Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, May 30, 2019

Posted by npstc

Month-End Miscellany. The first order of business this week is to give a shout out on behalf of all those who have given their lives for our freedom, military and first responders alike. I wish it was not necessary, but they did make the ultimate sacrifice for us, so this week especially, it is time to stop what we are doing, even if only for a few moments, and give thanks for each and every one of them.

Next, I want to give a shout out to all the first responders and scores of volunteers assisting them in what seems to be a never-ending series of tornadoes and floods across much of this nation. I have watched reports of numerous water rescues and UAV (drone) views of utter devastation from tornadoes. In the years I spent in the Cincinnati area working for General Electric Mobile Radio, I remember all too well the day the area was hit with more than seventeen tornadoes. My car, a new car GE leased for me, was parked in front of a GE two-way radio dealer. When we came out, it looked like it had been hit by rocks, not hail.

I reported to my fire department and my amateur radio net and proceeded to work for the next few days trying to find survivors. It was an experience I will never forget. Those in the Midwest are dealing with far too many similar situations. I only hope there is a break for them in the near future. Read the Entire Column Here.

Here are the articles I have selected with the help of Discovery Patterns artificial intelligence

Critics dismiss new FCC report showing increased broadband access

Technology May 30 08:18

TheÂ Federal CommunicationsÂ CommissionÂ (FCC) on WednesdayÂ released a report showingÂ the number of Americans with access to high-speed broadband has increased in recent years, figures that were dismissed by the commission’s…

Democrats criticize FCC broadband report – CNET

CNET: Apple May 29 17:01

Republicans say the digital divide is narrowing. Democrats say that’s news to the 21 million Americans who still don’t have it.

T-Mobile’s 5G network makes early appearance in New York

CNET May 29 16:45

AT&T, Verizon and Sprint have all either launched or are about to launch their respective 5G networks. One carrier that has been quiet, however, …

DHS Awards Phase 2 LMR/LTE Interworking Contract to Catalyst

RadioResource Media Group May 29 16:00

When the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) deploys the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN), the need for a feasible …

FCC’s broadband deployment report called ‘fundamentally at odds with reality’

TechCrunch May 29 15:03

The FCC has officially issued this year’s Broadband Deployment Report, summarizing the extent to which the agency and industry have closed the digital divide in this country. But one Commissioner is not fooled: “The rosy picture the report paints about the status of broadband deployment is fundamentally at odds with reality,” said Geoffrey Starks in a lengthy dissenting statement.

The FCC’s Second 5G Spectrum Auction Ends With Bid Topping $2B

Light Reading May 29 14:45

The FCC has completed its second-ever high-band 5G auction, in the 24GHz band, pulling in over $2 billion in bids. The auction raised 2,024,268,941 …

Sprint’s Campbell: 5G Is Getting Real – Now What?

Light Reading May 23 06:30

Sprint’s mobile 5G launch could happen in the next few days. But the real question is what the industry will do with 5G once it launches.

Analog Devices Announces Breakthrough Solution to Accelerate mmWave 5G Wireless Network …

Investor Relations – Analog Devices May 30 10:00

NORWOOD, Mass. –(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 30, 2019– Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), the industry leader in RF and Microwave technology and system …

Should you buy a 5G phone in 2019?

Android Central May 30 09:45

The networks are small and inconsistent, and you have to choose a phone specifically to get 5G. They’re expensive, and aren’t the best phones …

Verizon Teases 5G in NYC in the ‘Very Near Future’

PCMag.com May 30 09:45

Verizon’s 5G network launched in downtown Chicago and Minneapolis in early April, and it’s stayed in Chicago …

Motorola just unveiled the $499 Moto Z4 with 2-day battery life and upgradeable 5G

Boy Genius Report May 30 09:45

The cat was let out of the bag a little early regarding Motorola’s new Moto Z4, the $499 handset the company officially unveiled this morning — and which Amazon mistakenly sold to a user two days before we were supposed to, er, know it existed. Nevertheless, it’s here now — or, rather, it will be soon, as it hits Verizon in the US two weeks from today. In keeping with past Z flagships, Verizon has got the exclusive stateside, and as with the announcement of the Moto Z3 as the world’s first “5G

Microsoft hints at a “modern OS” for the 5G age

IT PRO May 30 08:15

Microsoft hints at a “modern OS” for the 5G age …

Lenovo Launches World’s 1st 5G Laptop Powered With Snapdragon; Mediatek’s Helio M70 Is 5G …

