New York State Continues Efforts to Maximize Federal Broadband ...

New York State Continues Efforts to Maximize Federal Broadband
ReadMedia (press release) - Albany,NY,USA
NYSAC and CIO/OFT are working with counties and regions to form partnerships to submit proposals for broadband stimulus funds for public safety purposes. ...

California Planning Statewide Public Safety Interoperable

California Planning Statewide Public Safety Interoperable
Government Technology - Folsom,CA,USA
On Monday, California's Public Safety Radio Strategic Planning Committee (PSRSPC), that's composed of state emergency responders, held a public meeting to ...

OnSite ERT tracks firefighters at scene
Urgent Communications - Overland Park,USA
If additional boxes show up — regardless of which public-safety agencies deploy them — they'll join the network already in progress and relay information ...

HSPA clocks up 245 networks and 122m users

HSPA clocks up 245 networks and 122m users
Rethink Wireless - London,UK
By CAROLINE GABRIEL Despite the excitement about LTE, HSPA remains the workhorse for the 3G cellcos' expansion, as highlighted by the latest research from ...

Pacific Northwest Broadband Cooperative

Pacific Northwest Broadband Cooperative
PR Web (press release) - Ferndale,WA,USA
Wireless technology also allows PNWISE to be leveraged as a public safety infrastructure for first responders and emergency personnel as well as backhaul ...

 

...PNWISE will connect local government, economic development districts, educational school districts, higher education, healthcare and public safety facilities. PNWISE will also discuss additional needs of public safety for multi-megabit mobility and inter-agency interoperability. ....

A Regional Approach to Communications Interoperability: How it Worked in the Tidewater

By Terry Hall
Public Safety Communications Manager, York County, Va.

Located in the southeast corner of Virginia, York is one of the oldest counties in the United States, but it is home to a cutting-edge public safety communications network that is a model for regional interoperability. ...

FCC Review of Broadband

HARVARD'S BERKMAN CENTER TO CONDUCT INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF BROADBAND
STUDIES TO ASSIST FCC.  News Release. News Media Contact: Jen Howard,
(202) 418-0506, Jen.howard@fcc.gov  OCH
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-291986A1.pdf

Commercial wireless broadband network to provide connectivity - Lincoln City

Commercial wireless broadband network to provide connectivity - Lincoln City
SourceSecurity.com - London,England,UK
They also improve public safety by connecting law enforcement agencies, fire fighters and rescue workers. Zeev Strahl, Regional Director from Alvarion, ...

Harris Stratex Networks Commissions State-of-the-Art Network

Harris Stratex Networks Commissions State-of-the-Art Network PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA Harris Stratex Networks serves all global markets, including mobile network operators, public safety agencies, private network operators, ...

Lancaster County Radio: Over, & Out

...nine years after the county signed a contract to build its own OpenSky network, Lancaster County-Wide Communications is about to swap "wow" for workable.

By the end of August, the agency overseeing the radio project hopes to start the process of choosing contractors to replace OpenSky with something different. ...

3G and 4G Wireless Blog: Stage 2 Specification For Voice Over LTE ...

3G and 4G Wireless Blog: Stage 2 Specification For Voice Over LTE
By Zahid Ghadialy
... 3GPP Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SR-VCC) specification (for IMS) so they don't have to be included in the VOLGA spec. In addition to fewer handover scenarios, handovers are a bit more simple with LTE from a VOLGA perspective ...

New Specs Deepen LTE Voice Dilemma

New Specs Deepen LTE Voice Dilemma
July 7, 2009 | Michelle Donegan

A T-Mobile International AG -backed industry group has advanced its efforts to introduce an alternative way to deliver voice services over Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks.

The Voice over LTE via Generic Access (VoLGA) Forum announced today it has published the second version of specifications for its circuit-switch-over-packet approach for voice services over LTE. That means the group is closer to its goal of creating a new set of specifications that will be ready for submission to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards body by the end of the year. (See New Forum Gives Voice to LTE .) ...

