Month: January 2015

NGA Leadership Highlights Cybersecurity as a Critical Issue

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Cybersecurity is a “critical issue” for all governors and there is a lot of work to be done in order to secure critical infrastructure from cyber attacks, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D.), chair of the National Governors Association, said today during the group’s state of the states address. “The continued growth and sophistication of cyber attacks against the United States makes cybersecurity a critical issue for all governors,” he said. “Crime — like commerce — is now done on the Internet. What used to be stolen in person is now stolen with a keyboard. Cybersecurity is considered one of the largest homeland security threats.”

Gov. Hickenlooper noted that two-thirds of states have adopted, or are considering adopting, recommendations released last year by the NGA Resource Center for State Cybersecurity, which include essential steps governors can take to improve their state’s cybersecurity practices. Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Real World Intelligence, Jan 6, 2015

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Spectrum Auctions: The New Price of Spectrum

For years I have maintained that spectrum is the currency of commercial wireless networks. The AWS-3 auctions have certainly proven that. This spectrum is not even in a most advantageous portion of the radio spectrum when compared to 600 MHz, 700 MHz, or 800 MHz but that does not seem to matter. The auction has raised more than 44 billion dollars so far for an amount of spectrum that shouldn’t get network operators excited but they are, I guess. The AWS-3 auction is for the following spectrum:

1, 614 licenses available, a total of 65 MHz of spectrum

1695-1700 5 MHz non-paired
1700-1710 10 MHz non-paired
1755-1760 paired with 2155-2160 10 MHz
1760-1765 paired with 2160-2165 10 MHz
1765-1770 paired with 2165-2170 10 MHz
1770-1780 paired with 2170-2180 20 MHz While the bidding has slowed, the auction will not officially close until there is at least one round where no new bids are received. At that point, the FCC will announce the winners and when the dust settles we will find out who bid the most for which portions of the spectrum in which areas of the United States. Spectrum is valued by calculating the price per MHz of population covered for each given area. In 1998, during Spectrum Auction 73 the FCC auctioned what is known as the 700-MHz band, which included a total of 56 MHz of paired spectrum and 6 MHz on unpaired spectrum. That auction brought in a total of just less than $19 billion in new revenue for the government. The AWS spectrum requires more cell sites per square mile of coverage and does not provide the same level of inbuilding coverage as the 700-MHz band, yet the 50 MHz of paired spectrum and 15 MHz of unpaired spectrum have brought in bids totaling more than $44 billion.

It should be no surprise that the paired spectrum is going for a lot more than the non-paired spectrum since it is not clear whether a TDD (Time Division Duplex) system can survive next to an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) system or vice-versa. With TDD the mobile and cell sites share the same spectrum and the transmissions are allocated different time slots. With FDD, the mobile devices transmit up to the cell site on one portion of spectrum and the cell site transmits to the device on the other. Both TDD and FDD systems work in the LTE world but to my knowledge there have never been TDD and FDD systems co-existing in the same portion of spectrum. Continue reading →

NPSTC Files Comments of Part 90 Frequency Coordination Request

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NPSTC submitted comments to the FCC regarding a request by an entity seeking to be a Part 90 frequency coordinator. In its Public Notice, the Commission seeks comments on a request by Engineers Frequency Advisory Committee, LLC (EFAC) to be certified as a frequency coordinator in the Part 90 radio services. EFAC is the latest of three companies that have requested Commission certification as a Part 90 frequency coordinator.

In NPSTC’s view, none of these three companies meet the Commission’s qualifications to be certified as a Part 90 frequency coordinator. NPSTC believes it is essential that public safety and industrial/business users be served by frequency coordinators that represent the respective user bases for which they coordinate, provide coordination in a fair and equitable manner, possess the requisite technical skills and coordination experience and understand the many nuances of the Commission’s Part 90 rules.

The current Part 90 frequency coordination environment works well. Current coordinators are representative of the base of users for which they coordinate frequencies, provide service in a fair and equitable manner and already provide a competitive frequency coordinator marketplace.   In NPSTC’s view, the Commission is fortunate to have the current group of dedicated certified frequency coordinator organizations. NPSTC opposes experimenting with this proven situation, as doing so could be detrimental to public safety.

Incumbent Frequency Coordinators Oppose New Certification Request

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Incumbent public safety channel frequency coordinators have asked the FCC to reject the latest request by a for-profit entity to be certified a frequency coordinator. However, other entities support certification.  In comments filed in WP docket 14-235, the incumbent coordinators argued that Engineers Frequency Advisory Committee LLC (EFAC) does not meet the requirement that it be representative of spectrum users that it will serve, as well as that EFAC is a for-profit entity that could favor its clients over non-clients in coordination decisions.

EFAC is seeking certification as a part 90 frequency coordinator, arguing that the newly formed entity is well-suited to handle frequency coordination for entities that require a high level of engineering services (TRDaily, Dec. 2, 2014). EFAC members are Tusa Consulting Services, Blue Wing Services, and the law firm of Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker P.A.

