RFSTUF

2012-02-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

FCC Working on Device Interoperability Rules, Girding for Another Battle With Verizon, AT&T

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

By Paul Barbagallo
The Federal Communications Commission is laying the groundwork for yet another battle with Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. over competition policy.
According to agency and industry sources, the FCC is expected to begin a formal rulemaking process by midyear that could result in manufacturers of handsets, chipsets, and network equipment being required to make their products compatible with all frequencies across the entire 700 megahertz band of radio spectrum—not just particular slices under the control of Verizon and AT&T. ...
“If you're a carrier that has only 1 million subscribers, you can't buy a handset that's uniquely designed for your 700 MHz band spectrum that's anywhere near cost-competitive to that of a Verizon or AT&T,” Steven Berry, president and chief executive officer of the Rural Cellular Association, told Bloomberg BNA in a phone interview. “This world is all about scale.”
“Once my customer leaves my network and tries to go to another, they can't roam because it's technologically impossible.”Ben Moncrief C Spire Wireless Some manufacturers have declined requests to build phones and network equipment for C Spire Wireless, Cavalier Telephone, and U.S. Cellular, among others, for precisely this reason. If a manufacturer cannot sell 65 million to 80 million units globally, Berry noted, “they're just not making money.”

2012-01-23T14:05:00.003-05:00

PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON APPLICATIONS AND WAIVER REQUEST FILED BY THE STATE OF MAINE FOR 160 MHZ BAND RAILROAD FREQUENCIES. (DA No. 12-74). Comments Due: 02/13/2012. Reply Comments Due: 02/23/2012. PSHSB . Contact: Brian Marenco at (202) 418-0838 or email: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-12-74A1.pdf

2012-01-13T12:58:00.002-05:00

Wireless outage left some bus crash responders in the dark

by KIM BRIGGEMAN of the Missoulian | Posted: Thursday, January 12, 2012 6:15 am

Even as a Rimrock Stages bus went careening out of control on icy Interstate 90 east of Missoula on Sunday morning, Verizon Wireless engineers were scrambling to restore statewide service.

A switch in Helena that manages all voice and data traffic on the Verizon system failed around 1 a.m. as engineers performed routine software upgrades. Customers in Montana and parts of northern Wyoming were without service until 7:30 a.m., according to Verizon Wireless spokesman Bob Kelley in Denver.

The bus wreck west of Clinton that killed two and sent dozens to Missoula hospitals occurred at roughly 7:15 a.m.

"That sucked," said Don Whalen, regional manager of Missoula Emergency Services Inc., which staffed and sent seven ambulance crews to the scene. "That's how we get hold of a lot of our people. Everybody got rid of their home phones and all they have is their cellphones." ...

2012-01-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

FCC Approves LMCC Proposal for UHF Non-Standard Frequency Pairs

LAND MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL. Accepted Land Mobile Communications Council's proposed procedures and conditions for handling applications seeking non-standard frequency pairs in the 450-470 MHz Band. Action by: Chief, Policy Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and the Chief, Mobility Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau by LETTER. (DA No. 12-10). WTB PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-12-10A1.pdf

2011-12-19T17:20:00.000-05:00

Spectrum dropped from payroll tax deal

By Brendan Sasso - 12/17/11 11:01 AM ET

The Senate bill to extend the payroll tax holiday does not include spectrum provisions that were in the House GOP version of the legislation.

The Senate approved the package on Saturday morning in an 89-10 vote, and it now awaits approval in the House. ...

2011-12-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

Public Safety Alliance Welcomes House D Block Allocation & Funding Gravely Concerned with Narrowband Giveback & Governance Provisions

APCO International on December 14, 2011

in Industry, News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 14, 1011 – The Public Safety Alliance (PSA) today expressed its appreciation for the full House's vote of support for D Block spectrum allocation to public safety and funding for the Public Safety Broadband Network, but warned of an ominous storm cloud on the horizon as our nation's first responders, who put their lives on the line everyday, learn more about the full extent of the other provisions in the bill that gives with one hand and takes away with the other to make H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011 disastrous for public safety's goal for nationwide interoperable emergency communications.

2011-12-14T09:23:00.001-05:00

San Jose Exists Controversial BayWEB 700 MHz Stimulus Project
The interoperable regional 700 MHz LTE public safety broadband network was planned to serve scores of municipalities and counties in the greater Bay Area of ...

2011-12-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

House subcommittee advances spectrum bill
CNET (blog)
Public safety groups have asked Congress to give them the D block to build a nationwide interoperable public safety network. But some Republican lawmakers, including Walden, previously opposed this action. Instead, they wanted the spectrum to be sold ...

