The Memphis/Shelby County UASI is using a portion of its UASI grants funding designated for one of its Interoperable Communications Projects to purchase more than 250 MSAT-G2 satellite radios and service subscriptions. UASI grants provide funding support for emergency response agencies in areas that are considered high-risk for events, either natural or man-made, and are located within one of the specific Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated urban areas, such as Memphis. The Memphis/Shelby County UASI includes Shelby, Tipton, Fayette and Lauderdale counties in Tennessee, Crittenden County in Arkansas and Desoto County in Mississippi.
SkyTerra and its local service provider, Central Communications, worked with the Shelby County Office of Preparedness to develop the required documentation for grant funding approval. Once the funds were approved, the county commissioners approved the purchase and the UASI-wide distribution plan for the MSAT-G2s. “This is an excellent illustration where the public and private sectors have come together and worked in unison to develop a solution for a public safety requirement,” said Bob Nations Jr. director, Shelby County Office of Preparedness HLS/EMA. “This is an example that other businesses and agencies around the nation can model to craft solutions for their local security and public service needs.”
“In working with the Memphis/Shelby County UASI and Central Communications, SkyTerra has instituted a new program to work with government agencies at all levels to assist them in the development and submission of grant funding initiatives,” said Matthew Foosaner, vice president of government sales for SkyTerra. ”We will assist our agency partners in planning and implementing push-to-talk satellite communications that meet the interoperability and redundancy requirements of many of the federal grant programs available.”
According to county planners, more than 230 mobile units in hardened travel cases with power adaptors will be placed with emergency response agencies throughout the Memphis/Shelby UASI region where they can be readily deployed during emergencies. The rest of the satellite devices will be deployed in critical command and control facilities including the county Emergency Operations Center, the Memphis Police and Fire Department headquarters, and other UASI emergency management locations.
“To facilitate interoperable communications among the various county and city agencies and organizations that will respond to emergencies, SkyTerra is loading, at no additional cost, as many as nine local, regional and national talkgroups so that agencies can readily communicate with one another,” said Foosaner. “All devices will have at least three Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talkgroups or SMART™ developed by SkyTerra, so that local responders can talk with federal, state and regional agencies whenever the need arises.”
The MSAT-G2 two-way satellite radio supports a range of innovative point-to-multipoint and point-to-point communication solutions that include (dispatch-style) push-to-talk and push-to-track services. The MSAT-G2 two-way satellite radio addresses the increasing needs and demands of public safety and emergency response personnel, is interoperable with land mobile radio systems, and provides access to multiple agencies and talk groups. MSAT-G2 satellite radios contain GPS technology which allows emergency management officials to identify the location of their people.
SkyTerra is developing an integrated satellite-terrestrial communications network, based on SkyTerra’s patented ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) technology. The company expects its next-generation network will provide seamless, transparent and ubiquitous wireless coverage of the United States and Canada to conventional handsets. SkyTerra plans to launch two of the most powerful commercial satellites ever built that will enable this network to support communications in a variety of market segments including public safety, homeland security, telematics, transportation and entertainment, by providing a platform for interoperable, user-friendly and feature-rich voice and high-speed data services.
SkyTerra Communications, Inc. (OTCBB: SKYT) owns 100 percent of SkyTerra LP. SkyTerra LP and SkyTerra (Canada), Inc. jointly operate the MSV-1 and MSV-2 satellites and telecommunications network.