nycWin - thecounterterroristmag.com InTErOpEraBLE cOmmUnIcaTIOnS by henry morgenstern ... the DoItt, NYcWiN is not only built ... mobile telecommunications system

18 The Counter Terrorist ~ September/October 2008

nycWin InTErOpEraBLE cOmmUnIcaTIOnS

by henry morgenstern

A report on the New York City Wireless Network Innovations

The tragedy of 9/11 made it clear that communications is one of the key weaknesses not just of New York, but of every city around the world. Consider some of the statements gleaned from the 1,613 taped conversations released by New York City officials in August 2006. These dialogues between first responders and victims, which were recorded during the events of 9/11, clearly underline the vulnerability of the city’s communications systems.

Photo: NYC DOITT

The Counter Terrorist ~ September/October 2008 19

Indeed, new york city’s large counter-terrorism force has so far managed to foil at least seven terrorist attempts, including an Islamic terror plot to blow up fuel-tank farms at John F. Kennedy International airport.

he tragedy of 9/11 made it clear that communications is one of the key weaknesses not just of New

York, but of every city around the world. Consider some of the statements gleaned from the 1,613 taped conversations released by New York city officials in August 2006. These dialogues between first responders and victims, which were recorded during the events of 9/11, clearly underline the vulnerability of the city’s communications systems.

In one of the tapes, for example, Chief Dennis Devlin of the New York city Fire Department’s battalion 9 can be heard to remark, “We’re in a state of confusion. We have no cell phone service anywhere because of the disaster... bring all the additional handy talkies.” Devlin was trying to get a rundown of which fire companies had been dispatched to the burning World trade center. sadly, he was still inside the south tower when it collapsed.

since 9/11 several large-scale projects have been initiated in an attempt to remedy such issues. One of the most spectacular efforts, a project named NYcWiN, will make New York city a model of integrated communications.

There is every reason, of course, that New York city takes the threat of terrorism seriously. In fact, in response to the events of 9/11, the city has not only improved its communication system, but it has also created a complete counter-terrorism division, including its own intelligence capability, within the NYpD. This division, which includes personnel

stationed in hot spots around the world, rivals anything federal agencies can field.

“We remain a prime—if not the prime—target for al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups,” said Mayor Michael bloomberg in testimony before congress in 2007. Indeed, New York city’s large counter-terrorism force has so far managed to foil at least seven terrorist attempts, including an Islamic terror plot to blow up fuel-tank farms at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Thus, while most other cities spend their federal homeland security money on things like street lighting, New York means business when it comes to counter-terrorism.

but no matter how elite New York’s counter-terrorism task force is, nor how prepared its police, fire, emergency management, and transportation and traffic departments are, none of these groups can function without a communications system built to resist tragedies such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina.

I spoke to two people at New York City’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoItt) to find out exactly what is involved in the planning, requisitioning, and implementation of a system like NYcWiN. Although allotted a $500 million budget and implementation time frame of five years, it is believed that the project, which is being undertaken by homeland security giant Northrop Grumman, may eventually require up to 15 years and $1.5 billion.

First, I interviewed Paul J.

T

Wireless call box. Photo: NYC DOITT

20 The Counter Terrorist ~ September/October 2008

networks [are] at times of emergency.”based on these lessons, NYcWiN

is designed to support multiple, simultaneous transmission of full-motion video or large files to and from anywhere in the city; real-time tracking of all city vehicles and control of traffic lights; continuous monitoring of air and water purity; transmission of patient vital signs from ambulances to receiving hospitals; and reliable voice communications to back-up radio and cell phone signals. so far, the system has been operational in the area below Canal Street.

“We know the value of keeping the communications nodes working, because on 9/11, one of the lost nodes was put out near the towers,” notes Cosgrave. “Today, no site failing will have that effect on the network.” Similarly, according to Cosgrave, less visible events, such as small plane crashes and crane collapses, will also no longer cause cell phone network outages as a result of the implementation of NYcWiN.

Of course, the amount of video processing that a city like New York has in play makes quality of service (Qos) and priority of service (pos) critical concepts in a system such as NYcWiN. For example, the New York Department of Transportation currently operates nearly 100 still and video cameras from its Traffic Management center in long Island city, Queens; the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Another 20 still and video cameras on the city’s major bridges and tunnels; and the New York police Department operates several thousand cameras. The NYpD announced in July 2008 that it was seeking $90 million to deploy an additional 3,000 cameras in lower Manhattan.