2011-11-29T18:43:00.000-05:00

Fact Sheet on the Wireless Innovation and Public Safety Act of 2011

Reallocates the D Block spectrum for public safety use
Encourages sharing of public safety network spectrum and infrastructure by promoting spectrum and network sharing opportunities as part of negotiated public-private partnerships
Requires a reasonable transition to the flexible and more efficient use of 700 MHz narrowband spectrum.
Ensure the availability of devices capable of operating in the public safety broadband spectrum
Establish a private, non-profit entity, the Public Safety Broadband Corporation, as the national governance vehicle
Based upon a single, national network architecture that evolves with technological advancements.
Subject to an open competitive bidding process designed to ensure that multiple equipment and technology vendors
Maximizing use of the network infrastructure and expertise of commercial mobile data service providers and ensuring reliance upon open commercial standards
Provides robust mechanisms for state and local public safety input
Establishes a Public Safety Trust Fund to disburse funds from the auctions

2011-11-29T12:17:00.000-05:00

Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum

The Hill

By Rep. Greg Walden - 11/29/11 11:34 AM ET

In return, the bill requires public safety to transfer over time to commercial use its narrow-band spectrum in the 700 MHz block so it can be used to create ...

2011-11-29T11:17:00.000-05:00

Complete P25 SDR Waveform Ported to Android(TM) with ORBexpress(R)

WASHINGTON, Nov 29, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Objective Interface Systems, Inc. (OIS) today announced that Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) ported a complete APCO P25 waveform and Software Communications Architecture (SCA) radio system to a small form factor Android device in just one day with zero source code modifications using the ORBexpress communications software. This port by CRC of the P25 waveform to an Android device realizes the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program initiative to facilitate the migration of software-defined radios (SDRs) to smaller, commercial form factors to enable faster time to market and substantially lower development costs. ...

2011-11-23T13:57:00.000-05:00

House subcommittee schedules spectrum bill markup
The Hill
"This legislation will create thousands of jobs, establish an interoperable public safety network, and reduce the deficit," he said. ...

2011-11-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

IMPLEMENTING A NATIONWIDE, BROADBAND, INTEROPERABLE PUBLIC SAFETY NETWORK IN THE 700 MHZ BAND.

Approved the Public Safety Spectrum Trust's second-year budget proposal to the extent indicated. (Dkt No. 06-229 ). Action by: Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted: 11/18/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1918). PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1918A1.pdf

2011-10-20T09:06:00.000-04:00

DHS Bill Contains Call for D Block Allocation

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/14/2011 5:15:28 PM

A Department of Homeland Security authorization bill that passed out of the House Homeland Security Committee Thursday included an amendment calling for allocating D block spectrum for public safety, but it did not have the force of law according to a copy of the legislation. ...

2011-10-15T12:33:00.000-04:00

Android PTT P25 App

Harris Corp.'s BeOn P25 Radio App lets officers use their Android phones as push-to-talk (PTT) Project 25 radio police radios ...

2011-10-14T09:50:00.000-04:00

Huawei banned from building public-safety LTE networks
FierceBroadbandWireless
The US Commerce Department declared that China's Huawei won't be allowed to build LTE networks for the public safety community because of concerns over national security. Huawei "will not be taking part in the building of America's interoperable ...

2011-10-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

City of Charlotte Selects Alcatel-Lucent to Deploy Public Safety ...
DigitalJournal.com
... a contract with Alcatel-Lucent to deploy a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Public Safety Network in the dedicated Public Safety 700 MHz frequency spectrum. ...

2011-09-28T19:03:00.000-04:00

LTE standards body considers study on public-safety direct mode

By Donny Jackson

Currently, the LTE standard requires that all traffic be transmitted over the network and does not support packets being transmitted directly between users. The study proposal is designed to address this technology "gap" in the LTE standard to make it more attractive for public-safety and social-networking applications, according to Andrew Thiessen, lead electrical engineer for the Institute of Telecommunications Sciences (ITS) and technology committee vice chairman for the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC). ...

2011-09-27T19:31:00.000-04:00

Charlotte inks deal with Alcatel-Lucent on LTE network

By Donny Jackson

Yesterday's decision marks the first public-safety LTE win for Alcatel-Lucent. Perhaps more significantly, the deal is the first public-safety LTE contract that calls for the vendor to provide LTE core services via a hosted model. ...

2011-09-26T12:49:00.000-04:00

Michigan Seeks to Share 700 MHz Public Safety Broadband
The State of Michigan filed a request for waiver from the FCC to allow for construction and deployment of a 700 MHz public safety interoperable broadband ...

2011-09-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

New Testing Report Proves Need for 20 MHz -
Public Safety Alliance
As has been previously stated, public safety has a "window of opportunity" in which to construct a dedicated, nationwide and interoperable public safety ...

2011-09-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

Rockefeller praises public safety network in Obama jobs bill

By Brendan Sasso - 09/12/11 04:51 PM ET

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, on Monday praised the inclusion of a public safety broadband network in President Obama's jobs bill

"I am pleased to see that President Obama's jobs plan includes proposals to invest in the wireless economy and provide first responders with the communications tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively," Rockefeller said in a statement. "Investment in this sector can create hundreds of thousands of jobs, help first responders and generate billions of dollars for deficit reduction. It's a win-win-win proposal. And I look forward to working with my colleagues to make this happen." ...

2011-09-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

9/11 Safety Update: Why First Responder Communications Hasn't Improved In 10 Years

Andrew Seybold, Contributor

Inadequate communication systems costs lives.