Trak.in May 30 07:35

This most powerful 5G SoC announcement was made at the Computex Event held …

Gogo is building a 5G network for aviation

ZDNet May 29 16:45

In-flight WiFi provider Gogo said it will launch a 5G network for business and commercial aviation in 2021. The air-to-ground network will be built on …

5G on EE: The phones, the speeds, the prices and everything you need to know

Pocket-lint.com May 29 16:10

There will be a range of handsets on offer, with a range of deals and offers to get you into the next-gen mobile phone service. Here’s everything you …

SoftBank picks Nokia solution for commercial 5G offering

iTWire May 29 15:45

Japanese telecommunications company SoftBank has selected Nokia’s AirScale solution for its commercial 5G offering in both centralised and …

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, May 16, 2019

Posted by npstc

Hurricanes and Other Disasters. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, 2019, and a number of agencies and organizations are formulating their predictions about the potential severity of the upcoming season. For example, the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project Team has predicted a slightly below average Atlantic hurricane season, forecasting thirteen named storms and five hurricanes. The National Weather Service defines a hurricane as “a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 MPH or higher” and major hurricanes as class 3 or higher storms.

It is interesting to read the various projections. Several, like the one above, call for a lighter storm season but some are predicting we could have more and more damaging storms this year. We won’t know until it is over, but we do know we need to be prepared for these storms if we live in the Eastern region of the United States. We also need to continue to be prepared for the types of storms that have been racking the Midwest and the fire season on the West Coast that now runs all year long.

With the likelihood of so many disasters, public safety resources can become strained. Communications, of course, is key to being able to position resources where they are most needed and to coordinate activities which, during disasters, are highly focused on saving lives, then property, and protecting first responders’ personal safety. For many years, only Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems have been capable of providing communications needed in the field. However, there are shortcomings inherent with LMR systems. While they work well, some are not fully hardened to remain operational during most disasters. The most significant problem is that local, state, or federal agencies called in to assist bring their own LMR communications capabilities and these are not usually compatible with LMR services of others at the incident.

Read the Entire Column Here

Here are the articles I have selected with the help of Discovery Patterns artificial intelligence

FCC’s Pai Focuses on Broadband, Phone, Spectrum in Hill Testimony

Multichannel News May 16 10:20

FCC’s Pai Focuses on Broadband, Phone, Spectrum in Hill Testimony …

EU picks 26GHz for 5G millimeter wave, requires support by end of 2020

TAtech May 16 10:00

Millimeter wave spectrum is expected to be critical in deploying the highest speed and lowest latency 5G wireless services, but its prior use in …

Huawei Pinned in Eye of Trade War Storm as Trump Blacklists 5G Networking Giant

TheStreet.com May 16 06:40

President Donald Trump’s decision to ban China’s Huawei Technologies from dealing with U.S. companies drew sharp criticism from political leaders …

AT&T and San Jos join forces to close digital divide

SmartCitiesWorld May 15 14:55

FirstNet built with AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority is a nationwide communications platform dedicated to public safety.

FCC overcoming workforce, regulatory challenges to 5G implementation

Federal News Network May 15 13:00

The Federal Communications Commission is trying to lay the groundwork for 5G, but the logistics for an infrastructure push on that scale can be …

Apple will take years to build a 5G modem

Fudzilla May 16 10:00

According to The Information Apple’s attempt to replace Qualcomm on 5G modems proved to be a nightmare for the company starting in 2017.

Japan Plans To Create 10 Billion 14-Digit Phone Numbers as 5G Era Nears

Slashdot: Mobile May 16 06:20

Japan’s communications ministry plans to create for assignment some 10 billion 14-digit phone numbers starting with the code “020.” From a report: …

NIST’s Small Business Cybersecurity Corner

Kraft Technology Group May 16 05:15

Cybersecurity is complicated and small businesses have a hard time keeping up with it. They can’t …

TCCA’s 21st CCW Event Set to Bring the Critical Communications World Together in Kuala Lumpur

The Critical Communications Review May 16 05:00

… that are in the process of or are planning to start their journey from narrowband, voice-centric critical communications to the broadband era.

