The Census is Counting on Wireless
Do you suppose that 220 years ago, when our ancestors were conducting the first U.S. Census, that they could have ever imagined that someday it would be done not only without paper, but with data moving through the air? Heck, even 50 years ago that might have seemed unbelievably futuristic.
But here we are. And Sprint – see our announcement – is the official and exclusive wireless data provider for the 2010 Census. This massive information-gathering extravaganza, already in progress, involves 140,000 field workers who are gathering data on Harris Corporation terminals and transmitting it back to the Census Bureau in almost real time.
Granted, there is still some paper involved, because lots of people have already been mailed forms to fill out so they can be counted. But the field work – aimed at making sure that everyone is accounted for – is where the paper ends and the wireless network begins.
Sprint was picked for this vitally important role for a couple of good reasons. More than just an advertising message, our network dependability is second to none. And as you can imagine, when you’re dealing with the type of personal data that the Census involves, security of that data as it is being transmitted is paramount. Sprint makes sure it moves from handheld device to the Census Bureau without any unauthorized stops inbetween.
That first census had to account for only about four million Americans. Today, we’re talking more than 300 million. If each American’s data was logged on an index card, it would be a stack more than 47 miles high. Makes electronic data the clear choice, doesn’t it?
It’s worth noting the scope of what Sprint is providing. It includes 500 MPLS sites, enabling a single IP-based network for local Census offices; some 1,500 managed devices – including firewalls and intrusion detection – for security; more than 150,000 active telemetry wireless devices for remote data collection; and some 1,500 mobile broadband connection cards.
As I noted in the news announcement, this is all about helping the Census reduce costs, increase efficiency, and deliver real-time, accurate information. When you come down to it, that’s what wireless networks are really all about.
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SubscribeTags: 2010 Census, census, Census Bureau, Harris Corporation, IP network, mobile broadband, mobile broadband connection cards, MPLS, remote data collection, telemetry
