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| [December 19, 2012] |
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Intrado Secures Exclusive Agreement to Supply New High Frequency (HF) Emergency Network for Critical Infrastructure
LONGMONT, Colo. --(Business Wire)--
Intrado Inc (News - Alert)., a subsidiary of West Corporation and a leading provider of
9-1-1 technology solutions, has secured an exclusive agreement with
ShipCom, LLC, the only High Frequency (HF) civilian maritime radio
network operator in America authorized by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC (News - Alert)) to provide emergency communications on land when
existing communications infrastructure is inoperable.
Intrado plans to offer a new backup emergency HF radio solution to
support public safety, hospitals, nuclear power plants, utilities,
transportation and other critical infrastructure providers. For the
first time these organizations will have access to highly reliable HF
radio spectrum, previously reserved for maritime operations.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina crippled the Gulf region's primary
communications system infrastructure. ShipCom's maritime HF frequencies
were utilized by the Coast Guard to communicate on land during its
Katrina-related operations, and were the primary method of
communications in the rescue of over 33,000 people. As a result, in 2010
the FCC granted ShipCom a Waiver to operate their HF maritime network
frequencies on land during emergencies when a man made or natural
disaster renders existing communication infrastructure (wireless,
wireline, and satellite) inoperable.
George Heinrichs (News - Alert), cofounder and president of Intrado, remarked, "For
more than 30 year, Intrado has maintained a focus and passion for
saving lives via our 9-1-1 systems, services and technology. The ability
for Intrado to offer a communications system that works when everything
else fails is an important addition to our capabilities. We plan on
making an emergency HF backup communication option available to 9-1-1
dispatch and emergency operations centers, hospitals, first responders,
providers of critical infrastructure, and federal, state and local
agencies."
Beyond maritime use, HF is currently used by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other Federal agencies. The
President on Air Force One and soldiers in battle rely on HF as a
trusted form of communication when other systems fail.
Stephen Meer, cofounder and chief technology officer of Intrado, has
been instrumental in advancing the nation's 9-1-1 network. Mr. Meer
said, "This is one of the most exciting developments I've seen in public
safety emergency communications, and I'm proud that Intrado will play a
major part."
Meer also noted that, "Hospitals in America rely on the hard work,
patriotism and volunteerism of HAM Radio operators to be their emergency
communications system. This new network will greatly expand the
capabilities available to HAMs during these times of crisis, and will
back up their efforts with an immediately available, sophisticated HF
radio network interoperable with the E9-1-1 infrastructure. Hospitals
and other critical agencies will have seamless, reliable, encrypted and
redundant HF radio capability, giving them immediate connectivity to the
outside world in the event of a disaster that renders their other
communications systems unuseable. "
As planned, the new Intrado HF 9-1-1™�service will begin deployment in
the next 90 - 120 days,�starting with�public safety,�hospitals, nuclear
reactors and other critical infrastructure.
About Intrado
In business for more than 30 years, Intrado, a subsidiary of West
Corporation, has maintained a focus and passion for saving lives and
supporting the needs of public safety. Agencies and telecommunication
services providers throughout the world depend on Intrado for emergency
communication services and technology. Intrado's dedicated focus on
emergency communications technology allows the company to continue
pioneering network innovations that improve emergency response. For more
information, visit www.intrado.com.
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