Public safety radio systems have been around for a long time. You could say such systems precede modern cellular communication devices. Emergency personnel involved in police, fire and ambulance operations require two-way radio communication. We take such communication granted but there is a sophisticated array of infrastructure needed to provide such coverage.
Unlike traditional DAS, which are driven by capacity, public safety DAS are coverage oriented. This is because the likelihood of repeated or large scale emergencies occurring at a particular location is remote, but when they do occur, emergency personnel need enough coverage to respond and communicate reliably.
The tragedies of September 11th, 2001 were a wake-up call for our cities and municipalities, highlighting the importance of maintaining reliable public safety coverage. However officials still encounter resistance trying to implement public safety DAS. Passing city ordinances and imposing strict requirements doesn’t sit well amongst the business community. Small business owners running multi-level parking structures in downtown don’t take it well when the city demands they install an expensive public safety DAS system that’s rarely used. The same is true for buildings and venues owned by cities and states. Each situation must be scrutinized before tax dollars are allocated on projects like Public Safety DAS. Most private businesses don’t have the patience to deal with this bureaucracy thus Public Safety DAS remains a small portion of wireless business.
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