The Challenge
A major city’s public safety department required a robust and scalable solution to consolidate and transport mission-critical T1/E1 and Ethernet traffic across multiple departments, including central dispatch, the police department, the fire department, and a remote communication tower.
The network needed to:
- Aggregate multiple T1/E1 lines over long distances using a single fiber.
- Extend both T1/E1 and Ethernet to remote facilities like fire and police stations.
- Deliver 16 T1/E1 lines to a city-wide radio tower for seamless 2-way radio communication.
- Operate in a fail-safe, low-latency environment suitable for emergency services.
Legacy systems were becoming obsolete and couldn’t efficiently scale to support the growing bandwidth and reliability needs of modern public safety operations.
The Solution
To solve these challenges, the city deployed Omnitron’s iConverter T1/E1 Multiplexers and fiber transport systems to establish a reliable and cost-effective link.
- Emergency Dispatch Center:
A 19-Module iConverter chassis was installed with multiple plug-in T1/E1 multiplexer modules. The system was configured to support both 4-channel and 16-channel T1/E1 groupings, allowing for flexible bandwidth allocation. A single fiber pair was used to transport multiple T1/E1 lines and Ethernet simultaneously to various endpoints.
- Fire Department and Police Station:
Each facility was equipped with a 4-Channel iConverter T1/E1 Multiplexer. These remote devices demultiplexed the incoming fiber signal to deliver T1/E1 to 2-way radios and Ethernet to internal IT systems—all over a single fiber cable.
- City Radio Tower:
A dedicated fiber link from central dispatch to a major city communications tower carried a 16-channel T1/E1 Multiplexer stream. This ensured reliable distribution of radio signals citywide, supporting mobile units in the field.
The entire solution used standard ITU-T G.703-compliant T1/E1 interfaces and supported framed/unframed traffic. Integrated fiber and copper Ethernet ports enabled simultaneous transmission of LAN data along with T1/E1 traffic.
Why Omnitron
Omnitron’s iConverter platform was selected for its unmatched flexibility, reliability, and integration capabilities:
- Modular Scalability:
The 19-module chassis allowed centralized aggregation and easy expansion for future needs. - Space and Fiber Efficiency:
Multiplexing 4 or 16 T1/E1 circuits over a single fiber drastically reduced fiber usage and installation costs. - Converged Traffic Support:
Ability to transmit both Ethernet and T1/E1 over the same fiber simplified infrastructure and supported both voice and data needs. - Reliability for Public Safety:
Designed and manufactured in the USA, Omnitron’s products meet strict reliability and compliance standards (including BAA, TAA, and NDAA), ensuring operational continuity in mission-critical environments. - Technical Support and Longevity:
Omnitron’s expert U.S.-based support team provided pre- and post-sale engineering assistance, and the iConverter line has a proven track record in long-term deployments across municipal government networks.
The Result
By deploying Omnitron’s T1/E1 Multiplexers, the city established a highly reliable and fiber-efficient public safety communications backbone. The network now supports rapid and synchronized communication between emergency services, improving response times and overall operational coordination.