T-Mobile-Sprint Merger Will Bring Underserved Californians Into The 5G Future Faster

Lasentinel May 16 04:25

T-Mobile-Sprint Merger Will Bring Underserved Californians Into The 5G Future …

SK Telecom, Microsoft ink deal to cooperate on AI, cloud and 5G

Enterprise IoT Insights May 15 15:00

Under the terms of the agreement, SK Telecom and Microsoft will combine their technological capabilities in areas such as 5G, AI and cloud to jointly …

European Commission to harmonize 26 GHz band for 5G deployments

RCR Wireless News May 15 15:00

The decision finalizes the EU-wide coordination of all three pioneer bands (700 MHz, 3.6 GHz and 26 GHz) needed for 5G rollout in the member states …

5G Is a Big Deal But Revolutionary? I Think Not

SDxCentral May 15 15:00

The telecom industry is more exciting than it’s been for years, and 5G is a …

Apple’s In-House 5G Modem Not Expected Until 2025

Motley Fool May 15 14:50

The company’s legal saga against Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) came to an …

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Launches in UK on 7th June

HEXUS May 15 14:45

This new device offers smooth transitions across networks to ensure an unparalleled mobile experience while streaming video, playing games, …

Connected Vehicles Race Toward A 5G Future

pymnts.com May 15 14:15

Exactly how 5G will work with connected vehicles is still largely the stuff of informed …

Orion Labs Inc. and Geoverse Announce Strategic Collaboration Agreement to Deliver Enterprise …

SYS-CON Media May 15 13:10

Working together, I see our evolution to 5G as a collaboration that will help make …

Huawei ‘to go extra mile’ to reassure world on 5G spying

Sky News May 15 13:10

A senior figure at Huawei in the UK has told Sky News it is willing to go the “extra mile” to reassure countries its technology poses no security threat.

FCC’s PSHSB Publishes: October 2018 Hurricane Michael’s Impact on Communications: Preparation, Effect, and Recovery

Posted by npstc

Read complete report here: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-releases-report-communication-impacts-hurricane-michael

Executive Summary: Hurricane Michael, one of the most powerful storms to make landfall in the United States, inflicted billions of dollars in damage and resulted in the loss of dozens of lives on the American mainland.[1] It is estimated the hurricane caused over $25 billion in damages ^[2] and resulted in 57 known deaths.^[3] The storm had significant effects on communications, and also adversely affected other critical sectors including transportation, power, food and agriculture.

The storm cut a path from the Gulf Coast, up through the Panhandle, continuing into Georgia and the Carolinas, before veering off into the Atlantic just south of the Chesapeake Bay. Communications in many areas in Georgia, Alabama, and most of Florida were mildly affected by the hurricane. In these areas, communications providers rebounded within 48 hours after Hurricane Michael made landfall on October 10, 2018. In other areas, particularly the Florida Panhandle, the effects were more pronounced. Specifically, wireless subscribers in Bay and Gulf Counties had limited service for over a week.[4]

The Bureau undertook an inquiry into what went right, and what went wrong, on various communications platforms in the areas affected by the storm. While the Bureau invited comments from all sectors of the communications industry (e.g., broadcasting, cable, wireline, satellite),[5] it was most particularly interested in the experience of mobile wireless communications. Initial reports, both in the news media and in conversations between Commission staff and representatives of the mobile wireless industry, indicated that there were, in some instances, significant lapses in consumer connectivity. The Bureau sought to understand why and how those lapses occurred, and what could be done in the future to minimize such lapses. This Report presents the Bureau’s findings and recommendations. Because the initial belief that the mobile wireless communications industry was particularly affected was borne out by outage data, the Report places special emphasis on wireless service performance before, during, and after Hurricane Michael, with an emphasis on hardest-hit Bay and Gulf Counties in Florida.

Hurricane Michael demonstrated starkly how some wireless providers in the Florida Panhandle were able to rebound from this devastating storm through foresight and appropriate planning, while others stalled in their efforts to restore full service. Some providers, working in the same area and facing the same challenges as others, were back in service considerably sooner than others.[6]

The poor level of service several days after landfall by some wireless providers cannot simply be attributed to unforeseeable circumstances specific to those providers. A lack of coordination and cooperation between certain wireless service providers on the one hand, and utilities and debris clearance crews on the other, unnecessarily prolonged critical backhaul repairs and full restoration of functioning wireless service. The Bureau learned of numerous cases in which a wireless provider had restored service to customers only to have that service brought down as third-party crews damaged communications assets while clearing trash or restoring power lines and utility poles. Such lack of coordination among wireless providers, utilities, and debris clearance crews unnecessarily prolonged the time customers lacked service.

