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From: news@accuvax.nwu.edu (USENET News System)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Mobile Data Terminals
Message-ID: <8358@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 28 May 90 16:27:22 GMT
Reply-To: mdivax1!theriaul (Roger Theriault)
Organization: Mobile Data International, Richmond, B.C., Canada
Lines: 88
Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 393, Message 1 of 3


I have noticed some discussion here recently about mobile data
technology (terminals in police cars - is it for real?) and can assure
telecom readers that indeed this technology is here - the company I
work for, Mobile Data International (MDI), designs and manufactures
complete mobile data communications systems.

In addition to the police cars mentioned already, you can find
terminals in your favorite taxicab, fire trucks, ambulances and EMT
vehicles, and utility vehicles such as gas companies, electric,
cablevision, and even automobile association vehicles.  Federal
Express trucks all have them (the secret of their success?) and other
applications are just now being invented.

This is not that new, just check out the October, 1982 issue of
National Geographic for a photo of the Vancouver Police Department's
MDT. A recent rerun of "Hill Street Blues" showed what these terminals
can do.  The police can use their terminals to check licence plates
before they approach a vehicle they have stopped. In some cases this
has saved the lives of the officers when they approach a suspected
murderer etc...

>From: henry@garp.mit.edu (Henry Mensch)
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 390, Message 6 of 7

(Henry discloses a letter from Boston Gas Company)
>We will then be able to read your meter accurately by radio 
>signal from a computer equipped van as we drive down your street.

I must admit don't know anything about the meter-reading stuff, but
Boston Gas will also have MDTs (Mobile Data Terminals) in their
vehicles, which communicate with the gas company dispatchers. These
terminals do not communicate with the gas meters, but I would expect
there would be some sort of additional system in the truck to do so.
The terminals are used to dispatch trucks for repair work, and the
technicians can query the company mainframe for additional details.

>From: claris!netcom!ergo@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Isaac Rabinovitch)
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 389, Message 1 of 10

>claris!netcom!onymouse@ames.arc.nasa.gov (John Debert) writes:
>(about computer terminals in police cars)
>>I have heard the transmissions to and from these units and estimate
>>the rate at about 1200baud. It shouldn't be too hard for someone with
>>perhaps a TNC to connect their scanner to a terminal and read the
>>traffic.

>True.  But it ought to be possible to encrypt transmissions, if they
>haven't already done so.  I don't know if it's actually possible to
>provide an unbreakable encryption method (this was claimed at one
>time; I haven't followed the issue closely but I understand there are
>doubts) but at least it can put evesdropping out of the reach of the
>less resourceful villains.

I'm afraid that even without an encryption method, due to the error
correction algorithms, etc ... it would be next to impossible for a
villain to listen to such data traffic. And if he could, why does he
need to steal to make a living??

>From: gnu@toad.com (John Gilmore)
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 384, Message 1 of 11

>whole idea is to sell more yak-wuile-you-drive to yups, they don't
>have any idea where the real portable digital markets are at.  Real
>workstations will be palm-sized and portable in 1993 or so, long
>before the telcos are ready to network them *cheaply* in an office or
>neighborhood while having them able to remain online on the net (at a
>price) while traveling all over the country.  What hacker,
>stockbroker, student, reporter, ... would be without one?  Anybody got
>an angle by which we can bypass the telcos and do it right while they
>blunder?

If I'm not mistaken, there are nationwide data networks available
right now. They are *NOT* run by the telcos, to my knowledge.

In my opinion, cellular phones are for talking on. I can't understand
why anyone would want to connect a fax machine to one. It is like
encoding a tv signal and transmitting it on a voice-grade phone line,
isn't it?  If the coax (or fibre) exists, use it!  Then, later, stick
a phone on the extra bandwidth... (just my humble opinion :-)

DISCLAIMER: I do not speak for Motorola Inc. or MDI. The opinions related
in this message are all mine, and the fact that I am a proud employee of
MDI may color my commentary, but that is my fault, not my employer's.


Roger Theriault      mdivax1!theriaul@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca
                     {uw-beaver,uunet}!van-bc!mdivax1!theriaul