Press Release

Manchester Metronet Completes Major CCTV Project for Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

Secure Wireless IP Network Operator delivers 21 camera wireless infrastructure inside two months.

Following on from its success in building wireless CCTV infrastructure for Manchester City Council and The Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Metronet has completed the installation of a major 22 camera wireless IP CCTV network within a demanding timescale.

The network of cameras that extends across the Borough comprises camera deployments in Trafford, Altrincham, Sale and Hale is designed to assist in achieving specific crime reduction targets identified by The Safer Trafford Partnership: a cooperative initiative between The Council and GMP.

In selecting Metronet as its Supplier, The Safer Trafford Partnership considered a variety of issues in addition to the cost savings that accrue when compared with traditional fibre-optic cable connections.

Speaking for The Partnership, Mark Aspin, Strategic Development Manager said, "At first we were impressed with the quality of the connections delivered elsewhere to Manchester City Council and to GMP; however I recognise a significant additional benefit from having an infrastructure that supports camera mobility across the Borough".

Mr Aspin realised that he needed to install cameras to target specific crime hot spots including roads with a high incidence of crime, car parks and leisure parks. "My concern however," he continued, "was that I knew the deployments would be successful in reducing crime after which time a permanent fibre linked camera would become redundant."

By adopting Metronet's wireless infrastructure, The Council is able to redeploy its cameras on request for just £400 a move. In addition to improving return on investment, this flexibility ensures that the proliferation of cameras in the street is kept to a minimum.

The infrastructure makes use of Metronet´s Fibre Metropolitan Area Network that encircles the City of Manchester and is extended throughout the region via 22 roof-top Points of Presence. As part of the project implementation, Metronet added two roof-top sites that ensure virtually unlimited coverage throughout the Borough.

"The Metronet," said Mark Aspin, "Also gives us an opportunity to share camera images between Police and the Borough and enhances the close working relationship that has been fostered between the two agencies."

The Cameras are mostly installed on street lamp-posts where they are clamped to columns. No drilling or alteration to the column is required and there is no evidence of the installation once it is redeployed.

Wireless communications is enabled using point-to-point telco grade radio across an uncontended network that ensures support for a constant 4Mbps DVD quality (25 frames per second) full colour image 24/7. As important is the latency properties of the network which allow CCTV Control Room Staff to remotely pan, tilt and zoom camera operation with a response time equivalent to point-to-point fibre optic circuits.

James McCall

Editors' Notes

MANCHESTER METRONET

Manchester Metronet claims to be the first UK Wireless Communications Services Business to achieve profitability having achieved a number of key industry milestones. It was the first Company to publish a fixed price leased line service model (regardless of location); the first to deliver an integrated multi-agency CCTV monitoring network; the first to install a 1 Gigabit connection operating in the 80GHz spectrum; and it has delivered the largest and most advanced IP CCTV network across a wireless WAN.

The Company recently opened up services in Liverpool and is incorporating in Ireland to deliver services initially in Dublin. Having successfully replicated its business model in Liverpool and Dublin, Manchester Metronet plans to roll out services to other Cities across the UK.

Working in partnership with TeleCity and IFL, Manchester Metronet provides a ubiquitous gateway to other networks, ISPs and the Internet.

Contacts

PR:	John Earley	john@johnearley.com +44 (0) 7770 803 123
Company:	James McCall	james@manchestermetronet.com +44 (0) 161 241 6242