Here it is 10 years after the attacks on 9/11 and first responders still cannot communicate with each other during disasters. The lack of interoperability in communications came to the public's attention during 9/11 and also during Katrina. It cost lives, not only the lives of citizens but the lives of a number of first responders, as well. The papers were full of the details of this lack of communications capability, and the 9/11 Commission cited correction of this defect as one of its major recommendations. '''

2011-08-31T20:07:00.000-04:00

Tenth Anniversary Report Card: The Status of the 9/11 Commission Recommendations

Radio Spectrum and Interoperability Recommendation: "Congress should support pending legislation which provides for the expedited and increased assignment of radio spectrum for public safety purposes."

2011-08-31T15:21:00.001-04:00

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FILES ANTITRUST LAWSUIT TO BLOCK
AT&T'S ACQUISITION OF T-MOBILE

Transaction Would Reduce Competition in Mobile Wireless Telecommunications Services, Resulting in Higher Prices, Poorer Quality Services, Fewer Choices and Fewer Innovative Products for Millions of American Consumers ...

2011-08-26T21:51:00.001-04:00

Mission-Critical Voice and LTE: Be Careful!

08.26.2011 by Andrew M. Seybold

Do not ignore continued investment in existing mission-critical analog and P25 voice systems because you believe voice over LTE broadband that is mission-critical is just around the corner. Many elected officials in federal, state, and local agencies seem to believe this so continued investment in existing channelized voice systems is not needed. While a lot of progress is being made in the world of broadband voice, it will be sometime in the future (undefined) before all of the pieces and parts of mission-critical voice as defined by NPSTC (soon be to published) are included in LTE. Even then there may be limitations that will hinder the Public Safety community or require some changes to how voice systems are used today. ...

2011-08-08T13:50:00.000-04:00

Harris Corporation Awarded Million Contract by the Oregon ...
... overall system coverage and support interoperable public safety communications ... In public safety and professional communications Harris is a leading ...

2011-08-02T10:07:00.001-04:00

LA-RICS Procurement Process Starts Over

MissionCritical ...

Los Angeles County won $154.6 million in Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) funds to build LA-SafetyNet, a 700 MHz public-safety broadband ...

2011-08-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

FCC signs spectrum-sharing agreements with Canada, Mexico
Telecompaper
These actions will support commercial broadband services and public safety voice communications. The technical sharing principles reached on the 700 MHz ...

2011-08-02T10:06:00.000-04:00

D Block removed from debt-ceiling proposal
Urgent Communications
Reallocation of the 700 MHz D Block to public safety and other spectrum-policy matters are not part of the debt-ceiling compromise that Congress and the ...

2011-08-01T11:26:00.000-04:00

No excuses for LA County's emergency communications fiasco
Los Angeles Times
If they hold true to form, the system would indeed be interoperable as long as everybody buys new Motorola equipment. This means that all other competitors would be locked out of selling products for users in the greater LA public safety network. ...

2011-07-31T11:19:00.000-04:00

L.A. County starting over on emergency communications system

Hundreds of millions in federal funds are at risk and years of planning are scrapped over concerns that the project's nearly completed contract violates state rules on how it must be structured and awarded. ...

2011-07-25T15:48:00.001-04:00

700-MHz LTE Carrier Compatibility

07.21.2011 by Andrew M. Seybold

...The reason most smartphones and perhaps even dongles and tablets won't be able to make use of LTE on both AT&T and Verizon networks has nothing to do with the LTE standard. Both companies are deploying LTE that meets the 3GPP specifications although there may be some differences in the options implemented by these companies, theoretically a device should be able to be used on either network. ...

2011-07-25T15:48:00.000-04:00

700 MHz Public Safety Service: Being a Governmental Entity Is Just Not Enough

FCC declares that government users must show that their proposed uses of spectrum qualify as "public safety service"

The FCC has issued a declaratory ruling clarifying eligible uses of broadband public safety frequencies in the 700 MHz band. For the time being, it has focused only on which governmental agencies may use the spectrum, reserving until later the question of whether other entities may also participate. ...

2011-07-15T10:36:00.000-04:00

Verizon 4G LTE Phones to Be Incompatible with AT&T's LTE Network
Gotta Be Mobile
... that the mobile broadband standard is promising: the lack of roaming options. ... "Verizon and AT&T both run their LTE networks in the 700-MHz band. ...

2011-07-14T15:15:00.000-04:00

GOP Spectrum Bill Could Get Drawn Into Debt Fracas
paidContent.org
The US does not have a nation-wide interoperable public safety network, and for years law enforcement officials have called for the D clock to be allocated for that use. The bill would also exempt the spectrum from the FCC's net neutrality rules, ...

2011-07-12T23:01:00.000-04:00

D Block companion bill introduced in the House
Urgent Communications
Legislation that would reallocate 700 MHz D Block spectrum to public safety and provide significant funding for the buildout of a nationwide LTE network has ...

2011-07-05T16:11:00.000-04:00

D Block reallocation bill might not be a slam dunk
Urgent Communications
There has been a lot of speculation that federal legislation that would reallocate the 700 MHz airwaves known as the D Block to public safety will be on ...

