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Published in Wireless World, March 22, 2011

Floatograph Technologies Provides Innovative Products for Wireless Carriers and First Responders

As wireless carriers have built and expanded their networks across the United States, a key challenge has involved keeping their networks up and running in the wake of natural disasters, terror attacks, and other public safety emergencies. Wireless carriers need the capability to rapidly deploy temporary, mobile equipment to augment their networks, restore communications links, and meet spiked demand for network capacity. From the chaos of September 11th, to the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast’s wireless infrastructure, to the huge crowds flooding into Washington, DC to attend President Obama’s inaugural festivities, the wireless industry has faced the challenge of providing reliable, on-going service to both subscribers and emergency service providers.

The Federal Communication Commission recently assessed that steps should be taken to enable the wireless industry to continue to meet these challenges. In May of last year, the FCC’s Office of Broadband Initiative released a technical paper, entitled “A Broadband Network Cost Model” that estimated the funding required to provide interoperable communications to America’s first responders. The report cited what is known in the industry as “Deployable Equipment Caches” -- including Cellular on Wheels (COWS) – as a key solution for “exceptional times and places when public safety and commercial infrastructure is insufficient.” In fact, the paper estimates that, over the next 10 years, expenditures of $200 million will be required to provide for “a fleet of public safety deployables, vehicular area network systems” and other equipment.

In response to the significant continuity of service challenges facing the wireless industry, Floatograph® Technologies, one of the country’s leading manufacturers of telescoping masts and tactical trailers, has stepped forward to offer a broad range of affordable, effective solutions. During emergencies, disaster relief, and situations requiring the temporary deployment of additional wireless infrastructure, Floatograph products provide dynamic turnkey solutions, such as rapidly deployable mobile cell sites, wireless Hot Spots, power generation stations, and climate controlled computer enclosures and mobile data centers. The company’s products offer an endless array of options to meet the growing needs of wireless carriers as they seek to ensure continuity of service.

Floatograph products are reliable, easy to operate and maintain, and are engineered to withstand the demands of unpredictable weather and ongoing use in urban and rural environments. The company is based in Maryland and its products are manufactured in Indiana. Floatograph is best known for its versatile high quality telescoping masts and mobile trailer systems that are in use around the globe. Originally designed to use for the U.S. military, Floatograph’s innovative products provide smart and cost effective solutions for the continuity of infrastructure challenges facing the wireless industry today.