Spectrum inventory bill progresses

Spectrum inventory bill progresses
By Brian Santo
CedMagazine.com - July 09, 2009

Nobody actually knows who uses what spectrum in the United States.

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee has just approved a bill that directs the NTIA and Federal Communications Commission to inventory and catalog spectrum use between 300 MHz and 3.5 GHz. ...

WiMAX, LTE and Femtocells Some Insights from AIRCOM International

WiMAX, LTE and Femtocells Some Insights from AIRCOM International
TMC Net - Norwalk,CT,USA

..."Although people didn't originally think of LTE for voice, you actually have two solid propositions for voice call network," says Goetz. "First, there's the IMS [IP Multimedia Subsystem] approach or the Unlimited Mobile Access [UMA]-derived approach called VoLGA [Voice over LTE via Generic Access] which enables mobile operators to deliver mobile voice and messaging services over LTE access networks based on the existing 3GPP Generic Access Network [GAN] standard. Again, you're getting a system that's designed from the handset to the point of interconnect with other networks to provide voice calls. But what you get with WiMAX is a ASN and a CSN, as I said previously. On top of that the operator must provide its own voice solution. I worked a vendor up until about two years ago involving a major WiMAX deployment in Pakistan. They needed a core network for VoIP. At the time we provided the world's largest IMS deployment for commercial VoIP. But if you were then to take those WiMAX devices and attempt to use them in another network, that core network isn't there, and so the roaming capability would not be there either, which means that you wouldn't have a seamless, wireless voice solution for customers. So 3GPP and VoLGA on one side offers a specified solutions end-to-end, while WiMAX is effectively an access network, and you have to worry about the call running on top."

 

Goetz adds, "What you have to take into account with LTE is the migration from the existing 3GPP network where you have effectively a C7-based core switching network even with the split architecture Mobile Switching Center [MSC] servers and media gateway, and you've got evolve that into either an IMS or VoLGA environment. Hopefully operators will standardize on one of those, and predominantly a Session Initiation Protocol (News - Alert) [SIP]-based technology, and still have legacy interconnect to other networks still utilizing the older technologies. LTE has a good foundation; there are still a few issues to solve, but it's better placed from an end-to-end standard with which to deal with these issues." ...

Broadband subsidy: too much money, but mostly well targeted

Broadband subsidy: too much money, but mostly well targeted NetworkWorld.com - Southborough,MA,USA ... one might think that separate networks for public safety would be a good idea, but in reality, all that such networks do is create incompatible islands of connectivity. It would be far better if public safety communications were IP- and Internet-based. ...

 

 

Public Safety Faces Collaboration Challenges in Pursuit of Grant Funds

Public Safety Faces Collaboration Challenges in Pursuit of Grant Funds
Consortium under consideration could give public safety agencies a unified voice in pursuing funding for broadband networks. ...

New York State Requests a Waiver from the FCC to Develop 700 MHz

New York State Requests a Waiver from the FCC to Develop 700 MHz
The State regards the establishment of an interoperable public safety broadband network as a critical need for its first responders Pending approval of the ...

Advancing Public Safety Interoperable Communications: Recent State Actions

 

(PDF; 723 KB)
Source: National Governors Association

Federal, state, and local governments have made significant progress toward advancing

interoperable communications; however, many challenges remain. The 2008 National Governors

Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Homeland Security Directors' Survey

identified public safety interoperability as one of the top priorities of state and territorial

homeland security advisors. Interoperable communications allow first responders, public safety

agencies, and leadership to communicate and operate effectively during an emergency situation—

a need emphasized by the events of September 11, 2001, and by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricane

season. Remaining challenges for the states in advancing a strengthened and sophisticated

interoperable solution include: ...

Is voice over LTE a conundrum

Is voice over LTE a conundrum? FierceWireless - Washington,DC,USA ... a common set of standards, to be submitted to 3GPP, to allow circuit-switched SMS and voice traffic to travel over LTE over a generic access approach. ...

Broadband Technology Opportunities Program ...

Broadband Technology Opportunities Program ...
By NCBM
4. To improve access to, and use of, broadband service by public safety agencies 5. To stimulate the demand for broadband, economic growth, and job creation. Funding Agency: US Department of Commerce ...