2011-06-24T15:14:00.000-04:00

Multiple Bay Area entities approve new governance structure
Urgent Communications
... for a new joint powers authority (JPA) designed to drive the region's effort to have a 700 MHz LTE network for public safety deployed and maintained. ...

2011-06-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

Public safety communications: Failure is not an option
Helena Independent Record
Kevin Bruski served as Montana's Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) from 2009-2011 and as Executive Director of the Interoperability Montana association. Carl Hotvedt retired as chief of the state's Public Safety Services Bureau in 2011 and ...

2011-06-21T14:18:00.000-04:00

CITY OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY. Granted the Request for Waiver, as
amended. Action by: Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety
and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted: 06/20/2011 by ORDER. (DA No.
11-1084). PSHSB

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1084A1.pdf

DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS, TEXAS. Granted the Request for Waiver, as
amended. Action by: Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety
and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted: 06/20/2011 by ORDER. (DA No.
11-1086). PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1086A1.pdf

TOWN OF ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS. Granted the Request for Waiver, as
amended. Action by: Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety
and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted: 06/20/2011 by ORDER. (DA No.
11-1083). PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1083A1.pdf

TOWNSHIP OF CINNAMINSON, NEW JERSEY. Granted the Request for Waiver,
as amended. Action by: Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public
Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted: 06/20/2011 by ORDER. (DA
No. 11-1085).
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1085A1.pdf

AMENDMENT OF PARTS 1, 2, 22, 24, 27, 90 AND 95 OF THE COMMISSION'S
RULES TO IMPROVE WIRELESS COVERAGE THROUGH THE USE OF SIGNAL BOOSTERS.
Extended the deadlines for filing comments and reply comments concerning
the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to adopt rules
that facilitate the development and deployment of well-designed signal
boosters. (Dkt No. 10-4 ). Action by: Deputy Chief, Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau. Comments Due: 07/25/2011. Reply Comments
Due: 08/24/2011. Adopted: 06/20/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1078). WTB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1078A1.pdf

2011-06-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

LTE Support for Mission Critical Voice for Public Safety

06.19.2011 by Andrew M. Seybold

Introduction

LTE or fourth-generation (4G) wireless broadband was designed and implemented primarily as a data over broadband technology. Voice in the form of Voice over IP, which is being designed to implement voice calls in the traditional cellular fashion of dialing a number and completing the call using the LTE network as transport, is being developed. The issue is whether LTE can and will support other types of voice services, specifically Push-To-Talk (PTT) voice and most importantly, PTT off-network, when units are out of coverage of the network or when they need short-range communications in buildings and in other areas where the network does not provide coverage. ...

2011-06-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

FCC CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI REMARKS ON A NATIONWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY NETWORK, AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY, THE WHITE HOUSE. .

WASHINGTON, D.C

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307659A1.pdf

2011-06-17T12:40:00.000-04:00

Senators Hutchison and Rockefeller detail D-block plan

Thu, 2011-06-16 09:07 AM

By: Mark Rockwell

Sens. Rockfeller, Huchison

In another effort to move forward their plan for a national wireless broadband communications network for first responders, the leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee explained their complex strategy for the network, which includes several spectrum auctions and a government-run company that would operate like a commercial wireless carrier to manage the network. ...

2011-06-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

White House Meeting on First Responder Net

Scheduled With Biden, Genachowski

Napolitano, Holder, O'Malley expected to attend as well

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/14/2011 3:31:41 PM

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D- W. Va.) praised the White House for scheduling a meeting this Thursday (June 16) to discuss the need to provide a nationwide interoperable broadband communications network for first responders.

The President has already come out in support of allocating D block spectrum to that network rather than auctioning it to private companies, as some Republicans and the FCC's National Broadband Plan proposed. ...

2011-06-14T12:08:00.001-04:00

CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Granted the waiver request filed by the City of Mesa, Arizona, Police Department, with conditions. Action by: Deputy Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted: 06/14/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1053). PSHSB

Mesa requests the licensing of six 700 MHz narrowband interoperability channels for a deployable trunked facility.It seeks a waiver of Section 90.531(b)(1)(iii) of the Commission's rules to exceed the maximum number of interoperability channels that may be trunked. We grant Mesa's waiver request, subject to conditions, because doing so will not frustrate the Commission's intent in enacting Section 90.531(b)(1)(iii), and because it is in the public interest to do so...

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1053A1.pdf

2011-06-14T11:05:00.000-04:00

LEIM 2011: Update on D-Block allocation and 700 MHz waiver requests
Police News
At LEIM 2011 in San Diego today, Harlin McEwen, Chair of the IACP Communications Technology Committee — as well as a friend and regular commentator on PoliceOne — addressed the issue of the nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network. ...

2011-06-13T11:55:00.000-04:00

NTIA Offers Ideas on Public Safety Broadband Network

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) commends the Federal Communications Commission for conscientiously addressing our first responders‟ communications needs, and continuing to make these needs a priority. Proceeding from the shared vision of an efficient and effective nationwide interoperable public safety wireless broadband network and recognizing this rare opportunity to help realize that vision in the near future, the Administration, in these Comments, highlights important issues in the development of an overarching framework to achieve this common vision and suggests an appropriate course of action. ...