“Representativeness of users continues to be an essential requirement for frequency coordination, as it ensures the fairness and effectiveness of the process for both applicants and incumbent licensees,” said the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, which is the largest frequency coordinator for public safety pool channels. “Associations representing users necessarily balance not only the needs of an applicant, but also the potential for interference to existing operations. This is especially important in the Public Safety Pool where interference could disrupt emergency communications of first responders and other public safety personnel. In contrast, a non-representative coordinator (especially if it is a for-profit entity) will be primarily interested in assigning channels to its paying clients/applicants. It will have no obligation, fiduciary or otherwise, to protect incumbents. Representative coordinators are also well-suited to resolve disputes among licensees and applicants (who, in most cases, will be its members), without the need for Commission intervention. Finally, representative coordinators have a unique understanding of the particular operational needs and concerns of their constituents.” Continue reading →

Corrections Officials Raise Concerns with One Size Fits All ICS Approach

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Corrections departments have raised concerns with the FCC’s proposals to reduce the costs of intrastate phone calls from inmates, arguing that the changes would jeopardize their ability to fund services for inmates and would fail to recognize cost disparities among different facilities.   But advocates for prisoners and their families welcomed the FCC’s proposed rate reductions and called for providing modern communications services accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing at reasonable rates.

The FCC approved an order and further notice of proposed rulemaking in October aimed at addressing high rates for inmate calling services (ICS) (TRDaily, Oct. 17, 2014).  The FNPRM sought input on a range of issues, including permanent rate caps for local, intrastate, and interstate ICS calls; the appropriate cap to ensure that rates cover security costs; elimination of per-call connection fees; prohibition of “site commissions”; and capping and restricting ancillary fees. Continue reading →

House Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairs Announced

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Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, today announced subcommittee chairs for the 114th Congress, including Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) as chairman of the emergency preparedness, response, and communications subcommittee and Rep. John Ratcliffe (R., Texas) as chairman of the cybersecurity, infrastructure protection and security technologies subcommittee.

Courtesy TRDaily

TIA Asks FCC to Reconsider 700 MHz Band Order

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The Telecommunications Industry Association has asked the FCC to reconsider a provision in a report and order it released in October concerning the agency’s 700 megahertz narrowband rules (TRDaily, Oct. 24, 2014). “TIA requests that the Commission amend the Order to reflect that at the time a manufacturer submits a device for type approval it may not yet be feasible or possible to have completed yet all the requirements for Project 25 Compliance Assessment Program (P25 CAP) certification,” the trade group said in a petition for reconsideration filed in PS dockets 13-87 and 06-229 and WT docket 96-86.

“At the time of equipment type approval application, the manufacturer may only be able to state that the product has been being designed to the Project 25 Standards, and to identify which Project 25 Common Air Interface capabilities that design intends to be compliant/interoperable. Alternately stated, a manufacturer could identify which Project 25 CAP tests that design intends to pass which is a direct reflection of intended Project 25 compliance and interoperability.”

Courtesy TRDaily

FCC Launches Consumer Help Center

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The FCC announced the launch of an online center to help consumers get information and file and track complaints. “The consumer help center is part of the FCC’s broader efforts to reform its processes to better serve the public. By quickly and efficiently managing consumer complaints, the FCC will help protect consumers and give them a greater voice in its policy initiatives to improve communications services for all,” the agency said in a news release.

It said that improvements include (1) “a [s]treamlined, user-friendly complaint filing system,” (2) “[r]eady access to helpful information that will empower consumers to resolve some problems on their own,” (3) “[b]etter communications between consumers and FCC consumer representatives,” (4) the “[a]bility for consumers to monitor complaints, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” and (5) “[f]aster delivery of complaints to service providers, enabling them to respond to consumers sooner.” Continue reading →

S&T Snapshot: S&T’s Interoperable Solution Makes It Easier and Cheaper for First Responders to Communicate

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A new low-cost interoperability solution developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) could save the first responder community millions of dollars. untitled

The Radio Internet Protocol Communications Module (RIC-M), used by local, state and federal responders, is a low-cost, external, stand-alone, interface device that connects radio frequency (RF) system base stations, consoles and other RF equipment – regardless of brand – over the Internet or Private Internet Protocol (IP) network. The RIC-M converts from a commonly used V.24 serial communications protocol to an open-standard Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP). Both encrypted and unencrypted Project 25 (P25) digital communications are supported, and it can also operate with analog communication equipment.

Interested in learning more? Read the full S&T Snapshot story. Do you have any questions about the publication? Please e-mail st.snapshots@hq.dhs.gov.

FirstNet “Making a lot of Progress,” Official Says

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LAS VEGAS — The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) is “making a lot of progress” on developing an interoperable broadband public safety network, FirstNet acting Executive Director TJ Kennedy said today. The 122 responses to FirstNet’s comprehensive network solution request for information (RFI) have provided FirstNet with “a good feel for what the community thinks needs to be done” with affordability of network services for public safety users and accelerating the speed to market among the issues raised, Mr. Kennedy said at the Wireless Symposium organized by NTCA and the Rural Wireless Association.

Public safety entities want to make sure that excess capacity is leveraged as a revenue stream so that public safety user fees don’t have to be too large.

Mr. Kennedy said that FirstNet is about to begin a series of “regular industry days” to discuss issues with industry players leading up to a draft request for proposals (RFP) expected in the first quarter of this year and a final RFP anticipated later this year.  He said the organization has been having environmental impact meetings and that “every single month we have consultations with every state.” Continue reading →