Super Bowl Relies on Wheat Wireless Services 
and the Naval Research Laboratory's INFRALYNX 
to Implement Emergency Communications System

System Demonstrates Emergency Communications Capabilities 
Available To Federal and Local Agencies In Case of Disaster

    Wheat Wireless Services, a provider of long-range wireless broadband and secure mobile wireless communications deployed with the Naval Research Laboratory's INFRALYNX team to field, implement and manage the emergency and backup communications network used by law enforcement and emergency personnel deployed at Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego, Calif.

    "We were able to demonstrate the emergency communications capabilities available to federal, state and local government agencies to deploy in the case of a catastrophe or as a security precaution in support of a major event," said Forrest C. Wheat, Sr., president and CEO of Wheat Wireless Services. "Fortunately, no such emergency occurred at the Super Bowl. However, this deployment was one of the best examples of an integrated effort between the private and public sector to ensure immediate communications at all times.

    Wheat Wireless Services deployed its Emergency Response Team in partnership with INFRALYNX. The two teams worked in tandem to provide mobile units with private cellular and data communications capabilities to support the communications efforts of first-responders and rescuers reacting to natural or man-made catastrophes.

    In addition to Satellite reachback capability, INFRALYNX features a software defined Land Mobile Radio smart interconnect to bridge Land Mobile Radios covering 2Mhz - 800Mhz to cellular or conventional phones.

    In a time of disaster, local communications infrastructure is often damaged or overloaded. The approach pioneered by Wheat Wireless Services and the Naval Research Laboratory creates secure communications independent of the local infrastructure in addition to augmenting existing communications functionality and providing remote Internet service and videoconference and surveillance capabilities. During the Super Bowl, the network relayed large amounts of video data as real-time images to multiple observation points from 64 cameras stationed at QUALCOMM Stadium and surrounding areas. Working with the San Diego Police Department, TeleSea delivered as much as 3.7 Giga Bytes of data multiple during 14-hour segments, virtually error free.

    "The ability to communicate cannot be overvalued when responding to an incident," said Lieutenant Dan Papp, Emergency Planning Detail, San Diego County Sheriff's Department. "Reliable emergency communications enables better coordination and a faster response during situations where time is critical."

    Wheat Wireless Services supported its Emergency Response Team and INFRALYNX with its long-range wireless broadband service. The service, called TeleSea, is a network of land-based radio towers along U.S. coastal regions. These towers provide a long-range wireless broadband (WiFi) signal to create a wireless network for vessels at sea up to 30 miles from the shore. Wheat Wireless Services can turn those signals inland to support an emergency or emergency preparedness situation. TeleSea provides up to 10 Mbps in wireless broadband access that can be used to enable applications such as video conferencing, remote access to databases and other applications useful in a crisis or rescue situation.

    In this application, Wheat Wireless Services' TeleSea network provided emergency internet connectivity and portable nodes that extended its broadband service to the INFRALYNX nodes where it was then delivered via satellite to temporary command centers for video conferencing and other network and command functions.

    Mr. Jim Johnson of Quest Government Systems, and Captain Susan Jannuzzi, Commanding Officer of the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Command San Diego, offered and held in reserve additional communications resources had there been a need, reported Mr. Wheat. "This effort was a fine showing of cooperation of public and private capabilities on short notice."

    Wheat's Emergency Response Team has served the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines Corps, 9/11 World Trade Center, and FEMA at Salt Lake City during the 2002 Winter Olympics (as part of the INFRALYNX team). Government agencies can register to use the Emergency Response Team's services. Registration is free. For more information call 1-800-747-9946 or visiting www.ert-team.us.

    About Wheat Wireless Services
    Headquartered in Reston, Virginia and with offices in Honolulu, Hawaii, San Diego, California and South Florida, Wheat Wireless Services, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wheat International Communications Corporation that, since 1987, has specialized in engineering and managing large, complex networks. TeleSea is the first division of Wheat Wireless Services and will be followed by TeleLand and TeleAir. Through the Emergency Response Team developed in conjunction with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Wheat Wireless Service provides backup and emergency communications capabilities to state and local governments and federal agencies for deployment in support of a major event or in response to a natural or man-made disaster.

By Robert Hoskins