DHS takes step forward on interoperability
HSToday - Germantown,MD,USA
There's been a lot of discussion and work done on overcoming silos that exist in interoperable public safety communications. There's an incredible amount of ...

Building Public Safety Collaboration with a National Interop Academy
A white paper proposing a national academy to improve interoperability by bridging cultural differences among public safety disciplines Focused on the need ...

New York State Hosts First Public Safety Interoperability ...
ReadMedia (press release) -

ALBANY, NY (07/03/2009)(readMedia)-- On July 1 and 2, 2009, Governor David A. Paterson, and the New York State Chief Information Officer/Office for Technology (CIO/OFT) Statewide Interoperability Program Office (SIPO) hosted the first New York State Public Safety Interoperability Symposium in Albany, New York. With a focus on governance, the goal of the Symposium was to help state and local policymakers improve state interoperability governance structures that oversee public safety communications interoperability planning and implementation. ...

Law enforcement agencies struggle to communicate despite ...
Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USA
Precinct 2 Constable Michael Gothard says deputies were unable to communicate directly with Department of Public Safety troopers during the chase. ...

Securing the mobile experience: lock it or lose it

Securing the mobile experience: lock it or lose it
TelecomTV - London,UK
We see this already in the LTE standards, 3GPP release 8, where voice is only supported embedded in the IP data traffic. This transition is not something ...

Net Neutrality gets a boost from the feds

Net Neutrality gets a boost from the feds
CNET News - San Francisco,CA,USA
... to build broadband infrastructure in unserved or under-served areas and to further develop public safety as well as stimulate demand for broadband. ...

DHS Announces Sites for Multi-Band Radio Pilot

Release Date: July 1, 2009. For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary Contact: S&T Press Office, 202-254-2385. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science ...

Grant Guidelines for Broadband Infrastructure Are Out!

Grant Guidelines for Broadband Infrastructure Are Out!
New York Observer - New York,NY,USA
Out of a total of $7.2 billion in broadband funds from the stimulus bill, it's looking to get a piece of the $250 million to be set aside nationally to ...

APCO RESPONDS TO NENA BROADBAND NETWORK POSITION

APCO RESPONDS TO NENA BROADBAND NETWORK POSITION

June 25, 2009, Alexandria, Va. – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International today responded to a proposal from the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) regarding public safety broadband communications.  NENA's plan is to auction both the 700-MHz band D-block and adjacent 10 MHz of public-safety spectrum for commercial use. 

"APCO International cannot support NENA's proposal, as it gives back scarce public safety spectrum and undermines progress made during recent meetings among major public safety organizations to further address matters related to the development of a nationwide interoperable broadband network," APCO International President Chris Fischer said.  "APCO International understands NENA's perspective on this issue as it relates to how a national broadband network may eventually be used for 9-1-1 networks.  However, we are concerned that their proposal does not provide for the controls needed by public safety to ensure a nationwide deployment and network reliability."

 APCO International has supported a number of possible solutions for the deployment of a nationwide network that is viable not only for the major cities, but also the most rural parts of America.

 "This proposal is contrary to APCO International's position and that of many other public safety organizations," Fischer said.  "Public safety fought long and hard for clear, dedicated spectrum and it would be a huge mistake to give that up in exchange for discounted service from a commercial provider that will not meet mission-critical communications requirements.  While new ideas are always welcome, we hope that our friends and colleagues at NENA will reconsider their proposal.  APCO International recognizes that while we generally concur broadly with our partner organizations on issues of mutual interest, there are times when associations that collaborate consistently will have differing positions, as is the case with NENA's position on auctioning the aforementioned public-safety spectrum for commercial use."

 ###

About APCO International

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications.  APCO International serves the professional needs of its 15,000 members worldwide by creating a platform for setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing education, products and services for people who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical dispatch agencies.  For more information, visit www.apcointl.org.

