Month: February 2017

PSAPs Urged to Make NG 911 Progress

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February 14, 2017–An FCC official and the chair of the agency’s Task Force on Optimal Public Safety Answering Point Architecture (TFOPA) urged PSAPs today to utilize the work of the TFOPA in deploying next-generation (NG-911) networks. Tim May, 911 project manager in the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, and TFOPA Chair Steve Souder spoke during a webinar this afternoon that was organized by the National 911 Program. The TFOPA completed its work under its two-year charter in December by adopting three reports from its working groups in an effort to further assist the public safety community and others in transitioning to NG-911 systems (TRDaily, Dec. 2, 2016).

Courtesy TRDaily

APCO Recommends FCC Collect Additional Data for 911 Reports

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February 14, 2017–The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International says the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau should collect additional information for its annual 911 fee diversion reports. The data should focus on next-generation 911 (NG-911), cybersecurity, text to 911, and governance, APCO said. APCO submitted comments in PS docket 09-14 in response to a report released last month by the Public Safety Bureau that concluded that eight states and Puerto Rico diverted 911 or enhanced 911 (E911) fees for other purposes during 2015 (TRDaily, Jan. 13).

“The Commission should clearly define NG9-1-1 as part of the information collection on NG9-1-1 expenditures,” APCO said. “Full implementation of NG9-1-1 should be defined as end-to-end (from the caller to the telecommunicator) IP connectivity enabling current voice communications, future multimedia, and other data capabilities to flow from the 9-1-1 caller to the PSAP and be properly reported, archived, and further transmitted between the PSAP and first responders. With a comprehensive and clear definition, the reports will more accurately represent deployments, plans, and expenditures, and thereby become more useful planning and advocacy tools.

“The Commission should also request information about how states and their vendors are ensuring NG9-1-1 components are fully interoperable,” APCO added. “A fully functional NG9-1-1 system requires completion of consensus-based, accredited standards and must include fully interoperable IP-based connectivity as well as other data capabilities and equipment within the PSAP to seamlessly report, archive, and further transmit data between the PSAP and first responders. The Commission’s information collection presents an opportunity to identify gaps and determine whether standards are incomplete or require modification.” Continue reading →

FirstNet Weekly Update to the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) – February 13, 2017

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FirstNet News

  • FirstNet spent last week with the nation’s law enforcement leaders during their winter legislative conferences in Washington, DC. Valuable briefings from the new Administration, including President Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kelly, and FBI Director Comey, all stressed the priority to support law enforcement and public safety. FirstNet Board Member Sheriff Rich Stanek, President TJ Kennedy, and staff briefed the National Sheriffs’ Association’s (NSA) Executive Board, the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), and the Major County Sheriffs’ Association. Discussion highlighted how continuing involvement is vital to the design and implementation of the network. The conferences were a success for FirstNet thanks in no small part to Sheriff Stanek, PSAC Chair Chief (Ret.) Harlin McEwen, NSA representative to the PSAC Sheriff (Ret.) Larry Amerson, and Louisiana SPOC Colonel Mike Edmonson, who also attended the week’s events to stress the value of FirstNet to their law enforcement colleagues. Sheriff Stanek also discussed FirstNet at the White House with President Trump and Vice President Pence, and Harlin provided an update to the NSA’s State Sheriff’s Association Committee.

Continue reading →

ITS America Road Map Stresses Need for Spectrum, Broadband

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February 9, 2017–ITS America has released a 2017 policy road map that stresses the need to facilitate broadband deployment and spectrum sharing in the 5.9 gigahertz band “that preserves the safety and utility of” dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) systems. Policymakers should “[s]upport a technology-driven approach to spectrum sharing between Wi-Fi and DSRC that allows Wi-Fi use in the 5 GHz band, but in a way that preserves the safety and utility of DSRC without unduly burdening road users and transportation infrastructure operators,” according to the road map.

It also said that “broadband networks [should be part of] … any infrastructure legislation, including broadband funding for rural or otherwise hard-to-serve areas.” Government officials also should take steps to set the foundation for the deployment of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technology, the plan says.

“Advance a Federal standard for passenger vehicle V2V and push USDOT guidance on V2I to ensure smooth deployment of Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) by addressing vehicle interoperability, security, and privacy. Advance same standards for trucks and buses,” it said. “Establish paths for upgrading V2V and V2X standards when next generation wireless systems, such as 5G, are deployed in telecom networks over the long term, addressing same issues as above.”

The road map also stresses the need to take steps to protect new technologies from cyber attacks. “Resist uncoordinated efforts by or requests for Federal agencies to impose disparate requirements, such as a recent petition for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) security and privacy in a way that conflicts with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) activity,” it said. Continue reading →

Public Safety, Industry Disagree on Text-to-911 Demarcation Point

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February 9, 2017–Public safety and industry entities disagree on the demarcation point for text-to-911 offerings between wireless carriers and next-generation 911 (NG-911) systems. Comments were filed at the FCC in PS dockets 11-153 and 10-255 in response to a public notice issued last month by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau seeking views on a request by the Maine Public Utilities Commission “for assistance in resolving a conflict related to the implementation of text-to-911 via message session relay protocol (MSRP) service” (TRDaily, Jan. 9).