Thus, according to brian snodgrass of the DoItt, NYcWiN is not only built to foster video streaming, but also to ensure “a dynamic scheme for taking into

account pos and Qos—for example, where we need to have critical laptops remain connected during an emergency.”

This versatility also includes system scalability. Snodgrass worked at a private cellular provider during the 9/11 attacks and found that it was difficult to meet the immediate needs of getting 200 to 500 phones activated immediately. “by having the system under the complete control of the city, we can mobilize those resources without going out to a third party,” says Snodgrass.

critics of NYcWiN have mentioned incompatibility as a possible problem associated with this system. According to Snodgrass, the system’s consistent IP interface opens it to transmission that would otherwise be incompatible. by utilizing gateway systems, NYcWiN should offer good access, if not complete interoperability. The system is also adaptable and can provide interfaces to equipment not compatible with the transmission network.

“The Manhattan Security Initiative [a wide-ranging closed-captioned television network similar to the system in place in London] is just one example of the preventative side of the NYcWiN network,” says cosgrave. “We are now working to link all kinds of monitoring and detection devices to the system and make results available system-wide. We are looking at radiological [monitoring], biological [monitoring], and more.”

So far, the system’s redundancy has been tested by simulated loads that exceed those of 9/11, and it has withstood the test. Also, as previously mentioned, NYcWiN has been operational in lower Manhattan for some time. The robust system is already attracting the attention of other cities, including Oklahoma city, tucson, and Washington, Dc. In addition to its uses in terrorism prevention and response, some other features of NYcWiN that make this

Cosgrave, who was appointed DOITT commissioner by mayor bloomberg in June 2006. With more than 30 years of experience, Cosgrave has the primary goal of making the power of technology available to both the public and private sector. In describing NYcWiN, cosgrave stated the following:

Our aim was to create a system that would provide our first responders, police, fire, EMS, and transportation [officials] with a better data communications infrastructure that will allow building plans to reach firefighters, data on current developments to [reach] emergency management, communication [to occur] between the police (including [transmission of ] graphic components like fingerprints), and will also allow the Department of Transportation to thoroughly control traffic both on a daily basis and in emergencies—even severe ones.According to cosgrave, New York’s

different agencies were all planning communications upgrades prior to 9/11, but once that day’s events highlighted the importance of interoperability, a citywide effort was requisitioned. “We learned a lot about the necessity of redundancy in the system from 9/11,” continues cosgrave, “but we also learned how important... power supplies and the private cellular

So far, the system’s redundancy has been

tested by simulated loads that exceed

those of 9/11, and it has withstood the test.

22 The Counter Terrorist ~ September/October 2008Circle 213 on Reader Service Card

system attractive include the following:• Waterandelectricutilitieswill

be able to conduct meter reading without sending staff door to door.

• Officialswillbeabletoinstantlylocate and access any city vehicle, whether a patrol car, a bus, or a garbage truck.

• Policewillbeabletolocatepictures

of suspects from their cars.• Firechiefswillbeabletowatch

livevideooffirestakenfromtraffichelicopters.

• Inspectorswillbeabletolookupbuilding plans while at inspection sites.

• Datacanbesent50timesfasterthan over current networks.

• Satellitetrackingdevicescanbeshared around many different applications.

• Policeandfireofficialswillbeabletosee different angles of a crime or fire scene simultaneously.

• AllNYCemployeeswillbepartofaunified communications network.

ItishopedthatNewYork,havingsuffered so much, may be able to reach other municipal governments with their example, thus helping cities all over the country to do more to enhance first-responder communications.

Some SpecS on nYcWin

The original specifications for NYCWiNcalledforittosupportmultiple, simultaneous transmission of full-motion video or large files from and to anywhere in the city; real-time tracking of all city vehicles and control oftrafficlights;continuousmonitoringof air and water purity; transmission of patient vital signs from ambulances to receiving hospitals; and reliable voice communications to back up radio and cell phonesignals.Otherspecificsregardingthis system include the following:

• NYCWiNisnottechnicallyWi-Fi,becauseitwillusealicensedspectrum.

• NYCWiNisnotaWIMAXsystem, but it uses universal mobile telecommunications system technologyonthe2.5GHzbandtoprovide a broadband data network andIPservices.

• NYCWiNisusingIPwirelesstechnology for their citywide safety network, with each cell site providing in-buildingcoverageupto3to5miles from the cell site in an urban setting.Itoperatesinasinglechannelof5or10MHzofspectrumandsupportsvoiceoverIPwithfullQOSbasedonSIP.•