The Bureau finds that three key factors – insufficiently resilient backhaul connectivity, inadequate reciprocal roaming arrangements, and lack of coordination between wireless service providers, power crews, and municipalities – were the predominant causes of the unacceptable lack of service. The Bureau further concludes that a lack of coordination and cooperation among wireless providers themselves (exacerbated by inadequate roaming arrangements) inhibited their ability to increase service availability via roaming. Some providers appear not to have comported with the Wireless Resiliency Cooperative Framework (Framework), the voluntary commitment that several nationwide service providers proposed and committed to abide by in 2016. Specifically, it appears that some wireless providers demurred from seeking assistance from potential roaming partners and, therefore, remained inoperable.

We note that certain findings in this Report are based on information submitted in the Commission’s Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), a voluntary web-based system allowing providers to report communications infrastructure status and situational awareness information during times of crises, or information discovered as a result of communications with providers about those filings.[7] Because information submitted in DIRS is sensitive, for national security and/or commercial reasons, DIRS filings are treated as presumptively confidential.[8] Accordingly, the Report protects identifying information from disclosure where necessary to preserve DIRS confidentiality.

[1] National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Assessing the U.S. Climate in 2018 (2019), https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201812.

[2] Id.

[3] Olivia Michael, Hurricane Michael death toll continues to rise (Jan. 11, 2019), https://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Hurricane-Michael-death-toll-continues-to-rise-504241911.html.

[4] Patricia Sullivan, Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, & Annie Gowen, “It’s All Gone”: Tiny Florida town nearly swept away by Hurricane Michael, Washington Post, Oct. 12, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/its-all-gone-tiny-florida-beach-town-nearly-swept-away-by-hurricane-michael/2018/10/12/f1a110c0-ce56-11e8-a3e6-44daa3d35ede_story.html. Bay and Gulf Counties are located directly on the Gulf Coast where the storm first made landfall. Bay County is home to Panama City as well as Mexico Beach, which sustained extreme damage from the hurricane.

[5] See Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Seeks Comment on Hurricane Michael Preparation and Response, Public Notice, PS Docket No. 18-339, 33 FCC Rcd 11239 (2018) (Public Notice).

[6] The storm was the most intense storm to make landfall on Florida, the third most intense hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States, and the fourth most intense storm to make landfall based on windspeed. National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Assessing the U.S. Climate in 2018 (2019), https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201812.

[7] See The FCC’s Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau Launches Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), Public Notice, 22 FCC Rcd 16757 (PSHSB 2007) (DIRS Public Notice).

[8] DIRS Public Notice, 22 FCC Rcd at 16758.

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, May 9, 2019

Posted by npstc

Feds, States in Rural Broadband Push. I recently saw a posting on Twitter from the governor of South Dakota announcing her state is requesting proposals to cover “all corners” of the state with broadband. By the time I saw the announcement, the time period for submitting proposals had passed but it started me thinking once again about rural broadband and FirstNet (Built with AT&T).

We all should know that when FirstNet was created by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the then President in February of 2012, one requirement called for the FirstNet organization to provide coverage to public safety agencies in rural America. When FirstNet the Authority issued its Request for Proposal (RFP), it stated that Band 14, the public safety broadband spectrum, was to be built out in metro and rural areas essentially at the same time. This was to ensure the winning bidder did not build out Band 14 only in metro areas where it could resell unused spectrum to recoup its costs and that Band 14 would be built out everywhere.

As it turned out, AT&T won the RFP and is not only building out Band 14 public safety, it is providing full pre-emptive access for public safety to all AT&T LTE spectrum. As we continue to conduct our drive tests and follow the build-out, it is clear this mandate is being followed by FirstNet (Built with AT&T). However, where Band 14 is available in rural areas, two things are being missed by those offering grants and loans to various organizations wanting to build out rural broadband.

As I have stated before, the number of different grants from different agencies within the federal government is staggering and they are all different. Some are outright grants, some are low-interest loans, and some are a mixture of the two. The grant applications are all different and most do not provide any ongoing funding for continued operation of the broadband services once the build has been completed. To my way of thinking, another issue is that many of these grants focus only on fiber to the business, house, or farm. Repeating myself, farmers would rather have wireless broadband covering their fields so they can continue to automate their machines and other devices. Read the Entire Column Here .