2011-06-13T11:19:00.000-04:00

Rockefeller excited as legislation advances
Daily Mail - Charleston
Rockefeller has sponsored the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act, which would create a nationwide, interoperable, wireless broadband network for emergency workers and first responders. The bill cleared the Senate Commerce Committee, ...

2011-06-13T11:18:00.000-04:00

Jim Newton: What we have is a failure to communicate
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System is supposed to link all ... By Jim Newton In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, public safety ...

2011-06-12T19:37:00.000-04:00

Tech policy gurus outline priorities
Seattle Post Intelligencer

... Matthew Hussey, the top telecom aide to Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), explained why the lawmaker voted against the public safety bill Wednesday. He said she was concerned about having adequate funding of the first responders' network and, in particular, the ability for rural areas to create and maintain such a network.

Snowe wants to make sure that "rural areas will have adequate resources to build and maintain the network," Hussey said. "We were also concerned about taking additional steps to ensure interoperability."

Hussey added that Snowe wanted to make sure that rural areas didn't see a "digital divide" in terms of the abilities of public safety to be able to access and participate in a nationwide broadband communication network. ...

2011-06-09T11:56:00.000-04:00

Senate Panel Backs Public-Safety Spectrum Bill
National Journal
... After nearly 10 years of stalled efforts on the issue, the Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation Wednesday designed to finally build a national public-safety broadband network to help first responders communicate during emergencies. It allocates so-called D-block to police and firefighters, contradicting current law, which would sell it off. ...

2011-06-09T09:42:00.000-04:00

Committee approves D Block bill for Senate vote

Urgent Communications

The PSBC would replace the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) as the licensee for existing public safety's 700 MHz broadband spectrum, which would be ...

2011-06-08T15:01:00.000-04:00

National Emergency Network Gets Closer To Reality
KHTS Radio
The Strengthening Public-Safety and Enhancing Communications Through Reform, Utilization and Modernization (SPECTRUM) Act will provide America's first responders with a nationwide interoperable communications network. Senator Barbara Boxer, a proponent ...

2011-06-07T18:06:00.000-04:00

Public-safety amendment would require 700 MHz interoperability

June 7 2011 - 4:01 pm ET | Tracy Ford | RCR Wireless News

Ahead of tomorrow's expected markup of legislation to reallocate D-Block spectrum to public safety, lobbying and public-safety groups are turning up the volume on the proposed bill. The proposed legislation would reallocate D-block spectrum to first responders and allow the Federal Communications Commission to hold incentive auctions to raise funds to pay for a public-safety network, among other things.

...

2011-06-07T18:05:00.001-04:00

Public Safety Voice Interoperability

Andrew Seybold – 06.02.2011

On March 18, 2011, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), which is a part of the Library of Congress, submitted a memorandum that has been used..

2011-06-03T12:10:00.002-04:00

Senate Commerce leaders reach deal on spectrum bill

By Juliana Gruenwald, National Journal 06/02/2011

The leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee have reached an agreement on legislation aimed at building a national broadband network for public-safety officials, according to Senate sources. ...

...maintains the main elements of Rockefeller's original bill and adds several new sections.
These include establishing a nonprofit Public Safety Broadband Corporation, which would be charged with overseeing the build-out of the public safety network. It would authorize this corporation to seek loans from the federal government to help build the network before incentive auction revenues come in and also to collect fees from public safety and commercial users of the network.
The draft also includes several provisions aimed at improving the federal government's management of, and promoting more efficient use of, spectrum. It also would require an inventory of how spectrum is currently being used. In addition, it includes more explicit language barring the federal government from forcibly taking spectrum from broadcasters to auction off. ...

2011-06-03T12:10:00.000-04:00

Kerry endorses D Block reallocation bill

By Sara Jerome - 06/02/11 06:00 AM ET

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Communications subcommittee, endorsed a sweeping spectrum bill Wednesday days before the divisive legislation faces its first test in the Senate.

2011-06-02T14:22:00.000-04:00

Senate Commerce Leaders Reach Deal on D-Block Bill
National Journal
Rockefeller's original bill would reallocate a chunk of spectrum known as the D-block to public safety officials for a national interoperable network. It would also authorize the Federal Communications Commission to hold voluntary incentive auctions ...

2011-06-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Roundtable Participants Gain Insight into Pressing Emergency ...
EHS Today
The subject of texting emergencies to 9-1-1 came up as part of a discussion at the ... at the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) ...

2011-06-02T10:03:00.001-04:00

Rockefeller: Nationwide Wireless Network Needed for First ...
State Journal
... to urge Congress to enact the proposed Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless ... interoperable wireless network for first responders in disaster response ...

2011-06-02T10:03:00.000-04:00

Bay Area network aids public safety, underserved areas
San Francisco Examiner
By connecting the region's public safety users through an interoperable network, BayWEB will help to better protect our communities. ...

2011-06-02T10:02:00.000-04:00

US to invest in nationwide public safety network
FutureGov Magazine
This in turn raises the expectation that public safety organizations will ... to the lack of interoperable wireless communication among first responders. ...

