CTC specializes in planning and design for inter-jurisdictional networks, with a particular focus on public safety and homeland security communications. Our expertise ranges from in-depth needs assessment and requirements projection to specifying and procuring fiber, wireless, and microwave resources for multi-jurisdictional networking. In addition, we have significant experience planning and facilitating resource sharing among jurisdictions, various levels of government and educational entities, and the private sector.
In recent years, for example, CTC has worked with local Maryland jurisdictions, including
Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, and Anne Arundel Counties , to develop inter-jurisdictional connections by leveraging the state's networkMaryland infrastructure. We have worked on behalf of those communities with networkMaryland on a number of projects to connect local jurisdictions to distant resources utilizing networkMaryland fiber.
In addition CTC has worked on a number of large inter-jurisdictional networking projects, including the
Prince George's County, MD Institutional Network, which CTC negotiated and designed on behalf of the County and 15 municipalities.
CTC currently serves as engineering lead on the
National Capital Region Interoperability Program I-Nets Project (known as NCRnet), where we have been responsible for network needs assessment, inter-jurisdictional coordination, and fiber/microwave design. NCRnet is designed to provide an interoperable, robust, reliable infrastructure to serve the first responder communities within the NCR, including local and regional Law Enforcement, Fire/EMS, Emergency Management, Transportation, Public Health, and Public Utilities organizations.
As lead engineer for NCRnet, CTC conducted a needs assessment and requirement projection of overall networking needs throughout the region, and is now designing and deploying a fiber-optic and microwave network to interconnect the existing communications networks of the 19 jurisdictions in the region. CTC is designing NCRnet to form a region-wide redundant and scalable infrastructure. The network uses both fiber optic cable and microwave, and also provides backhaul for wireless assets. The result will be a failsafe, secure high-capacity network able to meet present and future public safety and first-responder needs and scalable to serve new stakeholders and user communities.
In previous years, CTC served as consulting engineer and technical architect for the feasibility studies and plans that led to the funding of this ongoing major regional network interconnection effort by the US Department of Homeland Security, including:
- First-stage engineering assessment of potential interconnection for a number of communities in Northern Virginia.
- Second-stage engineering assessment of interconnection, with a focus on public safety.
- Third-stage engineering evaluation of inter-jurisdictional disaster data recovery center interconnected with local jurisdictions over fiber optics.
- Fourth-stage engineering assessment of interconnection/data recovery and backup.
CTC serves as lead engineer/design/implementation consultant for design and deployment of the microwave network (NCR Regional Microwave Network) among the 19 jurisdictions in the National Capital Region. In this capacity, CTC performed site selection, frequency coordination, microwave path analysis, and network design. CTC also serves as lead technical consultant with regard to specification development, vendor selection, and integration coordination and oversight. The microwave network is designed to enable extensive patient tracking by the public safety and public health communities in the event of an emergency. CTC designed the network to mesh with a fiber-optic network connecting the DC Metro jurisdictions and provide airbridges to hospitals in the DC metro area. The use and a wide variety of technologies and the “re-use” of existing jurisdictional assets has allowed CTC to design a cost-effective, cutting-edge interjurisdictional network serving DC metro first responders.
CTC was selected by the 10 cities of the
North Suburban Communications Commission (NSCC), MN to develop a long-term strategic plan – both wireline and wireless -- for the communities’ institutional communications requirements. CTC is working to develop a strategic plan for regional networking among the members of the Commission. The NSCC operates a mixture of I-Net fiber and coaxial cable, as well as some leased circuits. The purpose of the strategic plan will be to plan and design a network to meet the existing and emerging technical requirements of the NSCC members and their agencies and departments, and to provide a blueprint for future network development and construction.
CTC assisted the
City of Alexandria and Arlington County, VA to plan a video arraignment and payroll interconnection pilot project, with the network readily scalable for future applications. The communities contracted with Comcast to construct the link between an Alexandria fire station and an Arlington community center and plan to use Gigabit Ethernet technology for the electronics.
CTC assisted the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the
National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) to evaluate the needs and feasibility of interconnecting local communications networks in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia for purposes of sharing public, educational, and government video resources and programming.