Here are the articles I have selected with the help of Discovery Patterns artificial intelligence

FirstNet surpasses 600K connections

RCR Wireless News May 7 12:55

AT&T executives have credited the FirstNet build-out with recent improvements in network performance rankings. CEO Randall Stephenson also said …

More than 600000 connections made under FirstNet platform

Homeland Preparedness News May 8 17:20

More than 600,000 devices used by more than 7,250 public-safety agencies have connected to the FirstNet communications platform. FirstNet is …

Pai Lays Out Plans for New Spectrum Auction, 5G Rollout

TV Technology May 8 15:25

In addition, Pai spoke as to why the FCC denied China Mobile USA’s application to provide international telecommunication services in the U.S., citing …

FCC Drone/Unmanned Aircraft Systems Policy

FC Cincinnati May 8 13:15

In the interest of public safety, privacy and security, please be advised that FCC prohibits any unauthorized media and/or individuals from operating …

CBRS Getting Closer; 800 MHz EB/GB Coordination Update; NIST Privacy Framework; Rural …

Lexology May 7 10:20

CBRS Getting Closer. On May 1 the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) concluded its testing stage of five Spectrum …

AT and T Adds IP Access to FirstNet Dealer Program

MissionCritical May 7 10:05

IP Access International joined AT&T’s First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Dealer Program. As a FirstNet dealer, IP Access International can now sell FirstNet services to eligible public-safety customers. read more

FirstNet Association Changes Name

MissionCritical May 7 10:05

The FirstNet Association changed its name to the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association (PSBTA) to avoid confusion between the association and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). read more

GD e-Bridge Telemedicine App FirstNet Listed in App Catalog

MissionCritical May 2 10:05

General Devices (GD) announced that its GD e-Bridge application is now certified First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Listed and available via the FirstNet App Catalog. read more

May 1 Deadline for WEA Improvements

MissionCritical May 2 10:05

The FCC reminded commercial mobile service providers participating in wireless emergency alerts (WEA) of their obligations beginning May 1. The carriers must now support longer WEA messages, from 90 to 360 characters, for 4G and future networks and support a new class of alerts, called public-safety messages, to convey recommended actions for saving lives or property. read more

KT, Samsung to expand public safety LTE network coverage in South Korea

Telecompaper May 2 08:30

In addition, the two companies will provide what they call the world’s first narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) service through the PS-LTE network.

Chinese telecom carriers to conduct massive 5G tests

NEWS-DETAIL-CCTVPLUS May 9 05:25

Various of official from China Mobile making announcement about 5G planning 4. Officials of telecom carriers at 5G exhibition 5. Official from China …

China leads 5G patent race

Chinadaily USA May 9 05:25

Chinese companies lead in global 5G patent applications with Huawei …

A retrospective look at the future of communications: Dave George

The Internet Of All Things May 9 03:25

… primarily driven by the advent of FirstNet and other LTE networks. …

DNA Finand Tests Fixed 5G Broadband Service using 3.5GHz Frequency

The Fast Mode May 9 02:45

DNA Finand said it has been testing fixed 5G broadband service in Vantaa in a residential area with detached houses using the actual 3.5GHz 5G …

Waymo CTO: 5G will be a self-driving car ‘accelerator and enabler’

VentureBeat May 9 01:25

Waymo CTO Dmitri Dolgov thinks that 5G and next-generation cellular networks will be an enabler of the company’s autonomous car fleets, he told …

FCC Commissioner O’Rielly condemns government-led wholesale 5G proposal

FierceWireless May 8 22:00

Over the last few months, various ideas have been floated about the offering of 5G wireless services via a government-sponsored network, O’Rielly …

Telus CTO: 5G is Letting Us Down

Light Reading May 8 17:15

Above all, if the edge means deploying the telco cloud and IT resources at customer premises, such as a sports stadium, then where is what Gedeon …

Service Providers Look to Enterprises for 5G ROI

Light Reading May 8 16:55

But panelists said customized enterprise services offer a greater potential for revenue from 5G. These may include wireless control of robots on factory …

NIST is preparing recommendations for power companies to protect IIoT devices

HACKER NEWS May 8 16:10

Public discussion of the project will last until June 5 of this year. The National Cyber Center of Excellence (NCCoE) of the US National Institute of …

How Smart Cities Will Be Transformed by 5G Technology

Innovation & Tech Today May 8 16:00

While this may be tolerable for consumers, dropped signals are unacceptable for the mission-critical data in smart city IoT deployments.

