Broadband technology can be used in a variety of ways to assist with public safety protection.

Some of
these applications include: biometrics screening at designated entry points into a country or locality and
at sensitive facilities; enhancing remote surveillance of borders, airports, ports, and train stations to
complement local surveillance; restoring public services and public confidence by enabling public
officials and their staffs to telework in the event of damage to or destruction of normal work spaces;
providing remote access to information systems necessary for either public or private business activities
in the event of bio chemical threats, attacks or quarantines; marshalling geographically dispersed
medical expertise and support at crisis scenes; and supporting or replacing letter mail services with high
capacity electronic service in the event of a disruption caused by destruction, contamination or
quarantine of mail facilities. Moreover, broadband telecommunication networks, and particularly
wireless networks, can assist police, fire and specialized law enforcement members in many situations.
Large data and image files can be quickly and wirelessly transferred, enabling images and fingerprints of
wanted or missing persons, video clips of robberies, maps and layouts to be downloaded into police
vehicle mobile computers as they leave their precincts. The same technology also can allow wireless
uploads of videos, images and reports from the police vehicle to the command centre, enable command
centres to employ full motion video for remote controlled robotics in terrorist and other highly
dangerous operations, and monitor officers or suspects in high risk situations to allow on-scene decision
making and assistance based on video transmissions.46 In addition, broadband networks can
supplement conventional circuit-switched wireline and wireless telephony services with survivable,
dynamically routed Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications capable of TV-quality
videoconferencing and other applications. Broadband also can assist federal and local officials taking
part in safety training to do so more cost effectively – enabling training without the expense of the
travel associated with going to seminars, etc. Broadband technology can be particularly useful in times
of crisis or before, during and after disasters. With broadband technology, individuals can
instantaneously alert family and friends about a person’s status. Broadband connections using position
location technology, particularly in rural and remote regions, can assist rescuers in recovering victims of
accidents or natural disasters. Broadband, particularly wireless or satellite broadband, can assist first-
responders in receiving area maps, provide videos on situations like how to pry open a rail passenger
door or how to safely shut off electrical power in a facility expectation of a disaster and it can enable all
involved responders from numerous agencies to view the same image and data and assist before, during
and after the disaster.47 Broadband technology also can be used to facilitate mobile robotics. In such
cases, robots can be used to help rescue people from hazardous areas, conduct automated inspections
of non-accessible areas, and assist with hazardous material, bomb disposal and landmine clearing.
____________________ 46 Motorola. “4.9 GHz Allocation to Public Safety: Motorola White Paper for
Submission to FCC”, July 31, 2001. 47 Motorola. “4.9 GHz Allocation to Public Safety: Motorola White
Paper for Submission to FCC”, July 31, 2001.