Proposals create 700 MHz shakeup

Proposals create 700 MHz shakeup

By Donny Jackson

the beginning of the week, it seemed like public safety was working diligently to forge a consensus on the 700 MHz broadband front, with multiple first-responder organizations expressing support for the use of LTE and that the commercial D Block should be reallocated to public safety.

What a difference a few days makes...

Public Safety, Commercial Communities Come Together

Public Safety, Commercial Communities Come Together
Thursday, June 18, 2009 Andrew Seybold
We are finally seeing some movement toward a nationwide public safety system that will provide interoperability across towns, regions, and the nation on an as-needed basis through a series of regional networks employing both public safety and commercial 700-MHz broadband spectrum. ...

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What will they think of next?

What will they think of next?
 
Jun 16, 2009 4:42 PM, By Glenn Bischoff
...Another application of note concerned the use of video to enhance command and control.  "With two-way video … your commanders can almost be on site, because they can visualize [what's happening] through video," ...

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Public Safety 700 MHz Broadband Network Requirements Task Force

700 MHz Broadband Network Requirements Task Force

A task force to develop requirements for a nationwide public safety 700 MHz broadband network has been created, and seeking volunteers to make recommendations on the minimum elements required for a National Interoperability Framework to help ensure interoperability across all systems deployed. 

 

Publicsafety groups support LTE at 700 MHz

Publicsafety groups support LTE at 700 MHz Three influential public-safety organizations -- the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the National Emergency Number Association ...

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Minneapolis/St. Paul, federal DOT test next-generation 911 systems
GCN.com - Washington,DC,USA
The 19 communication centers in the area, called Public Safety Answering ... the Criminal Justice Data Network, the regional 800/700 MHz radio system, ...

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Criminal Justice Online Courses: NLECTC Communications ...
By Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
The NLECTC Communications Technologies Center of Excellence (COE) will be hosting a webinar on Interoperable Voice Communications on Tuesday, June 30th at 1:30 PM EDT. ...

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APCO & NENA ENDORSE LTE AS TECHNOLOGY STANDARD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT

APCO & NENA ENDORSE LTE AS TECHNOLOGY STANDARD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT June 9 2009 Alexandria Va The Board of Officers of the Association of PublicSafety Communications OfficialsAPCO International and the Executive Committee of ...

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TIA Outlines Key Principles And Recommendations For National

TIA Outlines Key Principles And Recommendations For National RF Globalnet (press release) - Horsham,PA,USA Specifically, it believes that the Commission should work to: promote the development of a broadband interoperable public safety network capable of ...

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MoDOT Recognized by ISCe for Its Innovative Emergency ...
GlobeNewsWire (press release) - Los Angeles,CA,USA
ISCe recognized MoDOT for its innovative satellite solution, which enables the agency to fulfill its mission of ensuring public safety with constant access ...

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FCC Pressed On Improving Broadband Access

FCC Pressed On Improving Broadband Access
InformationWeek - Manhasset,NY,USA
The D Block drew no serious bids in last year's 700 MHz spectrum auction and lies unused as the country continues to beef up its public safety networks. ...

FEW Launches First State sops (System of Systems) Interoperable
eReleases (press release) - Perry Hall,MD,USA
More importantly, a National Public Safety Interoperability Network is becoming a reality." Albany, NY is hosting an array of federal, state and local ...

FCC approves Nevada and New York-Buffalo 700 MHz Regional Plans

 

06/02/2009. 

PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU
APPROVES REGION 27 (NEVADA) REVISED 700 MHZ REGIONAL PLAN. (DA No.
09-1235). (Dkt No 02-378 06-229 ).  PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1235A1.pdf

06/02/2009. 

PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU
APPROVES REGION 55 (NEW YORK-BUFFALO) 700 MHZ REGIONAL PLAN. (DA No.
09-1237). (Dkt No 02-378 06-229 ).  PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1237A1.pdf

Statewide 800 MHz Rebanding Stalls in Washington
June 03, 2009 By Sandra Wendelken, Editor

State officials in Washington are frustrated with the lack of progress with their 800 MHz reconfiguration project and claim the process is broken.

