Not every organization is racing to put its communications infrastructure in the cloud and invest in generative AI tools. In the government sector, for instance, there can still be a compelling case for on-premises data centers, and fiber connections between facilities. That’s certainly the case in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to Michael Butler, director of network services, who gave an Enterprise Connect presentation on “Communications Strategies for Government.”
Butler leads the county’s central IT organization, which provides data, voice, video, cybersecurity and support services to 40 departments, including fire-rescue services, 16 PSAPs, courthouses, jails, Internet service for 25 cities and Palm Beach County Schools, and other communication services for area colleges, universities, and six city governments.
“Altogether, we have more than 700 connected facilities with 17 contact centers and 700 agents,” Butler said. “We have put in hundreds of miles of fiber cable, and are now expanding WiFi coverage to county and city parks. Fortunately, our elected officials are very supportive, and recognize the need to invest in our communications infrastructure.”
Butler added that Palm Beach County has a task force looking into AI, cybersecurity and other applications. “We have been trying to limit our cloud exposure, due to the hurricane risk in Florida,” he said. “We know that on-prem will go away at some point, but we are directly attached to Florida LambdaRail, a statewide research and education fiber optic network, with good redundancy for communications.”
The challenges
Palm Beach County’s IT team faces a variety of physical and service challenges in meeting the needs of its 1.6 million residents, who are mostly located in an urban corridor along the Atlantic coast with a smaller population cluster about 45 miles west near Lake Okeechobee. In between are Everglades wetlands and large-scale agricultural areas.
“We build and own our fiber network,” Butler said. That includes a recent project running cable across 18 canals and a Native American burial ground to strengthen cross-county connections. To support mobile users, the county installed 10,000 poles with solar-powered cabinets. “People have shot the solar panels and stolen equipment,” he added. “So we maintain a large inventory, replace what has been damaged, and bring things back online.”
Along with the physical issues, the 72-person network services team manages communications from the county’s traffic signals and cameras, manned bridges, Everglades research stations and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation personnel in remote areas. “We also support communications to more than 1,000 precincts during elections,” Butler added.
Since Palm Beach County is home to a former U.S. president, Butler’s team works closely with federal agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security and Department of State, to provide secure connections. “We maintain tight network access control throughout the county,” he said. “We also partner with law enforcement regarding confidential data for investigations, along with public records information.”
Upcoming projects include deploying a mass building notification system in case of an active shooter, and setting up a staging site to handle a potential mass casualty incident. “One of the greatest challenges faced by local governments is planning for the future,” Butler said. “That includes physical and cyber infrastructure, automated tools, and security functions to meet the evolving challenges.”
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