Specifically, the bureau noted, the PUC is seeking clarification regarding the demarcation point for text-to-911 between wireless providers and Maine’s NG-911 system. Maine said that it implemented an interim text-to-911 solution at two of the state’s public safety answering points (PSAPs), relying on TTYs (teletypewriters), and that following statewide deployment of an NG-911 system, it received conflicting migration price proposals from text control centers (TCCs).

The PUC told the FCC that “the root cause” of the pricing dispute “appears to be the point of demarcation between carriers and Maine’s Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet).” Whereas Maine believes that “the point of demarcation should be at the ingress designated by the Session Border Controller (SBC) of the State of Maine ESInet,” it told the FCC that the TCCs, “acting on behalf of wireless carriers, argue that the point of demarcation should be the egress side of the SBC used by the TCCs. Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, February 9, 2017

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FirstNet Applications: Two weeks ago I wrote about the FirstNet network, then last week I wrote about the devices Public Safety will be using or could be using on the FirstNet system. Each of these posts prompted some great comments and some really good questions, all of which I tried to answer. The next piece to the puzzle is the suite of applications that will become available and will provide the types of information, data, and video services that are needed by the Public Safety community. While the applications are one of three very important elements of the network, and some say the most important part, there are still the issues of pricing for devices, pricing for service usage, the amount of data that can be used on the network, and other factors that will all need to be in place when the network becomes ready for prime time.

Applications are the focus of this week’s Advocate but with the caveat that my data sets for both the network and devices are stronger than my data set for applications. Therefore, I will not try to identify the “killer” applications for law enforcement, fire, EMS, inspections, and other field duties, but I will say that applications in all of these categories and more are needed. What I will do is try to provide some insight into the way the applications might be developed and how to have them integrated into the field to provide effective results.

Many departments already have experience with software applications in the field but in most cases it is dispatch to Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) in a vehicle rather than to a person in the field. Data has been used by Public Safety for a long time. Motorola, MDI, and others offered data devices and services over LMR channels, Panasonic started building wireless data modems into its Toughbooks in the 1990s, and we were working with Public Safety agencies that were making use of RAM Mobile Data, ARDIS, and Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), which AT&T, Bell Atlantic, New England Bell, GTE Mobile Net, and others were pushing (and later Verizon as it rolled up some of the baby bells and others). Data rates were available from 8 Kbps to 19.2 Kbps and departments were using data to send out additional information on dispatched calls and to run license plates and people through the databases. Continue reading →

Company Still Waiting for 900 MHz NOI

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pdvWireless, Inc., said today that a change in the FCC’s leadership has caused a delay in the agency’s adoption of a draft notice of inquiry that was circulated last September seeking views on a 900 megahertz band petition for rulemaking filed by pdvWireless, and the Enterprise Wireless Alliance and another one submitted by M2M Spectrum Networks LLC (TRDaily, Sept. 16, 2016).

Courtesy TRDaily

 

Carrier Seeks 911 Waiver

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February 6, 2017–Alaska-based Cordova Wireless Communications LLC is seeking a waiver of an FCC indoor 911 location accuracy order, “including the various reporting requirements, because the Public Safety Answering Point (‘PSAP’) served by Cordova currently is incapable of receiving and using indoor location data and Phase II Enhanced 911 (‘E911’) location data. Accordingly, Cordova requests a temporary waiver of the Commission’s indoor accuracy provision and reporting rules up to and until the PSAP served by Cordova is capable of receiving and using Phase II E911 location data.” The carrier filed the waiver request in PS docket 07-114 on Feb. 3.

Courtesy TRDaily

 

NCTA, Qualcomm, Broadcom Say Analysis Validates 5.9 GHz Sharing

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February 3, 2017–NCTA, Qualcomm, Inc., and Broadcom Ltd. today submitted a technical submission to the FCC that they say validates a proposal to rechannelize the 5.9 gigahertz band to enable sharing between dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) and Wi-Fi applications. They also blasted automaker support of an alternative detect-and-avoid sharing mechanism as a “prevent-defense strategy that slowed the previous Commission.”

“In developing the rechannelization proposal, we have adopted a practical approach. All of our companies are fully committed to not causing harmful interference to latency-sensitive, safety-critical services, and we stand ready to continue applying our technical resources and expertise to ensuring that rechannelization succeeds,” the filing in ET docket 13-49 said. “We therefore welcome the opportunity to address automakers’ questions and concerns, some of which appear to rest on misunderstandings of the rechannelization approach, and to work with the Commission to resolve any issues it identifies in the testing process. Continue reading →