Telecommunications

Telecommunications Program purpose: Provide reliable telecommunications for public-safety and transportation efficiency. Specifically:

  • Provide WYDOT with one-stop-shopping for telecommunications, exchanging voice, data and video information between distant locations on shared telephone, microwave and mobile radio infrastructure.
  • Give balanced telecommunications service and support to all customers, including other agencies as appropriate, and to meet responsibilities with due priority.
  • Provide technical integration and support of electronics systems in DOT vehicles and on Wyoming roadways.
  • Provide system architecture expertise for connecting distant information systems using appropriate communications.

 

Telecommunications 2011
The Telecommunications Program maintained WYDOT’s sophisticated telecommunications systems at very high levels of reliability, averaging 99.9% for mission critical communications. Our critical radio systems include microwave communications, dispatch consoles, and telephone systems; as well as WYDOT building wiring, data communications to roadside devices, and more than 2,000 mobile/portable radios.
“WyoLink” is Wyoming’s statewide, public-safety, interoperable radio communications system. The Telecommunications Program finished several more WyoLink core sites: 50 of the 55 planned core sites are providing service to about 80 public-safety agencies. Work continues to get permissions and finish construction of the remaining core sites. Additionally, WyoLink Portable Coverage Enhancement sites are drastically improving WyoLink handheld radio coverage for local agencies in five municipalities; work is underway on five more designated sites, and an additional five such sites are funded but undesignated.  The project has enjoyed growing participation from Wyoming public safety agencies. Increased legislative funding for ongoing support and update services will be needed soon. For information, visit:
http://wyolink.state.wy.us/
The Telecommunications Program worked on optimizing WYDOT’s use of WyoLink mobile and portable radios for all operations, including evaluation of coverage gaps, training, and reconfiguration of radios.  We finished fielding Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology for WYDOT maintenance trucks, using the WyoLink data channel.
        We continued to improve WYDOT’s statewide telephone network with upgraded phone switches; by expanding our centralized phone system statewide, many more locations are on one network, which gives the department improved performance and features, makes voicemail available at more offices and reduces equipment costs by half.
        The Telecommunications Program supplies expertise necessary for progress on many projects that require roadside data communications, coordinating with other programs. We expanded the Internet Protocol Backhaul network over the digital microwave backbone, for more mission critical broadband data communications along Wyoming highways.