Gloucester County’s new 700 MHz public safety communications system is officially up and running and county officials gathered Wednesday to showcase the project.
With the advent of digital TV broadcasts in the early 2000s, public safety entities around South Jersey began experiencing interference on the 500 MHz band.
In response to these kinds of issues, the Federal Communications Commission set aside a portion of the 700 MHz band for public safety communications.
Gloucester County contracted with Motorola Solutions, Inc., to construct the network at a cost of $16 million.
The system consists of nine simulcast sites around the county that include microwave dishes, antennas, shelters for equipment and backup generators. These sites receive and transmit radio signals across the county’s 329 square miles.