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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 6, 2004 Since You Asked Antennas are part of wireless system We have recently noticed, on some street lights in west Medford, solar panels with a box and antennas pointing toward the road. They remind me of antennas you would see on an old portable bag cellular phone. Are these used for traffic info? — Roger P., Medford It’s for more than just traffic info, Roger. Doug Townsend, the city’s technology services director said the antennas mounted on poles around Medford support the MeshNetworks, Inc. high-speed wireless communication system. The Mail Tribune has run some articles about the system which was purchased from Viasys Network Services. Doug said police and fire departments will use the high bandwidth wireless system to transmit information, including photos and maps, to computers in their vehicles. Public Works crews and Building Department inspectors will gain access to city data while they are working in the field, which all boils down to faster response time, he said. Advertisement The technology was developed by the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The $710,000 system is paid for in part by a $500,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant. The rest of the money is from the city’s general fund. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times