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| DVTel video encoders transmit video and data feeds from fixed cameras around the city |
Background
The City of Westminster is home to some of the most famous sites in London including House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and Soho. It has a residential community of over 230,000 people with over a million tourists and commuter traffic each day. As the centre of London’s nightlife, it has hundreds of pubs, restaurants, and clubs and also faces high crime and anti-social behaviour.
Business challenges
Part of Westminster’s ambition was to become a wireless city: a city where people can be automatically online just by walking down the street; where video and other types of monitoring can be extended at a fraction of current costs and where new services can be delivered directly to residents - particularly the most vulnerable ones. Westminster is a 24hour city, which places even greater demands on both the council and the Metropolitan Policy. The city is looking to build on its recent ‘Council of the Year’ award, with the benefits that the wireless infrastructure can deliver across all services.
The DVTEL solution
The new wireless network is an extension of Westminster’s fixed network. Using Cisco WiFi equipment, it provides base stations to support wireless connection to the network. Video and data feeds are transmitted from fixed cameras around the city using DVTel video encoders and received, viewed, and recorded using DVTel’s Latitude Network Video Management System (NVMS). Currently the network is using the 802.11b license-exempt wireless frequency which delivers 11 Mbps, but it will be implementing 802.11g to provide greater capacity and speed – up to 54 Mbps.
Results
- The 3-month proof of concept began in December, 2003 starting in Soho Square.
- Web-based Latitude NVMS was implemented for camera control and viewing on a PDA.
- A Remote Mobile Response Unit was added to respond immediately to incidents.
- Received an additional £500,000 in new funding for additional cameras.
- Service was expanded to include Internet Access in the Business Centre.
- eLearning classes are being offered to the community for continuing education.
