2000-11-08 Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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6 SECTION II COMPUTER AUTOMATION ALTERNATIVES AND ANALYSIS 2.1 LONG -TERM MOBILE DATA COMMUNICATIONS LINK Mobile data communications will grow rapidly as new applications are implemented. It will be essential that the data communications link be at a relatively high data rate when compared to alternatives available in the year 2000. Higher data rates will be required, partly because of the very large amount of data involved in graphics, but primarily because of the increased volume of messages that require higher data throughput. There will be several high data rate mobile data communication links available by the year 2005. One of those may be a new 700 MHz very wide band channel data communications network added to the new 800 MHz regional trunked voice radio network being implemented by the Metropolitan Radio Board. That new data system, if implemented, will have a minimum raw data communications rate of 128 kBPS with an effective data rate of approximately 64 kBPS. That will be a very attractive alternative for a high data rate communications link for Anoka County if it becomes available because of the very high capacity and low cost. The cellular companies who are providing CDPD now are likely to have CDPD data rates as high as 128 kBPS or even 384 kBPS within the next few years, certainly by the year 2005. The high data rate CDPD will function effectively for Anoka County, however, the cost for use of that network is likely to be expensive. There is also likely to be a spread spectrum network available, at least in the southern half of Anoka County, by the year 2005. This network will be capable of transmission rates of up to 10 MBPS. Spread spectrum radio sites operate at low transmitter power so that site spacing will be at short distances. That requires a very large number of sites and communications links to the sites. It is expected that one or more commercial spread spectrum networks will be constructed to satisfy the growing demand for high capacity portable and mobile wireless computing. This network, if constructed, may be useful for public safety mobile communications. Because a spread spectrum network requires a very large number of sites, the network will be very expensive to construct, and it is likely to be constructed only in densely populated urbanized areas where there will be enough revenue to justify the capital investment.