2011-05-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

House Taking Its Time Dealing With Spectrum Issues
National Journal
By Juliana Gruenwald While the Senate Commerce Committee is racing to try to pass legislation aimed at creating an interoperable public safety network, the chairman of a key House panel said Tuesday he plans to take his time to ensure lawmakers ...

2011-05-26T09:35:00.002-04:00

D Block debate requires big-picture perspective
Urgent Communications
In the Senate, public safety has bipartisan support for D Block ... 700 MHz broadband spectrum licensed to the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) is enough ...

2011-05-26T09:34:00.000-04:00

Republicans Not Ready to Sign on to D Block Allocation Model
Broadcasting & Cable
"Nearly 10 years after 9/11, now is the time to reallocate the D Block for public safety and to provide funding necessary for the construction of a national wireless interoperable public safety network." King is chairman of the Homeland Security ...

The Committee on Energy and Commerce
... spectrum in the 700 MHz band for public safety and provided First Responders with $1 billion for interoperable communications equipment. ...

2011-05-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

Harris Corporation Selected by Linn County, Iowa, for $18 Million Contract
PR Newswire (press release)
Harris P25IP technology will provide secure, voice and data communications for public safety users throughout 724 square miles. Harris Unity XG-100 portable and mobile radios will give Linn County first responders improved interoperability across all ...

2011-05-25T10:19:00.000-04:00

D Block Re-Auction Review - P E R S P E C T I V E S

Re-Auction of the D Block: A Review of the Arguments

George S. Ford and Lawrence J. Spiwak – May 24, 2011

Broadband, Interoperable Public Safety Network in the 700 MHz Band; Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules, __ FCC Rcd ...

2011-05-24T10:57:00.001-04:00

New Phoenix Center Study Evaluates Plan for Commercial Re-Auction
DigitalJournal.com
This alternate block of spectrum will not be contiguous to the existing 10 MHz public safety block as is the D Block, which has the effect of increasing the ...

2011-05-24T10:57:00.000-04:00

Debate on 700 MHz Public Safety Broadband Network Heats Up | UTC
Debate on 700 MHz Public Safety Broadband Network Heats Up ... allocate (rather than auction) the 700 MHz D Block spectrum to public safety for the creation ...

2011-05-24T10:56:00.000-04:00

Lieberman, McCain Introduce Bill to Reallocate D Block to Public
The Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011 would set aside the D block 700 MHz spectrum specifically for public-safety agencies to build a secure ...

2011-05-20T13:19:00.000-04:00

FCC Chairman Responds to Waxman's Questions About Public Safety
Be impacted by subsequent adoption of final technical and operations rules governing 700 MHz public safety broadband networks-would the public safety agency ...

2011-05-19T22:01:00.000-04:00

Business-Labor Alliance Announces Support of "BayWEB" Broadband Network
PR Newswire (press release)
The resolution also says that for public safety users, BayWEB will deploy a "comprehensive LTE 4th Generation wireless broadband network." "This state-of-art system will support data interoperability, allowing Bay Area emergency responders to connect ...

2011-05-19T20:55:00.000-04:00

Sens. Lieberman, McCain introduce long-awaited public-safety bill
The Hill (blog)
"Public safety communicates on slices of scattered spectrum that prevent interoperable communications among agencies and jurisdictions, and that do not allow the large data transmissions that we take for granted in today's commercial communications. ...

2011-05-18T16:28:00.000-04:00

Creating an Interoperable Public Safety Network

May 25, 2011

The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, May 25, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building. The title of the hearing is "Creating an Interoperable Public Safety Network." Witnesses to be announced.

2011-05-17T14:35:00.001-04:00

Discussion Draft Would Authorize Organization to Replace PSST

One piece of the draft was a provision of governance that authorizes the creation of a new organization that would replace the Public Safety Spectrum Trust ...

2011-05-17T11:42:00.001-04:00

Wireless emergency network? Not yet

By TONY ROMM | 5/17/11 4:52 AM EDT

The clock is ticking away — rapidly — on Congress's goal to deliver a nationwide, wireless communication network for police officers and firefighters by the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Tough, long-standing political and policy fights may ultimately cause lawmakers to push back their time frame by months, even as congressional efforts to fund and authorize a communications system pick up pace. ...

2011-05-16T10:32:00.002-04:00

LightSquared to Launch Nationwide Wholesale LTE Network
Rahul Gaitonde, Deputy Editor, BroadbandBreakfast.com
WASHINGTON May 13, 2011 – The New America Foundation gathered key industry experts on Thursday to discuss whether satellite spectrum should be reclassified so that it can be used for the expansion of terrestrial mobile broadband.
With the spectrum crunch that many experts anticipate, many industry experts are calling for the reclassification of the satellite spectrum to be used for the expansion of mobile broadband. Rather than wholly reclassify the spectrum, LightSquared uses their mobile satellite spectrum holdings to deploy a nationwide Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network with both terrestrial and satellite components. ...

2011-05-11T14:14:00.000-04:00

FCC Sends 32,000 Letters Reminding on Narrowbanding

(5/10/11)

By Sandra Wendelken

The FCC sent letters to 32,000 VHF and UHF public-safety licensees whose records contain wideband emission designators in the FCC database, reminding them of the upcoming narrowbanding deadline. An FCC official said more than one-third of public-safety licenses have been updated to narrowband operation. ...

