Month: May 2008

cost of digital radio sytems for public safety

Just outside of Washington, D.C., Arlington County recently opened a new, state-of-the-art emergency communications center (ECC). The ECC includes a new digital radio system that complies with Project 25. Project 25 defines new standards for interoperability of public safety communication systems.

Interoperability is a common issue in the communications industry. Communications standards and universal interoperability were key to the growth of the internet. Interoperability did not develop as rapidly in public safety communications systems. Older public safety communications system often did not allow neighboring public safety organizations to communicate with each other.

Arlington’s new digital radio system was about twice as expensive as all the rest of the center. The fact sheet for the project notes:

Cost of the new ECC is approximately $9.6 million, including construction costs; furniture; video capabilities; cabling; 9-1-1 software and equipment; and technology equipment, included computer-aided dispatch. Cost of the new digital radio system is approximately $18 million.

For comparison, consider the cost of your house, furniture, televisions, personal computers, and personal software. Compare that to the cost of your digital cell phones, DSL or cable modems, and all other digital communication technology that you own. The cost of your house and its contents is probably on the order of a thousand times greater than the cost of your digital radio systems. Moreover, just your house and furniture probably cost a thousand times more than all the digital technology that you own.

Of course, emergency communications systems have extraordinary requirements. But so too do emergency communications buildings, furniture, software, and other equipment used in an emergency communication center.

Digital radio systems for public safety seem to have lagged far behind cost-performance improvements for other digital technologies. This outcome suggests the importance of institutions and ideas to results in different communications fields.

love your government regulators

The FCC’s pioneering recreational band, Hot Spectrum, made its club debut this past Tuesday night at Bangkok Blues. As the above video reports, its repertoire is diverse, but familiar tunes are easily recognized. Government regulators often are subject to harsh criticism. But in this case, a large and enthusiastic crowd cheered on the band. Please, let there be love, even for government regulators!

psalm

tired
tired
too tired for wonder

lay me down
in soft, warm dust
beside a lake
in which stones float
and the forest
stands quiet and gray

tired
too tired to wander

let me be
on my own couch
where the door
locks out the world
where I live
wanting nothing
no fear, no fear

tired
too tired

goodness will come

—————–

Addendum: Life is more like the Lanterne Rouge than Lance Armstrong: live weak.

economics of news production

The above video documents the production of a ten-second news segment for a U.S. national news network. In this segment, a network correspondent declared that the (then) upcoming Indiana primary is a “must win” for Hillary Clinton.

The production involved a satellite truck, a two-person video crew, and the news correspondent. The production location apparently was chosen so that behind the correspondent would appear the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the U.S. Capitol. Why the segment was shot live to air isn’t clear. Being live to air required the crew and the equipment to be in place at the time of the broadcast, waiting for the on-air cue, and required the satellite truck to relay the signal.

The camera crew had years of experience and large equipment. They also had an on-camera, focused microphone that could cut out extraneous background noise like a plane flying overhead. This video crew could make great video.

The correspondent was a 19-year television news industry veteran. Among other reporting positions, he had served as an embedded video reporter in Iraq. He undoubtedly is intelligent and knowledgeable.

Let’s hope that changes in the news industry and new video economics result in much better use of such talents, skills, and resources.