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El Paso, Texas Launches Digital-Inclusion Initiative With Cisco Wireless Mesh Network
City's Municipal Outdoor Wireless Network Designed to Spur Economic Development, Help Improve Education in Disadvantaged Areas
| Source: Cisco Systems, Inc.
SAN JOSE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 6, 2007 -- Cisco® (NASDAQ : CSCO ) today announced that
the city of El Paso, Texas is deploying Cisco's wireless mesh solution for
an outdoor wireless network that will help improve government efficiencies
and provide Internet access and application delivery to citizens and
businesses.
The new wireless mesh network is part of the Digital El Paso Project, a
strategic collaboration between the city, county, El Paso Independent
School District and the city Housing Authority, which seeks to revitalize
El Paso's downtown area and bring universal Internet access and services to
underserved citizens, school children, public housing residents and small
businesses.
With its proximity to the U.S./Mexican border, El Paso is a diverse city
that serves a largely Mexican-American population of 700,000 in its 1,013
square miles. The new outdoor wireless mesh network will help level the
playing field for underserved citizens and businesses in El Paso by
providing digital inclusion, spurring economic development and bridging the
educational gap that exists for many of the El Paso Independent School
District's students.
"The City is excited to be a partner in the Digital El Paso initiative,"
said Joyce Wilson, City Manager for the City of El Paso. "This is an
important ingredient to our downtown redevelopment efforts, as well as a
vehicle to engage an underserved residential community by
providing Internet access and connectivity and thus reducing the digital
divide that now exists in our lower income neighborhoods."
"The Digital El Paso project has the potential to significantly improve the
lives of our citizens," said El Paso County Judge, Anthony Cobos. "Our
ultimate goal is to make El Paso the most connected county on the
U.S./Mexican border and the digital El Paso wireless network is a critical
step in achieving this goal."
To deliver El Paso's new outdoor wireless mesh network, Cisco engaged
partners Intel, Accela and Panasonic, as part of the Digital Communities
Initiatives. Intel provided funding for the digital inclusion and wireless
site surveys. Panasonic is providing laptops for the City's field
applications and Accela is providing its popular land management software
for city inspection, permit and code compliance applications. The
integrated, standards-based wireless mesh network will support voice, video
and data services and will be managed from the County Courthouse as an
extension of their existing wireless network. Coverage will include public
areas, as well as parks, buildings and residences.
In addition to Internet access for City residents, school children and
businesses, the City of El Paso will evaluate a wide range of applications
for municipal and emergency services, infrastructure support and homeland
security -- all of which can streamline operations, reduce costs and
further El Paso's goal of becoming a truly, digital city.
"El Paso is part of the vanguard of cities discovering how outdoor wireless
networks can both improve municipal operations and enhance the lives of its
citizens," said Alan Cohen, vice president, mobility solutions for Cisco.
"Cisco's outdoor wireless solutions are the platform of choice for a wide
range of cities and municipalities across the nation and around the world."
Cisco Outdoor Wireless Solutions
Cisco Outdoor Wireless Network Solutions use wireless mesh technology,
wireless bridging and mobile networks to allow government, public safety,
and transportation agencies to build cost-effective outdoor wireless
networks for private or public use. These technologies are designed to
provide highly secure, high-bandwidth, and scalable solutions to enable
access to multiple applications, including those for police, fire and
emergency services, as well as those for city operations, such as remote
access to city applications, automated meter reading, and permits
verification and compliance.
More information about Cisco wireless mesh networks can be found at:
www.cisco.com/go/wirelessmesh.
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