[May 24, 2013] FairPoint Communications Finalizes Contract to Provide Maine with a Next-Generation 9-1-1 System Tweet May 24, 2013 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- The state of Maine has given final approval of FairPoint Communications' contract to provide the state's Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) system. According to a release, the five-year contract is worth $32 million and will provide Maine with a modern Internet Protocol (IP)-based network capable of meeting future public safety needs. FairPoint said it will make Maine one of the first states in the nation to deploy a NG9-1-1 system closely aligned with the National Emergency Number Association standards published in June 2011 known as i3. The emergency services IP network (ESInet) will serve more than 1.3 million people in the state. FairPoint added that it will provide the system and support to serve all of Maine's 26 Public Safety Answering Points known as PSAPs which have responsibility to answer all 9-1-1 calls in their local coverage area. Every Maine community is matched with a local PSAP. The Public Utility Commission's Emergency Services Communication Bureau manages both the implementation and operation of the statewide Enhanced 9-1-1 service that FairPoint currently provides. FairPoint's system is designed to handle emergency communications in Maine. NG9-1-1 networks differ from existing systems in that they are designed to keep pace with the way people communicate today. This includes the capability of delivering voice, text, video and enhanced data to the PSAP. The network will improve call setup time and increase the speed at which voice and data arrive at the PSAP, thereby improving service. It will also improve emergency response by giving public safety personnel better information about situations prior to arriving on the scene. Solacom Technologies, Inc. will supply call center controllers, workstations and emergency services routing proxy (ESRP) equipment for the system. Each PSAP throughout the state, including a training center, will receive new Solacom Guardian intelligent workstations (IWS) that equip telecommunicators with IP desktops for responding to 9-1-1 calls. Workstations will include mapping to display the location of emergency calls on a monitor. GeoComm, Inc. will provide the Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF) and Location Validation Function (LVF). ECRF receives information about the location of a 9-1-1 caller and routes the call to the right PSAP. The LVF validates the actual location of the caller through a Geographic Information System (GIS). The systems are designed to more accurately determine the location in order to dispatch the fastest response. FairPoint will implement GeoComm's GeoLynx Server for 9-1-1 call mapping in all 26 of the state's PSAPs. "FairPoint brings a state-of-the-art technical solution, a robust and resilient network, and the skill, commitment and capabilities of our people who maintain our network," said Mike Reed, FairPoint Maine state president. "This project to upgrade the state's emergency system is a huge undertaking and the new infrastructure and services will be phased in over time to ensure a smooth transition." FairPoint has invested more than $193 million in communication infrastructure and technology to upgrade its fiber-based core network in northern New England. This investment has paved the way for FairPoint to serve the growing needs of the Maine 9-1-1 system. This network is designed and built as a data network and is the largest of its kind in the three-state region. FairPoint Communications, Inc. is a communications provider of broadband Internet access, local and long-distance phone, television and other high-capacity data services. More information: www.FairPoint.com ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]