SpectraRep, LLC, a leading provider of solutions for homeland security and public safety, has announced that its IncidentOne technology won Security Technology Executive magazine’s 2015 Platinum Award for Security Innovation presented during the Secured Cities Conference in Houston on November 12, 2015.
The proposal "Using Existing Broadcast Television Signals to Deliver Public Safety Video and Data" was entered in the public safety category. SpectraRep’s entry included examples of how it had coordinated with multiple law enforcement and government agencies in Houston to demonstrate how datacasting can be used to improve video and data sharing in times of crisis.
KUHT-TV, a full-power public broadcast television station in Houston, provided it’s licensed spectrum and tower to deliver encrypted targetable data to first responders. KUHT created an overview of the project available on Youtube at https://youtu.be/tsJfiJQggYQ. The Department of Homeland Security has also produced a video explaining the details of datacasting on the firstresponder.gov homepage.
The need to securely deliver data, especially video, to multiple users in the field is increasing and public safety networks are struggling to keep up. FirstNet, a Federal initiative to build a new wireless network for first responders will address this concern, but is still several years away. Through the use of datacasting SpectraRep is delivering encrypted data now over licensed broadcast television spectrum. Datacasting allows existing robust television broadcast signals to deliver secure encrypted and targetable video and other data to first responders essentially creating a new secure wireless one-to-many data network.
"SpectraRep’s technology truly defines partnerships and collaboration in the Enterprise, Transit, Critical Infrastructure and Public Safety sectors," said Steve Lasky, Editorial Director of Security Technology Executive. "As technology evolves and becomes more sophisticated, its implementation into complex security projects requires a commitment from all stakeholders."
"We are tremendously honored and appreciative to have been bestowed this award," said Tom Buono, SpectraRep CEO. "Public safety has tremendous challenges and unique requirements when it comes to keeping the public safe. Our technologies use existing infrastructure to not only contain costs but to protect the public."
From July 20-24, 2015, multiple public safety users including the City of Houston, Houston PD, the University of Houston, Texas Medical Center, NRG Stadium, Metro PD and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office participated in a joint exercise to demonstrate the ability of datacasting to support public safety communications in an operational environment. This project partnered with KUHT-TV to use Houston’s full-power public broadcast television station including its licensed spectrum, transmitter, tower and existing metropolitan coverage to deliver encrypted targetable data to first responders. The datacasting exercise demonstrated that outside resources like public television infrastructure and datacasting technology can be combined to improve data sharing and interoperability at minimal cost and effort. The equipment currently remains in place and is now being evaluated as an operational capability.
