Gage tapped to upgrade Thibodaux’s 20-year-old P-Phone System

The City of Thibodaux has hired Gage Telephone Systems, Inc. to upgrade its 20-year-old P-Phone System, addressing the problems with the current network.

The new system will reduce the number of “dropped calls” from one extension to another, and add voicemail and speakerphone capabilities to the city’s P-Phone System.

The upgrade cost is $130,474. Mayor Charles Caillouet said the price tag includes telephone and computer-related equipment as well as the cost of labor.

The city first noticed a problem with its communication network system in 2007 when the Thibodaux Fire Department and Thibodaux Police Department jointly purchased a digital voice recorder to record incoming calls for the city’s fire and police departments.

At that time, the city discovered that the analog P-Phone System at the Stark Municipal Complex on Canal Boulevard in Thibodaux did not have the capabilities to connect the digital voice recorder.

According to city records, BellSouth installed the P-Phone System in the late 1980s. Thibodaux has two P-Phone systems, one at the Stark Municipal Complex and the other at the Public Works Office.

Caillouet said the system has become obsolete and can no longer be serviced by AT&T.

The city prides itself on putting people first, he said. Giving city employees the communication tools needed to do their jobs is critical.

The city formed a Communica-tions System Network Committee to research other broadband networks and select ways to accommodate the city’s network.

Assessing the old system, the committee found that the P-Phone System continuously drops calls from one extension to the other, and it does not have voicemail or speakerphone capabilities.

“Both the Police Department and the Public Works Office receive emergency calls and cannot truly depend on the P-Phone System to meet the city’s needs, especially with the fire and police departments recording their incoming calls,” Caillouet said.

In March of this year, the city received proposals from various communication carriers throughout the state.

Looking through all the proposals, the committee agreed that a communication system that keeps the data and voice communication separate until it converges into the wide area network is the best solution for the city.

Gage received the highest evaluation score. According to the committee’s report, Gage’s proposal clearly addressed the problem.

Caillouet also noted that Gage was the only vendor offering an installation of separate wiring systems where the IP phone sets are installed to provide the best quality of service for the date and voiceover IP network.

The new phone communication system will help the city incorporate new technology for the city’s growth, according to the mayor.

“The infrastructure must be able to grow with the demand,” Caillouet said.