...The letter cites information resources the FCC and other federal agencies have available, including its website at www.fcc.gov/narrowbanding. Licensees can also send questions by email to narrowbanding@fcc.gov or by contacting Roberto Mussenden of the PSHSB Policy Division at Roberto.Mussenden@fcc.gov. The FCC’s Consumer Center number is 888-225-5322.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Emergency Communications released a guidance document entitled "A Practical Guide to Narrowbanding,” which is available at www.dhs.gov/files/publications/gc_1285865538920.shtm. ...

2011-05-10T12:15:00.001-04:00

NYC Unveils Public Notification Emergency Alert Messaging
NEW YORK CITY UNVEILS FIRST-IN-THE-NATION PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEM; ENABLED MOBILE DEVICES WILL RECEIVE EMERGENCY ALERTS AT CRITICAL MOMENTS WITH POTENTIALLY LIFE-SAVING MESSAGES.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and top executives from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile & Verizon announce PLAN at World Trade Center site in New York City.

News Release.

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-306417A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-306417A2.pdf

2011-05-10T10:58:00.000-04:00

LTE-Based Public Safety Network Could Finally Become Reality

CIO
The FCC said earlier this year that any next-generation public safety mobile broadband network would have to use LTE as its data standard "to ensure nationwide interoperability for public safety communications." ...

2011-05-09T11:44:00.000-04:00

Patterson marks full implementation of OakWIN countywide radio

An example of how OakWIN is improving public safety in Oakland County is when the interoperable radio system enabled Novi and Farmington Hills police ...

2011-05-09T11:43:00.000-04:00

Guest opinion: Richard Mirgon on the D block
FierceGovernmentIT
If we do not have a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network that is as great as our first responders, then we will have failed in our duty to them. History will not look kindly upon a Congress responsible for that failure. ...

2011-05-08T12:41:00.000-04:00

Rockefeller Wants Incentive Auction Bill Markup By Memorial Day

Bill allocates D block of spectrum to interoperable communications network

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/6/2011 10:43:59 AM

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) wants to mark up his spectrum auction/first responder bill by the end of this month (once source suggests May 25 could be the markup date).

An aide to Rockefeller would not comment on the date, but said: "The goal is to markup the bill by the Memorial Day recess," which begins May 27. A mark-up is when a bill is amended, if necessary, and voted on by the committee.

The Rockefeller bill would allocate the D block of spectrum--recovered from broadcasters in the DTV transition--to an interoperable broadband communications network. ...

2011-05-04T19:44:00.001-04:00

Utilities seek access to 4.9 GHz band
Urgent Communications
In a technology brief released this week, Tropos said that public safety has ... The UTC, which is also asking the FCC for access to 700 MHz spectrum, ...

2011-05-04T12:46:00.000-04:00

FCC PSHS BUREAU ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF A FILING WINDOW FOR ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS RELINQUISHED BY SPRINT NEXTEL CORPORATION IN THE 809.5-815/854.5-860 MHZ BAND SEGMENT.

Released: 05/04/2011.

(DA No. 11-823). (Dkt No 02-55 ). PSHSB .

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-823A1.pdf

2011-05-04T12:22:00.000-04:00

The NAB and Broadband Spectrum

05.02.2011 by Andrew M. Seybold

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which represents the interests of the television networks and others, is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington, DC. During every election, it contributes to many of the campaigns for its favorite Representatives and Senators, and it spends a lot of time on the "Hill" pushing the broadcasters' agenda. TV stations didn't pay a penny for their spectrum and have already lost the 700-MHz band to commercial wireless broadband services (Channels 53 to 69). Now the broadcasters face another squeeze as the FCC tries to free up more spectrum for wireless broadband usage....

...Even if $12 billion of the proceeds went to fund the Public Safety broadband nationwide network that is being proposed, the total gross for the U.S. Treasury would still be $68 billion and Public Safety would finally be able to build out a nationwide broadband network and provide nationwide interoperability for the first time ever. An investment in the Public Safety network that did not impact the Treasury would go a long way toward helping our first responders. ...

2011-05-03T18:14:00.000-04:00

Death of bin Laden could sway public safety debate The Hill's
Public-safety advocates welcomed President Obama's announcement of bin Laden's ... responders can establish a national interoperable public safety wireless ...

2011-05-03T17:38:00.000-04:00

Rockefeller Pushes For Safety Net Bill in Wake Of bin Laden Killing
Broadcasting & Cable
to those using the death of 9/11 terrorist Osama bin Laden as a teaching moment about the need for action on an interoperable public safety network. Echoing public safety officials, Rockefeller Monday (May 2) put in a plug for action on his bill, ...

2011-05-02T16:10:00.000-04:00

Border Interoperability Demonstration Project

(BIDP) — a one-time competitive grant program focused on developing innovative solutions to strengthen interoperable emergency communications along the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico. Through a merit review process, OEC selected the following projects that represent varying geographic regions and population densities to test new approaches to solving interoperability problems in real-world conditions:

2011-05-02T13:25:00.000-04:00

Osama Bin Laden Death shows need for better network

Politico

NYPD Deputy Chief Charles Dowd on Monday welcomed news that Osama Bin Laden "has received justice" — but stressed it only underscores the need for a new, nationwide data network for police officers and firefighter ...

