Month: April 2015

S&T’s April Twitter Chat Focuses on Non-Traditional Partners

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On Wednesday, April 29, join S&T and our partners at the Center for Innovative Technology for a Twitter Chat about these efforts and other ways we’re reaching out to non-traditional partners. Please join us on Twitter from 1 to 2 pm ET for a lively discussion about how we’re building our ecosystem of innovative non-traditional partners and performers. Submit your questions and comments before, during or after the chat and use the #STTechTalk hashtag to engage in the two-way discussion.

Across the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE), emerging threats are evolving at the speed of thought, targeting critical infrastructure, affecting the first responder community and impacting industry and the HSE daily. At the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), the hunt for solutions is on.  At S&T, we are transforming and reinventing how we approach research and development (R&D).

This begins with changing how we work with the Homeland Security Industrial Base, particularly with non-traditional partners like makers, small businesses, and inventors. We are looking for those individuals who are creating the “next big thing” but don’t know how to take it from an idea to a product the government or industry can use. S&T is reaching out to these partners in an effort to invest in innovation and transition ideas to solutions faster.  Interested in learning more? Read the full S&T Twitter Chat Story.

 

Mission-Critical PTT Standards Process Moves Forward with OMA Specification

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The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) completed the Push to Communicate for Public Safety (PCPS), a push-to-talk (PTT) specification for Long Term Evolution (LTE) and is working with the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to integrate it into public-safety LTE standards. The specification is the foundation for mission-critical PTT (MCPTT) for LTE.

Read more:  http://mccmag.com/onlyonline.cfm?OnlyOnlineID=522

Courtesy Mission Critical Magazine.

S&T, Canada, USDA Partner to Develop Car Wash to Protect Food Supply

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S&T Snapshot: S&T, Canada, USDA Partner to Develop a Car Wash that Could Protect Food Supply

Whether it’s a bacon cheeseburger that comes through a drive-thru window or a steak dinner at a five-star restaurant, food safety is universally important, and it starts long before a meal is on the table. This is a prime concern for the agricultural industry as they transport cattle, swine and other livestock across the country in the hundreds of millions each year.

To address these concerns, agencies like the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) play a critical role in preparing for specific threats to the food supply, such as animal-borne disease outbreaks, to ensure they do not affect consumers. One of the key elements to decreasing the effects of an outbreak is to decontaminate areas where animals have been located.  However, this is no small feat.

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.govS

Canada Allocates Another 10 MHz of 700 MHz Spectrum Needed for PS Broadband Network

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The Canadian Economic Action Plan 2015 proposes to provide $3 million over two years, starting in 2016–17, to take initial steps to establish a Public Safety Broadband Network, a high-speed mobile network dedicated to emergency management.

The Government has already allocated 10 megahertz (MHz) of the highly valued 700 MHz broadband spectrum for public safety communications. The Government will allocate another 10 MHz of the 700 MHz spectrum to enable the creation of a Public Safety Broadband Network, a high-speed mobile network dedicated to emergency management. The Government will also provide $3 million over two years, starting in 2016–17, to take initial steps to establish the network. This investment will improve collaboration among public safety agencies to help save lives and keep our communities safe.

NCSL Provides Updates to 9-1-1 Legislation Database

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States continue to prepare for the future of emergency communication, including Next Generation 911 and collaboration with FirstNet to build a public safety broadband network, and legislative changes may be necessary to prepare for the implementation of these new technologies.  The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) announced that all 2014 amendments to 911 laws nationwide are available to review at its 911 Legislation Tracking Database. Since 2012, it has served as a resource for States in improving public emergency communication services to operate in today’s digital mobile society. The searchable database of 911 legislation in the 50 States and the District of Columbia provides insight into other States’ legislative efforts and allows for comparison of recently enacted laws or modfications to existing laws. Continue reading →

Swenson: First Net to Consider Draft RFP; Third Notice at April 24 Meeting

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The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) board plan to consider a draft comprehensive network request for proposals (RFP) and a third public notice on the definition of public safety entity during a special meeting to be held April 24 via teleconference, Chairwoman Sue Swenson told TRDaily today. Ms. Swenson also said that the board has narrowed down to “several” the number of executive director candidates it is considering.

Late last month, the board delayed a vote on approving the release of the draft RFP to provide additional time to answer questions raised by members of its Finance Committee (TRDaily, March 25).

Ms. Swenson said in an interview that the board will consider a special notice with the draft RFP at this week’s meeting, in addition to the public notice on the definition of public safety entity.  The meeting is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. eastern time. Continue reading →

Facial Recognition Multi-Stakeholder Group to Meet June 11

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The next multistakeholder meeting to develop a privacy code of conduct for the use of facial recognition technology is scheduled for June 11, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which convened the effort early last year as part of the Commerce Department’s larger Internet Policy Task Force initiative.  As usual, a webcast and conference bridge are planned for the June 11 meeting.

 

 

RPCs NEW Date of October 30 to File Amended Plans

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PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE SERVICE RULES GOVERNING PUBLIC SAFETY NARROWBAND OPERATIONS IN THE 769-775/799-805 MHZ BANDS, ET AL.   Granted the waiver request in part. (Dkt No.  RM-11433 13-87 06-229 RM-11577 96-86 ). Action by:  Deputy Chief, Policy Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted:  04/20/2015 by ORDER. (DA No. 15-476).  OCBO  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-15-476A1.docx

https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-15-476A1.pdf

LMCC Sets Agenda

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The Land Mobile Communications Council set a near-term agenda this week at its annual meeting in Washington. “Among advocacy matters, the LMCC membership agreed to file comments in response to the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding interstitial 12.5 kHz ‘offset’ channels in he 809-817/854-862 MHz band; and will separately suggest to the FCC that it would be prudent for the LMCC to identify frequency coordination processes for 173 MHz telemetry and vehicular repeater systems to ensure that these disparate system technologies may successfully share spectrum without affecting required operational objectives,” according to an LMCC news release.

 

 

FCC Extends 800 MHz Band Freeze

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The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau today announced the extension until Oct. 18, 2015, of a freeze on the filing in NPSPAC Region 43 (Washington state) of new non-rebanding-related 800 megahertz band applications. “This extension of the freeze on non-rebanding applications is needed to preserve vacant channels for licensees re-tuning their systems according to the reconfigured band plan adopted by the Bureau for incumbents operating along the U.S.-Canada border,” the bureau said in a public notice. “As of this date, some border region licensees in Washington State have yet to complete their system re-tunes. Accordingly, to preserve currently vacant channels for use by these licensees and avoid potential licensing conflicts that could delay rebanding, we have determined that temporarily extending the freeze in NPSPAC Region 43 (Washington State) is in the public interest.”