The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) has upgraded its wireless backup system at the Iowa National Guardβs Joint Forces Headquarters (JFHQ) to ensure critical 911 dispatch services remain uninterrupted during emergencies.
The ICN team replaced an aging indoor Cradlepoint cellular device with a new outdoor model. The upgrade boosted signal quality nearly tenfold, securing the critical infrastructure for public safety communications.
While the headquarters' secure equipment room offers protection against power outages, tornadoes, and fires, its thick concrete walls also blocked cellular signals from nearby towers used by FirstNet. FirstNet is a nationwide wireless network reserved exclusively for first responders and emergency personnel.
Previously, the indoor system relied on amplifiers and long coaxial cables stretched across the building to reach a rooftop antenna. The new outdoor cellular device sits directly on the roof. It uses a digital ethernet cable to send data downstairs, eliminating signal loss and providing an unblocked connection to the cellular towers. This outdoor technology was unavailable when the original system was installed in 2020.
The installation required coordination with the Iowa National Guard, which was in the middle of a yearlong project to replace the building's roof. The ICN worked with the Guard and its roofing contractors to install a custom, waterproof cable entry. The technical team successfully completed the rooftop installation in early May.
Testing revealed a tenfold increase in cellular data speeds, and all emergency connection systems were migrated to the new equipment two weeks later.
The JFHQ upgrade is part of a larger, ongoing public safety initiative. Over the last two years, the network has used similar outdoor equipment to bypass thick walls at Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), 911 call centers, across Iowa.
To date, 82 PSAPs statewide have been equipped with cellular backup systems connected to FirstNet, with two more scheduled for installation this summer.