Month: November 2017

Vermont Commission Recommends State Opt into FirstNet

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The Vermont Public Safety Broadband Network Commission voted today to recommend that Gov. Phil Scott (R.) opt into the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) system. “The commission’s focus has remained on ensuring the best service and coverage for our public safety community,” said commission Chair Terry LaValley, who is the state’s FirstNet single point of contact (SPOC). “The establishment of a single, interoperable network for public safety nationwide means Vermont’s first responders will have access to a reliable, highly secure and technologically robust cellular network. The commission believes taking full advantage of the federal solution, rather than partnering to build our own network, will best serve the long-term needs of Vermont public safety.”

“This recommendation comes after a lot of careful work on the part of the commission,” said Mr. LaValley. “The commission critically reviewed the draft and final proposals submitted by FirstNet/AT&T and worked with their representatives for specific coverage improvements. The commission also secured the services of an independent consultant, Televate, to conduct a technical review of the plan and considered opt-out proposals submitted through a competitive RFP process. Our ongoing contact with the first responder community helped shape the commission’s coverage objectives outlined in Vermont’s formal data submissions to FirstNet.” Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 18, 2017

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Unanswered Questions

Last week I attended and moderated a panel at the IWCE LTE Communications forum in Dallas. The event was well attended, the panel sessions were very good and informative, and I was able to meet and spend time with more Advocate readers and others. All in all, it was a good trip and well worth it. However, during the forum I asked two questions and neither was answered to everyone’s satisfaction. The answers were vague and did not address what I consider to be the current needs of the public safety community.

The first question had to do with why, after all this time, 5G will still be asynchronous (faster from the cell site to the device than from the device to the cell site). The second question concerned open standards and the ability for public safety agencies to make use of Push-To-Talk (PTT) applications they currently use or want to use. The questions were asked during different panels but the answers were similar and what I consider to be non-answers. During one of the breaks I was approached by a number of people who said they had the same questions and the responses they heard did not provide them with any real answers.

Based on the responses I received and the other attendees’ expressions of frustrations, I decided I would highlight these questions and discuss why the responses do not address the communications needs of the public safety community today. Both responses dealt with things becoming better sometime in the future (unspecified how long). Also in both cases, it was clear that no one is considering near-term solutions to help with day-to-day operations of the public safety community. Even after the final standards are published, there will have to be some tweaks to make today’s solutions compatible.  Read the Entire Blog Here Continue reading →

Justice Department Asks Court to Reject FoIA FirstNet Lawsui

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The Justice Department has asked a U.S. District Court judge in Vermont to dismiss six counts in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed against the Commerce Department related to the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and wants summary judgment on 12 other counts.

The suit (“Stephen Whitaker and David Gram v. Department of Commerce,” case 5:17-cv-192) was filed in the U.S. District Court in Vermont last month by Stephen Whitaker, a Vermont resident and government accountability advocate, and David Gram, a former Associated Press reporter who now works for “VTDigger,” a non-profit web-based publication that is a project of the Vermont Journalism Trust (TR Daily, Oct. 6). It seeks status as a class action on behalf of everyone who has filed a FoIA request since 2012 but saw it rejected on the grounds that FirstNet is not subject to FoIA.

Since filing the suit, the plaintiffs have filed a motion for partial summary judgment for two of the 18 counts “on the grounds that no genuine issue as to any material fact exists and Plaintiffs are entitled to judgment as a matter of law” (TR Daily, Oct. 30). Continue reading →

North Carolina Opts into FirstNet

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North Carolina today became the 30th state to opt in to the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), in addition to two territories. North Carolina, which had issued a request for proposals (RFP) for an alternative plan, is the latest state to opt in. “We must do all we can to make sure North Carolina is ready to respond to emergencies and keep the public safe,” said Gov. Roy Cooper (D.). “Communication is key in times of crisis and this technology can help strengthen public safety by keeping our first responders connected.”

“As a former firefighter, I am excited about the opportunity that the FirstNet project brings to North Carolina’s responders,” said Red Grasso, the FirstNet single point of contact (SPOC) for North Carolina and deputy director of FirstNetNC in the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. “FirstNet is putting public safety in the forefront of technology innovation and though it will not replace two-way radios, it will start to bring data connectivity to the same level of service.”

“Governor Cooper’s decision to make FirstNet services available in his state demonstrates his strong commitment to public safety,” said FirstNet Chief Executive Officer Mike Poth. “We look forward to continuing to work with North Carolina’s first responders to help ensure they receive access to the sustainable, cutting-edge network they need to connect local, state, tribal and federal first responders across the Tarheel State.” Continue reading →

Vermont Senators, Congressman Press FirstNet

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Sens. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D., Vt.) wrote First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Chief Executive Officer Mike Poth today asking him for more information on the network. “While we fully understand that the opt-in/opt-out decision rests solely with the state of Vermont, we have heard concerns from some constituents, including from some first responders themselves,” the lawmakers said.