Virgin Mobile invites customers to experience the power 5G

Tahawul Tech May 8 13:15

Virgin Mobile has announced that it is offering its customers the chance to be amongst the first to get connected on the new 5G network via a …

Wi-Fi 6 and 5G explained

Cisco Newsroom May 8 13:00

What you need to know about the new wireless technology from Cisco’s Matt MacPherson and Greg Dorai. To learn more, check out how Wi-Fi 6 and …

Mission Critical Communications Reports: Report Says More Work Needed on Dispatchable Location Database, Public Safety Voices Concerns

Posted by npstc

Report Says More Work Needed on Dispatchable Location Database, Public Safety Voices Concerns, By Sandra Wendelken, Editor, May 7, 2019

Only 38.7% of valid test calls conducted during recent dispatchable location testing for 9-1-1 calls produced a result that meets the requirements for actionable dispatchable location as defined by Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) standards. Dispatchable location testing in the E9-1-1 Location Technologies Test Bed was conducted during the second half of 2018.

The reference point density in the National Emergency Address Database (NEAD) database is not yet at sufficient levels to assure optimum performance, according to conclusions in a report on the testing filed by CTIA with the FCC…… [ more]

The report, titled “E911 Location Test Bed Dispatchable Location Summary Report,” uses two definitions for dispatchable location, a process public-safety groups have roundly criticized.

In the report, dispatchable location level 1 (DL1) refers to “medium-level performance. DL1 indicates that the reported dispatchable location is known to the quadrant or zone of the building on the correct floor or on the floor immediately above or below the correct floor.” Dispatchable location level 2 (DL2) refers to “the highest level of performance. DL2 indicated that the report dispatchable location is known to the specific unit number.”

“DL Level 1 is not consistent with the definition in the commission’s rules and is unacceptable from a public-safety standpoint,” the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) said last year. “Furthermore, having these two definitions is likely to create confusion. NPSTC therefore urges the commission to maintain its current definition of dispatchable location, regardless of any apparent attempts by carriers to dilute that definition…..[more]

“Back in 2014 – 2015, public safety had concerns of how successful the NEAD would be, and this report does not do anything to alleviate those concerns,” NPSTC’s Goldstein said. “While the report does not say it directly, it seems that the carriers want more testing. It has been four years since the order and DL was promised as the gold standard, which replaced many of the more stringent requirements proposed by the FCC but not included in the final order based on the promise of DL.

“This makes it even more important to have the Z-axis. The carriers are relying on commercially available technologies such as Wi-Fi. It appears there are other technologies that are available be used to supplement Wi-Fi, but those may only provide the location of a caller and will cost the carriers addtional funds.”

Read complete report at Mission Critical Magazine, https://www.rrmediagroup.com/Features/FeaturesDetails/FID/920

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, May 2, 2019

Posted by npstc

FirstNet Gains, Some Throttling Broadband, More. The latest numbers are out for FirstNet (Built with AT&T) and as expected, they are really good. At the end of the first quarter of 2019, FirstNet reports its Band 14 buildout is at 53-percent of the total coverage called out in the contract. And the balance of AT&T’s LTE assets are being used daily by FirstNet customers. FirstNet also states more than 7,000 agencies representing 570,000 public safety personnel are onboard (a 33-percent growth over Q4 2018).

It seems every week in the news and on allthingsfirstnet.com there are announcements of more agencies joining FirstNet. These include Anchorage police Department, Alaska, the Navy and Marines, Brazos County, TX Sheriffs Department, Elmore County, Idaho, and more. This bodes well for FirstNet. These agencies are now recognizing the value of FirstNet when they are engaged in multi-agency incidents and rely on FirstNet as the common interoperability network during the event. This is precisely what public safety sought when it went to Congress to carve out this broadband spectrum.

Push-To-Talk—LMR, FirstNet, and Interoperability. The vision of FirstNet was to provide a nationwide network to which all first responders could connect. It started as data and video-centric, but after FirstNet was formed by the federal government, Push-To-Talk (PTT), text, and dial-up voice were added into the mix. This, of course, makes FirstNet a perfect fit to augment Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems. As I have mentioned before, now that push-to-talk over FirstNet is available from three vendors—Motorola (Kodiak), ESChat, and Orion Labs—public safety agencies can continue to use the flavor of PTT they already use or choose to implement another PTT flavor they deem best suited for their needs. Read the Entire Column Here

Here are the articles I have selected with the help of Discovery Patterns artificial intelligence Continue reading →

National Public Safety Telecommunications Council

This Just In

Month: May 2019

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, May 30, 2019

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, May 16, 2019

FCC’s PSHSB Publishes: October 2018 Hurricane Michael’s Impact on Communications: Preparation, Effect, and Recovery

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, May 9, 2019

Mission Critical Communications Reports: Report Says More Work Needed on Dispatchable Location Database, Public Safety Voices Concerns

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, May 2, 2019