Continental offers multiple levels of support, including a 24/7 technical support center and Network Operation Center (NOC) options.

  Depending on the Service Level Agreement (SLA) selected, replacement, equipment can be dispatched under our loaner program to your field location within hours. Field support by our factory trained engineers and technicians is also available on call or as part of deployment support options.

• Training - Continental offers formal class room training in installation, operation and maintenance of our RDI packages at our Dallas headquarters. Formal training can also be provided at a customers headquarter, or field, location. Informal, hand-on, on-the-job training, provided by our field support engineers can also be provided on request.

Common Communications Packages - RDI Communications packages requested are frequently a combination of the single purpose packages outlined below. As an example a system providing trunked Public Safety VHF/UHF communications services will also include a wireless component to link the Public Safety system into existing facilities and infrastructure.

• First Responders Public Safety/Land Mobile VHF/UHF communications systems - Public Safety and Land Mobile communications systems are used by First Responders to provide communications between those in the field and their headquarters, between individuals in the field, as well as intra-agency command communications links. These systems operated on licensed frequencies in the Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency (UHF/VHF) bands. First responders networks can be configured to carry voice, data, and facsimile traffic or all three at the same time. These systems can be provided in trunked configurations that offer advanced selective call, group call, inter agency and security features.

  The Continental Wireless RDI package offers a force multiplier to existing first responders network, or can stand alone as as the corner stone of a transportable system for incidents or emerging situations.

  Typically first responders equipped with hand held equipment can communicate only over a few miles, mobile units, with higher powers and better antenna systems have more range, but are usually limited to a maximum range of less than 5 miles, mobile to mobile.

  • Force Multiplication: A Continental RDI package equipped with conventional or trunked repeater equipment, higher powers, and crank up communications mast, can create a coverage footprint of over a thousand square miles in hours. This allows first responders equipped with handheld or mobile units to communicate with each other between any two points within the coverage foot print.

  • Additional Capabilities:  Voice, data, and facsimile capabilities can be included in the First Responder VHF/UHF systems, however additional capabilities, as outlined below can be added to any RDI package, making these systems a one stop solution for most field applications. Using the RDI as a central point communications links between any first responder and any location in the world can be established, either manually or by the first responder.

  • Multiple Locations: Continental RDI first responder packages can communicate between themselves using either In-Band or out of band links, this means that the "Coverage Footprint" of one location merges seamlessly into the the coverage footprint of all the others. If a given single site RDI package provides 1,200 square miles of coverage with 8 repeater channels, a four site configuration will cover 4,00 square miles of territory with 32 channels. Using conservative traffic engineering estimates, this four site configuration will support between 2,500 and 4,700 users with voice and data services.

• Wide Area Wireless Communications Network - Continental Wireless can provide fully equipped and tested, mobile, wire area communications systems for short and long term deployment.  Using the unlicensed ISM and UNII communications bands these systems can provide communications links up to 40 miles in length and up to 45 Mbps in capacity. For more specialized applications Continental can supply RDI packages up to 480 Mbps capacity for emergency service restoration applications. Each system will be a unique configuration, however all configurations will typically contain one or more of the following types of communications facility.

  • Point-to-Point Links - PTP systems are typically used to meet high capacity requirements between two locations, or between a central node and multiple locations. Capacities are usually in the 50 Mbps range but can go higher than 400 Mbps with selected equipments. These systems usually operate with a proprietary Over-the-Air communications protocol developed by the manufacturer  Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing is sometimes used to combat multipath distortion or to provide Near-Line-of-Site (NLOS) communications links.

  • Point-to-Multipoint Links - PMP systems are also designed to connect fixed locations with medium to high data capacities. PMP technology allows the same equipment, at the central site to communicate simultaneously with multiple remote sites. By eliminating the need for a separate transmitter at the central site for each remote location equipments costs are slashed, making PMP systems very competitive financially. Over-The-Air statistical multiplexing enhance system throughput for all remote sites. Proprietary communications protocols, advanced modulation techniques, fast forward error correction, and specialized timing systems allow operation in a hostile RF environment. System capacities are statistically shared by all remote sites, systems are available for operation in the ISM and U-NII bands.

  • WiFI PMP Systems - WiFI Point-to-Multipoint systems use standards based Over-the-Air protocols. They are most commonly used for Wide-Area, end-user, solutions. In this application a WiFI access point is established and connected back to a gateway. The WiFI access point then broadcasts in either the ISM or U-NII band directly to a interface card (wireless modem) in the end users equipment. 

Optional Add On's

• Incident Command Center  - Equipment to provision an Incident-Command-Center (ICC) can be provisioned for your RDI package. This would typically consist of large format Gas Plasma or projection display systems. Specialized event tracking, and geo-spatial display software, custom email and connectivity software systems. Associated digital networking equipment.  The ICC is typically supplied with a structured cabling and power system such that the ICC can be set up in an existing building or other structure up to 500 feet from the RDI trailer.

  Usefulness if the ICC can be further enhanced by provisioning a wireless data network and PDA display units allowing Incident Commanders and key staff members to work together as a team anywhere within the coverage footprint of the RDI communications system selected.

• Satellite Communications  - A small aperture satellite terminal (VSat) can be added to your package to provide world-wide, instant, and secure connectivity to remote locations. Bandwidth packages include  burstable Committed-Information-Rates (CIR) from 64 Kbps to 1024 Kbps, typically data rates burst to at least twice the CIR on demand.

  Our clients can choose to arrange their own transponder time with access providers, or Continental can provide management services as desired.

• HF Communications add on - Modern Hi Frequency communications systems, operating in the 2 to 30 MHz band, are sophisticated, reliable and low cost communications options. Utilizing technologies such as Automatic-Link-Establishment (ALE) to maintain 24/7 communications links for voice, data, and facsimile services around the country or around the world. HF links can connect your RDI package in the field to national and regional headquarters, providing intra and inter agency low communications links. HF Communications subsystems can be added to any of our RDI packages. All HF subsystems can be equipped with advanced security, facsimile and data transmission capablities.

• Video Surveillance - Local or remote video surveillance subsystems can be added to your RDI communications package. Video packages typically utilize ruggedized cameras with native pan, zoom, and tilt capabilities. Low Light or Infra-Red (IR) cameras with associated IR light sources can be used. A Video Surveillance package allows installation of cameras at any RDI location and can uses unlicensed wireless links to backhaul video feeds to a central location. Video information is then combined and made available via conventional web browsers to the ICC or any location or user on the wireless system.  These video systems can be further enhanced with motion detectors or video recognition software.

• Telephony Services - Public-Switched-Telephone-Network (PSTN) dial tone can be added to any package, and extended to all users on a wireless work, or to a first responders VHF/UHF communications system. This facility makes it possible for vehicular mobile or hand held users to patch radio transmissions to the PSTN, or permit individuals to establish a call from any public phone to anyone on the radio network. This facility can be implemented using PABX, Key Telephone, or VoIP technology, or a combination of technologies.