Harris to blanket Vermont with upgraded public safety radio links

Harris Corp. will deploy a public safety radio system throughout Vermont under a $14 million contract.

The state award calls for Harris to deploy a system for public safety first responders and state agencies that meets Vermont’s specific requirements for regional and cross-border communications.

When completed, the system will connect local, state and federal agencies within the Green Mountain State, and provide interoperability with neighboring states and Canada.

The Project 25 standards-based system will be built on Harris’ Voice, Interoperability, Data, Access network technology, according to a company announcement.

VIDA enables communications between new and existing systems and delivers seamless interoperability regardless of frequency band, radio brand or operating mode, the announcement states.

In addition, the VIDA network will use the state’s existing UHF and VHF frequencies and provide Vermont’s first responders with increased radio coverage with virtually no increase in the number of tower sites, the company said.

The Harris team in Vermont includes Jacobs Telecommunications, Alcatel-Lucent, Communications International Inc., Bly Communications, Burlington Communications Service Center Inc., Rinkers and Wright Communications.

Harris Corp., of Melbourne, Fla., ranks No. 13 on Washington Technology’s 2010 Top 100 list of the largest federal government contractors.