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MISSION continuously strives
to increase the performance and reliability of the system
by taking advantage of new technologies. |
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ATLANTA, July 28, 2006 - MISSION Communications announced today that it has successfully
obtained all the required legal and operational approvals needed to operate its M110 and
M800 products on the Cingular GPRS digital data network. This is Cingular’s latest, 3rd
generation (3G) cellular network. MISSION is the only supplier of cellular based packaged
SCADA systems to obtain these approvals. The approvals spanned the FCC, Cellular Telephone
Industry Association (CTIA), PCS Testing Committee Review Board (PTCRB) and Cingular.
The preparation and testing took over two years. This gives MISSION access to the largest
3G digital data network in the country.
The FCC has ruled that all cellular carriers are no longer required to provide AMPS analog
service after February 18, 2008. This is the portion of the cellular network that provides
the foundation of the now popular “cellular SCADA” monitoring systems. Carriers have
already filed reports with the FCC declaring that they intend to shut off the analog
service. Some rural carriers have declared they will choose to keep it operating. “Our
problem is we don’t know who will shut their analog service off, and when”, says John
Collings, president of MISSION Communications.
“MISSION has thousands of our M100 RTU’s in the field on that network. We felt it
essential to invest the time and money necessary to provide all our customers with not
only a better service, but a smooth, attainable transition to a new network. With this
approval, MISSION is releasing the M110 for full commercial use”, says Collings.
“Both existing suppliers (Cellemetry and Aeris) of the original AMPS ‘control channel’
cellular technology that our, and others, monitoring systems were based on, have not
provided a plug and play replacement yet; we are not sure if they can given the new
regulations. Even if they do, we fear it will have two problems. First, it will be
too late to avoid last minute customer panics and inoperative monitoring equipment.
Second, it will likely be short message service based (text messaging) and we feel
that just doesn’t have the required reliability our customers demand. With the
window closing we felt we had to provide our own solution.”
MISSION Communications is based in Atlanta, Georgia and provides turnkey monitoring and SCADA services
to the water and wastewater utility industry. MISSION was the first to introduce the wireless to
web concept to the water industry and is the acknowledged leader in the field.
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