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To support the Force’s Strategic Direction of “Embracing the use of technology for policing in the digital age”, the Communications Branch (COMMS) of the Information Systems Wing (ISW) has interlinked the Police Headquarters (PHQ) and Regional Command and Control Centres (RCCCs) with the Force’s Dark Fibre Network since March 2021, making the Force the first Government department to implement a dedicated super high-speed network. The Dark Fibre Network aims at providing a platform to support the transmission of massive volumes of data to support the Force’s frontline operations.
During the anti-riot operations in recent years, a large amount of information and intelligence in the form of multimedia files were transmitted across different police units through various channels on a daily basis. The transmission either took excessive time or the files were too large to be uploaded to the existing network, posing great challenges to the telecommunications infrastructure of the Force.
The Dark Fibre Network now operates between four RCCCs including Hong Kong Island Region/PHQ, Marine Region, Kowloon West Region and New Territories North Region, with targeted expansion to Kowloon East and New Territories South Regional Headquarters by the first quarter of 2022 and further expansion to cover more than 30 selected police premises, such as District Operations Rooms, by the first quarter of 2024.
“In recent years, ISW has not only developed numerous mobile applications to help frontline officers to carry out their daily duties more efficiently but also implemented several high-speed digital communications infrastructure networks, including Wi-Fi 6 within police stations and the Dark Fibre interconnecting the Force strategic premises to enhance seamless user experience with these new technological developments,” said Telecommunications Engineer of COMMS So Yuk-ki.
Dark Fibre technical know-how
With the key technology evolution of the Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing, which allows multiple signals to run over a single hair-thin strand of fibre, the self-operated Dark Fibre Network offers super high-speed communications channels. This means more than 5 000 terminals can access High Definition live broadcasting at the same time, or to download a two-hour 4K video in less than five seconds.
