BioTerrorism Wide Area Network (BTWAN)
Bismarck, ND

Challenge

The North Dakota Department of Health and the North Dakota Healthcare Association were looking for the fastest way to broadcast emergency information to 41 strategic locations – primarily hospitals – throughout the state, so they could be prepared in the event of a terrorist threat of small pox or other biological warfare.

A federal grant from the Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) provided the funds for designing and building the BioTerrorism Wide Area Network (BTWAN), one of the first of its kind in the United States.

Solution

Working closely with Nexus Innovations, MultiBand of Fargo, and Dakota Carrier Network, AVI Systems Bismarck designed, constructed and installed an integrated communications and video conferencing network that provides face-to-face communication among the many different entities involved in disaster relief, including the state health department and area medical centers.

Result

The result is a sophisticated high-speed, broadband, videoconferencing network for emergency responses utilizing fiber optics. The network is secure, redundant, and reliable; it should function even in the event of a power or internet failure.

The system can dial up every healthcare location simultaneously, or it can be used to involve specific entities for ad hoc meetings, communications, and local or regional emergency situations. The network is also viable for daily communication and educational uses.

The BioTerrorism Wide Area Network is the product of cooperative private and public efforts in which all contributing parties worked diligently to devise workable solutions and complete their tasks both on time and within budget. It could also act as a model to other states pursing similar wide area networks.

Beyond

The BioTerrorism Wide Area Network project offers just one example of how AVI Systems implements our full range of audio visual integration capabilities. From hotels and convention centers to colleges and universities, and from broadcast and production studios to corporate facilities around the world, virtually every industry benefits from using leading-edge technology.

Contact us to discover how our engineers and technical support team can design a seamless, integrated system for your organization, too.