... It was the 9/11 Commission's report that called for an interoperable communications network for public safety agencies across the country. Yet Congress and top federal agencies have been stymied since then over the complex questions of how to build and ...

2011-05-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

County: We need new radio system
St. Augustine Record
A narrowband radio system would not be interoperable, one of the public safety sector's major arguments for the 800 MHz system, according to Jeff Prevatt, Fire Rescue's chief of fire prevention, and Col. Art May, St. Johns County Sheriff's Office ...

2011-04-29T08:29:00.001-04:00

Public Safety LTE Deployments

04.28.2011 by Andrew M. Seybold

... LMR and LTE: Some Differences

LMR systems for Public Safety are designed to be one-to-many voice systems (some slow-speed data), usually with high-powered tower or mountain-mounted base stations, high-power mobiles for vehicles and even HT's have what, by cellular standards, is considered to be high power. In addition, simplex, talk-around, or tactile channels are widely used and the HT to HT range is sufficient to penetrate into buildings or talk over distances of several miles. A typical HT has a power output of about 5 watts. Now compare that to an LTE device with a power output of 200 milliwatts. That is a BIG difference in power and therefore, LTE systems cannot be designed in the same way as LMR systems. ...

2011-04-29T08:29:00.000-04:00

Is AT&T a wireless spectrum hog?

CNET
To put this in context, the FCC's National Broadband Report calls for an additional 500 MHz of spectrum to be made available for auction in the next decade to fulfill the needs of all wireless broadband providers. The FCC has proposed TV broadcasters ...

2011-04-28T18:22:00.000-04:00

APCO attempts to take LTE broadband beyond the US
Urgent Communications
In addition, Mirgon said officials in Canada are trying to get regulators in that country to allocate 700 MHz broadband spectrum to public safety, in an effort to make future broadband interoperability easier along the northern US border. ...

2011-04-28T15:59:00.000-04:00

Motorola Solutions Q1 2011 Earnings Call

April 28, 2011 8:00 am ET

... With respect to our next-generation public safety initiatives, during the quarter, we announced with Verizon Wireless a first-of-its-kind solution that combines a standards-based public safety broadband network tailored for mission-critical operations with the benefits of a leading public commercial broadband LTE network. As a result of this alliance, public safety agencies will benefit from economies of scale, site sharing, optimized network design and an open standards-based approach. The alliance allows agencies to supplement their mission-critical core platforms with the rich media services and the increased capacity and coverage of Verizon Wireless' public LTE network.

With bills now in the House and Senate in support of our first responder customers position, there is optimism about prioritization of the 700 MHz D block to public safety, which would efficiently and effectively double the spectrum available for a public safety-grade broadband data network. We've been investing in R&D for next-generation public safety for over 2 years, and our expertise in both public and private networks makes us uniquely qualified to deliver standards-based LTE solutions to our public safety customers. ...

2011-04-27T19:00:00.000-04:00

Houston taps WiMax for municipal wireless network
GCN.com
...But Anderson said Houston will use a 700 MHz Long Term Evolution system for public safety data networking. In addition to Internet access, one of Houston's ...

2011-04-27T18:44:00.000-04:00

Technical work, spectrum planning needed to make peer-to-peer solutions a reality

Apr 27, 2011 4:01 PM, By Donny Jackson

Considerable effort is being made to get public-safety 700 MHz LTE networks deployed in pockets of the country today, in the hope that they can be linked together with similar networks nationwide to give first responders throughout the U.S. access to broadband capabilities. ...

...push-to-talk over a network is one thing, but push-to-talk communication that works off the network is a critical feature for first responders, particularly for firefighters. Again, such peer-to-peer transmissions are possible from a technical standpoint — ad-hoc mesh technologies have been commercially available for years, and the military has invested significant resources to ensure that the approach can meet mission-critical reliability requirements. ...

..."What are [public safety's peer-to-peer] requirements? Is it just voice? Do you need to text? Do you need some telemetry?" Olbrich said. "We don't have those requirements. So, for us to go to a 3GPP or anything, they're going to come back at us and say, 'What are your requirements? What do you need to do? What's your end goal?'

"We don't know what that is. I'm not sure public safety does quite yet. We hear a lot of talk and a lot of marketing spiel, but we really need to peel that back by two or three layers to get to the tasks we really need to accomplish." ...

2011-04-27T12:12:00.000-04:00

Current and future challenges to public safety communications

Challenges and expectations

...current state of public safety communications and 911 in the United States...

2011-04-27T09:34:00.002-04:00

APCO International Thanks Executive Director George Rice

April 26, 2011, Daytona Beach, FL -

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International today expressed its gratitude to Executive Director George Rice for his diligence in leading the Association into an era of organizational and programmatic growth. Mr. Rice will step down from his position with APCO International effective June 30, 2011 to move to another association leadership setting, that of Executive Director of the 9-1-1 Industry Alliance. ...