Thursday November 11, 3:57 pm Eastern Time

Company Press Release

Baltimore Celebrates Installation of Motorola Digital Communications System

BALTIMORE, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Kurt Schmoke, city officials and Motorola (NYSE: MOT - news) today celebrated the installation of the city's new Motorola 800 MHz ASTRO®- SmartZone(TM) digital communications systems.

With the new communications system installed, Baltimore becomes one of the first cities in the world to design and implement a fully-digital communications system with a single system infrastructure to support the communications needs of both public-safety and public service departments.

The city's fire, police and public works departments began using the new $65 million communications system after installation was completed Nov. 2. Mayor Schmoke and the city broke ground for the system in December 1996 after selecting Motorola as the system's prime contractor.

``This new communications system has been a major goal of this city and I am delighted that we have achieved it,'' said Mayor Schmoke. ``We wanted to create a new approach to communications that would enable all our city agencies to communicate with each other and help us deliver services to the city more efficiently. We have done that and created a model I am confident others will imitate.''

The system includes 28 channels and nine simulcast sites for enhanced communications coverage from the city's downtown high-rise buildings to its harbor tunnels. More than 5,000 mobile and portable radios are currently in use. The city's new Emergency Communications Center has 73 computer-aided dispatch (CAD) positions, including 31 radio dispatch positions, 18 positions for 9-1-1 call takers, 12 positions for 3-1-1 call takers, and five Emergency Medical Dispatch positions. Among the system's sophisticated features is Motorola's Oncore XT(TM) global positioning system that displays ambulance locations, enabling dispatchers to assign units to emergencies more efficiently.

``It was almost four years ago that the city selected Motorola as the system integrator for what was to become the most sophisticated radio communications in use anywhere in the world,'' said Rob Sears, Motorola corporate vice president and general manager, southern division, North America Group. ``The system's capabilities have proven invaluable to departments responding to emergencies ranging from the Charles Towers fire this past February to Hurricane Floyd. Baltimore today has a communications system with the capabilities and technological flexibility its departments need for years to come.''

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT - news) is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 1998 were $29.4 billion.

ASTRO is a registered trademark of Motorola, Inc.

SmartZone and Oncore XT are trademarks of Motorola, Inc.

SOURCE: Motorola

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