They asked Mr. Poth to commit to ensuring that questions from the state’s Public Safety Broadband Network Commission are addressed, noting that it wrote FirstNet earlier this month “with a proposed list of sites that could be built-out to significantly improve network coverage throughout the state.”

They also said the state and residents “have raised concerns that the current coverage plan is inadequate to meet Vermont’s basic needs” and they asked FirstNet to “provide Vermont’s first responders with maps showing detailed signals levels” and inquired what recourse the state would have if AT&T, Inc., FirstNet’s network partner, fails to deliver the promised coverage. In particular, they asked about penalties that AT&T would face.

The lawmakers also asked what penalties AT&T would have to pay for failing to sign up enough subscribers and asked if those funds would “be returned specifically to Vermont for reinvestment to improve the network?”

They also asked if AT&T would provide “reliable pricing and rate information” and whether FirstNet would work with Vermont if it opts out. —Paul Kirby, paul.kirby@wolterskluwer.com

Courtesy TRDaily

 

 

FCC Approves NEAD Privacy and Security Plan

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The FCC released a memorandum opinion and order today approving the privacy and security plan that the wireless industry submitted to the FCC in February for the National Emergency Address Database (NEAD) (TR Daily, Feb. 6), which was created pursuant to indoor 911 location-accuracy rules adopted by the Commission in 2015 (TR Daily, Jan. 29, 2015).

The nation’s four national wireless carriers — Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Inc., Sprint Corp., and T-Mobile US, Inc., — along with NEAD LLC, a non-profit entity established by CTIA to administer the NEAD, submitted the required NEAD privacy and security plan in PS docket 07-114.

“Based on our review of the Plan and the comment record, we find that the Plan meets the requirements of the Indoor Location Fourth Report and Order and includes sufficient provisions to safeguard the privacy, security, and resiliency of the NEAD when it is launched,” the FCC said in the order released today. “Moreover, we agree with CDT’s [the Center for Democracy & Technology] prediction that prohibiting the use of the NEAD and associated data for non-E911 purposes will help maintain public trust in the NEAD and will, in turn, help the NEAD succeed as a means of deriving dispatchable location. We therefore approve the Plan and find that it fulfills the precondition established by the Commission in the Indoor Location Fourth Report and Order for activation of the NEAD. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the Plan by the National Carriers and the NEAD, LLC, and reserve the right to take ‘additional measures to protect the privacy, security, and resiliency of the NEAD and any associated data’ should the Plan not be adhered to by the parties.” Continue reading →

NARUC Adopts Resolution to Improve Direct Dialing of 911

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BALTIMORE — The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Board of Directors today adopted a resolution addressing E911 access and enterprise communications systems during its 2017 annual meeting and education conference being held here this week.

It was the only resolution that was advanced by NARUC’s Committee on Telecommunications this week. Two other proposed resolutions — dealing with the federal Lifeline fund — were withdrawn and were not considered by the committee or the board.

The passed resolution aims to ensure that direct dialing for 911 can move forward. The adopted resolution supports federal and state actions to require enterprise communications systems (ECS) manufacturers, installers, and operators “to design and configure ECS to allow direct dialing of 911, route 911 calls to the proper PSAP regardless of the particular location of the extension used to call 911, provide the PSAP with location information specific and accurate enough for first responders to locate the caller, and to support on-site notification.”

The resolution (TC-1), which was sponsored by Commissioner Wendy Moser of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, states that “consistency, uniformity, and ubiquity of service is highly desirable in the dialing of 911” and that “voluntary efforts among ECS manufacturers, installers, and operators are laudable but may leave many 911 callers vulnerable.” Continue reading →

Entities Disagree on WRC-19 Positions

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A number of parties have weighed in on proposals and preliminary views approved recently by the FCC’s World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee (WRC-19), including proposals for which informal working groups couldn’t reach a consensus (TR Daily, Oct. 30).

For example, the Wi-Fi Alliance submitted comments in IB docket 16-185 endorsing View A of a draft proposal for agenda item 9.1, issue 9.1.5, related to the protection of radar systems in the 5 gigahertz band.

“Wi-Fi’s ability to deliver broadband connectivity and the associated socioeconomic benefits depend on spectrum access, which would be significantly undermined if the proposal included in WAC/047-View B is adopted by the U.S. for WRC-19,” the alliance argued. “At a minimum, this proposal would create a highly unstable and precarious regulatory environment for existing and future Wi-Fi operations in US and worldwide – stifling industry’s innovation, investment and development. Wi-Fi Alliance remains committed to finding workable regulatory solutions to protect radar systems in the 5 GHz band. Once these solutions are developed, there will be an opportunity to properly address protection of radar systems at the appropriate World Radiocommunication Conference. Until then, however, it is inappropriate to impose regulatory requirements that, by everyone’s admission, cannot be implemented. In the absence of a current regulatory solution, Wi-Fi Alliance urges adoption of the proposal included in WAC/047-View A.”

