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Microwave Radio Communications Says It Could Aid Federal Disaster Response

Posted on: Friday, 20 January 2006, 21:00 CST

By Tom Spoth, The Sun, Lowell, Mass.

Jan. 20--BILLERICA, Mass. -- Officials at Microwave Radio Communications believe the company's technology could have accelerated the federal response to last summer's Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Michael Payne, MRC's vice president of marketing, told U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan that after the hurricane struck, the company provided its microwave technology to TV news organizations, which broadcast startling images of destruction and hardship. Meanwhile, key officials in the federal government remained unaware of the scope of damage.

"The government had no sense of what was happening," Meehan agreed. "People who were watching TV had a better idea. It's your technology that made that happen." To that end, MRC hosted Meehan yesterday at its 101 Billerica Ave. offices, and found a sympathetic ear in the Lowell Democrat, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

MRC, which serves news organizations around the world, sees enormous potential in selling its equipment to the military and public-safety departments. MRC hopes government agencies, which have already begun to adopt some of the company's technology, to recognize the importance of having live video and audio transmitted to and from disaster scenes, high-security locations, and even battlefields.

As recently as 2002, the company still garnered more than 90 percent of its revenue from commercial broadcasters. In 2005, MRC did more than 30 percent of its business in the military and public-safety arena, and expects that figure to surpass 50 percent by 2008.

Payne said MRC shipped its 1,000th tropospheric satellite support radio (TSSR) unit last month, and the product is starting to take hold as a Department of Defense favorite. MRC's first customer was the Air Force, but the Army and the Marines recently started using the TSSRs, which sell for $87,000 each.

The Marines placing a $6.2 million order for the devices was a very good sign, according to Meehan.

"Once the Marines really like a product Š everybody else wants it," he said.

The TSSRs allow military commanders to better communicate with their troops by facilitating the transmission of data from the field to command posts, and vice versa. The technology allows commanders to better track their forces' progress.

"In order to implement the military strategy of transformation, this is absolutely key -- the ability for a general to see what's happening in all parts of a country on video," Meehan said.

On the public-safety front, MRC made a splash in 2004 with its coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Working with Boston and state police, the company provided live video and audio using helicopters and ground-based units, helping authorities with general surveillance and crowd control.

The success at the DNC earned MRC several local contracts, including with the Lowell police and fire departments.

Meehan said he hopes federal agencies will sit up and take notice of the Billerica company.

"The biggest problem with the military and homeland security is the inability to deal with smaller technology companies," Meehan said. "They've got literally thousands of companies out there who come through the door." Meehan offered to set up a meeting between MRC and local defense giant Raytheon Co. -- to help the smaller company get subcontracting work -- and said he would try to get Congressman Peter King of New York, chairman of the House's Homeland Security Committee, to visit MRC.

MRC has grown from 20 employees to 186 since the company's inception in 1986, and expects to add about 40 more jobs in the next two years. The company also predicts its annual revenue, which was about $30 million in 2000, will top $100 million by 2007.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Sun, Lowell, Mass.

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RTN,

Source: The Sun (Lowell, Massachusetts)

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