NCJ Number
211137
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 53 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2005 Pages: 62-63,65-66,68
Date Published
August 2005
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Maine State Police's (MSP's) transition from Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) technology to the next generation wireless General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology.
Abstract
While implementing the MSP's CDPD in 2002, the Maine Department of Public Safety's (MDPS's) Information Systems (IS) Team was notified of AT&T Wireless' planned phase-out of its CDPD service. The IS team, working with wireless systems integrator TransCOR, had already begun preparing for the "migration" during the initial CDPD deployment. MSP's initial in-vehicle communications system used the AirLink PinPoint NGE (Next Generation Enabled) rugged wireless modem, which provided a built-in upgrade path from CDPD to GPRS at a later date. The migration project was divided into three phases: planning, field-testing, and implementation. The planning phase, which lasted approximately 2 months, involved such tasks as equipment research, bench testing, wireless coverage analysis, network interface preparation, and deployment logistics. The next phase, testing, required approximately 6 weeks to complete. It included a pilot test group of about 10 troopers who were equipped with a fully upgraded GPRS wireless solution in each of their vehicles. The final phase, implementation, involved the coordination and replacement of in-vehicle systems for 150 wireless equipped vehicles. With GPRS, troopers have wireless data transfer rates at least double what they received under CDPD. GPRS coverage in Maine has also evolved and expanded into a larger area than that offered by CDPD. This article includes a discussion of lessons learned and cost increases associated with the migration from CDPD to GPRS.