PoliceOne.com has an article on the benefits of SDR designs in public safety applications.
During emergency situations — whether a natural disaster like Katrina, large transportation accident, or terrorist attack—public safety officials from different agencies (in some cases, different counties and States) must be able to effectively communicate with each other. If they cannot share information quickly, critical time will be wasted and lives could be lost. Unfortunately, police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel cannot always depend on wireless radio communications during natural disasters, major accidents, or criminal activities because their radio systems are often incompatible.
New technology is emerging that will enable public safety officials to exchange information seamlessly: experts call it “interoperability.” One of the most promising of these technologies is software defined radio (SDR) systems.
Although the major benefit of SDR technology for public safety is increased interoperability—and how that translates into saving lives—other benefits include potential cost savings over the life of the radio equipment.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is sponsoring SDR projects. For more information on this work, visit NIJ’s Communication Technology Web page, or contact NLECTC–NE at 888-338-0584.
