by Barry Gander
Canada is getting a new facility to test broadband-level LTE wireless communications.
The Canadian Police Research Centre (CPRC) has brought on the Networked Vehicle Association (NVA) to create a First Responder Test-bed. The LTE Test-Bed is a living innovation lab, showcase and cooperation portal for First Responders’ use of mobile communications.
The First Responder Test-Bed is a corridor of some 10-15 kilometers in length, running along roadways in the Kanata area of Ottawa.
The Communications Research Centre is a major partner in the project, as are Alcatel-Lucent Canada, the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, nTerop, WeMiP and WiSense, (University of Ottawa). The Test-bed is open for the participation of all vendors, and all First Responder organizations.
According to an executive from the First Responder community, the Test-Bed’s top benefit is that “For the first time in Canadian emergency service history, it will be possible for all emergency services to work with the private sector and each other in developing and testing technologies of the future under real-life conditions.”