 

Washington needs to reband its EF Johnson MultiNet 2 trunked system, which includes more than 5,000 subscriber units distributed across six geographic regions, along with the state's ferry system. The state also has several 800 MHz trunked systems that need to be rebanded and that must interoperate with the state public-safety system, particularly during inclement weather. ...

Public Safety to Petition Congress for 700 MHz D Block Spectrum

Public Safety to Petition Congress for 700 MHz D Block Spectrum

 (5/29/09)
Public-safety officials have agreed to petition Congress to re-allocate the 700 MHz D block spectrum to public safety instead of auctioning it. The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International hosted a meeting in the Washington area Thursday of public-safety organizations related to the development of a nationwide interoperable broadband network, and the consensus came from that meeting. ...

Alaska Communications Systems Announces Partnership with Rivada

Alaska Communications Systems Announces Partnership with Rivada

WELT ONLINE - Berlin, Germany
... Rivada provides advanced communications solutions to first responders at local, state and federal levels. Through their innovative public safety communications solutions, they are able to address the limitations of existing public safety networks through the use of cellular networks and commercial off-the-shelf wireless technology. The Rivada offering is focused on delivering wireless, cellular voice, video and data in the immediate aftermath of a major incident, when other communications infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.  ..

Harris Corporation Completes Corporate Actions and Announces Cost ...
MSN Money - USA
On May 29, 2009 , Harris completed its previously announced acquisition of the Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems business (formerly known as M/A-COM). ...

Critical Infrastructure Network

CIN: 3 in 1
Wireless Week - USA
The original FCC plan was to have a single nationwide commercial D-block operator join forces with the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) to build a Shared ...

Fire and Public Safety Assns Meet on Development of 700 MHz Broadband

Fire and Public Safety Assns Meet on Development of 700 MHz Broadband
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International ... to support approval of waiver requests for use of 700 MHz public safety ...

FCC Announcements

FCC TO HOLD OPEN COMMISSION MEETING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2009  

Discuss: June DTV transition.

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-291062A1.pdf

 

PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU
ANNOUNCES REGION 10 (GEORGIA) PUBLIC SAFETY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEES
TO HOLD 700 MHZ REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING AND 800 MHZ NPSPAC
REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING MEETINGS. (DA No.  09-1199). (Dkt No
92-189 ).  PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1199A1.pdf

 

APCO ANNOUNCES 2009 PUBLICSAFETY COMMUNICATIONS AWARD WINNERS
May 26 2009 Alexandria Va

The Association of PublicSafety Communications OfficialsAPCO International today announced the 2009 PublicSafety Communications ...

Towering issues still plague council
Woodbury Bulletin - Woodbury,MN,USA
... the new ordinance will include a clause for public safety concerns since ... which is supposed to substantially improve public safety communications. ...

Shelby County Tennessee Enhances Communications Interoperability ...
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
The MSAT-G2 two-way satellite radio addresses the increasing needs and demands of public safety and emergency response personnel, is interoperable with land ...

Seybold's Advice for the New FCC

Seybold's Advice for the New FCC

http://www.andrewseybold.com/commentary.asp?ID=260

APCO TO HOST SECOND WIRELESS BROADBAND NETWORK MEETING

APCO TO HOST SECOND MEETING OF PUBLIC SAFETY ASSOCIATIONS IN FOLLOW UP TO MAJOR CITIES CHIEFS FORUM

May 13, 2009, Alexandria, Va. - The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International announced today that it will host a meeting of eight major public safety organizations to further address matters related to the development of a nationwide interoperable broadband network. The meeting will include the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCC), Major County Sheriffs' Association (MCS), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (MFCA), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), and the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) and serve as a follow up to a meeting convened by MCC on April 20. ...

Iridium Launches Third Annual 'Test Your Satellite Phone' Week

BETHESDA, Md., May 21 /PRNewswire/ --

Iridium Satellite LLC announces the kickoff of its third annual "Test Your Satellite Phone" initiative. In partnership with The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, Iridium encourages emergency workers and first responders to prepare now to ensure that one of their most critical lifelines in a disaster - their satellite phone - works properly. ...