ATLANTA-Motorola Inc. said it will build the largest wireless communications network ever created for the Olympics at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. The Illinois-based company will become a partner-level sponsor of both the 1996 games and the U.S. Olympic Team.
Motorola said it will build a digital radio network to provide cellular phones, pagers, computer modems and will secure two-way equipment for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and the United States Olympic Committee headquarters and training facilities.
The system will support security, transportation and logistics management. Motorola also plans to develop a separate two-way network to support two-way radio rentals to other sponsors, the media and people from visiting countries.
“Times have changed since 1972, when the United States Olympic Committee sought Motorola’s assistance to equip a handful of coaches and staff with two-way radios,” said Merle Gilmore, Motorola’s executive vice president.
This year, 16,500 athletes must be coordinated plus 70,000 additional individuals at 37 sites. The transportation fleet consists of 3,200 vehicles plus 2,000 buses.
Motorola’s system must provide wide-area geographic coverage because the games take place throughout Georgia. Since only 92 radio frequencies are available, the network has to be efficient enough to meet heavy demand.
With visitors from 195 nations traveling throughout Georgia, interoperability with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies is a must in this operation, Motorola said.
