Ripon, Calif., taps Motorola for mobile network

Motorola Inc. has won a contract from the city of Ripon, Calif., for a mesh network for its citywide mobile broadband system, the company announced this week.

Motorola of Schaumburg, Ill., will provide a mobile mesh network solution that will give members of the Ripon Police Department high-speed access to critical information, such as county criminal justice databases, Amber Alert messages and the county mugshot and fingerprint system.

In addition, the network will give police officers mobile broadband access to real-time video feeds from cameras within schools, public buildings and other sensitive areas.

The network replaces low-speed, cellular data connections that could not give police field access to large data and video files, the company said.

The city paid $500,000 for the mesh network solution, according to Motorola. The city also is considering offering network access to public works employees, firefighters and the public via Internet hot spots and public access information centers.

Lockheed Martin Corp. of Bethesda, Md., will perform systems integration and installation services for the Ripon deployment, Motorola added.

Motorola offers wireless, automotive and broadband communications. The company has 68,000 employees and annual sales of $31.3 billion. It is No. 20 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list of federal prime contractors.