But Raytheon Company said it “supports View B as striking an appropriate balance between the interests of existing and future unlicensed Wireless Access Systems (‘WAS’), including Radio Local Area Networks (‘RLANs’) operations, and primary licensed radar (radiolocation and radiodetermination) operations as they have progressed and continue to evolve in the 5250-5350 and 5470-5725 MHz bands.”

Another agenda item for which there was not consensus is agenda item 1.8, which deals with the consideration of regulatory actions to support Global Maritime Distress Safety Systems (GMDSS) modernization and the introduction of additional GMDSS satellite systems.

“The Commission should support the recommendations in View A of WAC/039. The View A proposal on WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.8 is more encompassing than the View B proposal, and will provide flexibility in negotiating a regional WRC-19 proposal on this matter with our partners in CITEL,” said Iridium Communications, Inc.

But Ligado Networks Subsidiary LLC said that “View A proposes changes to the ITU Radio Regulations but omits language necessary to make the intended impact of those changes clear with respect to portions of the Big LEO band. Consequently, the View A approach creates uncertainty and invites future disputes. In contrast, View B proposes changes that achieve similar objectives, but does so in a manner that appropriately limits the impact of those changes with respect to the Big LEO band, avoiding unnecessary ambiguities in the application of the relevant rules. Because this approach would achieve the stated objectives of both draft proposals more precisely and more effectively, Ligado urges the Commission to endorse View B.”

Proposals and views on other agenda items also drew comments.

For example, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council submitted views on agenda item 1.3, “involving potentially upgrading satellite overlay operations in the 460-470 MHz band from secondary to co-primary status with respect to terrestrial land-based operations. As noted in the NTIA Draft Preliminary Views for WRC-19 which accompany the Public Notice, this proposal has the potential to adversely impact land mobile operations in the band, including public safety operations. NPSTC is concerned that the caveats and testing proposed by NTIA will become diminished through the overall WRC negotiation process. Also, any future U.S. testing should include the public safety community.”- Paul Kirby, paul.kirby@wolterskluwer.com

Courtesy TRDaily

NARUC Telecom Committee Advances E911 Resolution

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BALTIMORE – The Telecommunications Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) today unanimously passed a resolution addressing enhanced 911 (E911) access and enterprise communications systems during its 2017 annual meeting and education conference being held here this week.

Two other proposed resolutions – dealing with the federal Lifeline fund – were withdrawn and were not considered by the committee today.

The passed resolution aims to ensure that direct dialing for 911 can move forward. The proposed resolution supports federal and state actions to require enterprise communications systems (ECS) manufacturers, installers, and operators “to design and configure ECS to allow direct dialing of 911, route 911 calls to the proper PSAP regardless of the particular location of the extension used to call 911, provide the PSAP with location information accurate enough for first responders to locate the caller, and to support on-site notification.”

The resolution (TC-1), which is sponsored by Commissioner Wendy Moser of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, states that “consistency, uniformity, and ubiquity of service is highly desirable in the dialing of 911” and that “voluntary efforts among ECS manufacturers, installers, and operators are laudable but may leave many 911 callers vulnerable.” Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 10, 2017

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FirstNet’s Competition. The law that created FirstNet is very clear when it comes to states and territories opting in or out of FirstNet. There are two ways to opt in: The governor of the state or territory decides to opt in by the December 28, 2017 deadline, or the governor simply does nothing in which case the opt in for that state is automatic. Opting out requires the state to provide the FCC, within 180 days, a plan demonstrating that the Radio Access Network (RAN), the only portion of the network authorized by law for states to build on their own, will be 100-percent compatible with the FirstNet network. The state will then negotiate a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for some of the network. As a final step, there must be a spectrum lease agreement between the state and FirstNet. All of this is called out in the law Congress passed in 2012. These are not conditions imposed by FirstNet.

Now if a state opts out, the FirstNet mandate is that the radio access network provided by the state or its vendor must be connected to the FirstNet core when public safety users populate the FirstNet network. FirstNet has also said that secondary users may, in fact, be routed to a different core located within the state or operated by the vendor. Again, ALL public safety traffic is to be routed to the FirstNet core. This makes sense when you understand this is to be a nationwide network sharing resources and applications that is usable across the entire nation.

Once a state has opted in there are no additional federal rules that impact public safety agencies within the state. Each agency has the option to join the FirstNet system, with its existing broadband provider, or to not use any broadband services. This local level is the area in which competition is occurring. Verizon has said it will actively seek to keep its existing public safety customers and to add more customers. It is also trying to obtain permission to host its own public safety core. Both FirstNet and AT&T are opposed to this with good reason. Having multiple standalone cores does not lend itself to fulfilling the goal of full interoperability this network was envisioned to provide. I have been told by experts in the field that if the cores are connected to each other the overall system will be more difficult to secure from a cybersecurity perspective, which is high on the list of network priorities.  Read the Entire Blog here Continue reading →