First is my recent article in Urgent Communications, “FirstNet is sending out an invite (RFP). Will anyone come?” The URL is listed in the news below. The premise of the article is that the current draft RFP is for an acquisition by the feds rather than an RFP that will entice vendors to become PARTNERS with FirstNet and spend the $25 to $40 billion needed to build and operate the network until there is a payback. The response to this article has been very favorable even from inside the federal government. I have to believe that the draft RFP will be a big item for discussion at tomorrow’s BOD meeting, not necessarily because of my article but because the vendor community is not currently responding well to the latest draft RFP. It will be interesting to see what FirstNet does between now and the end of December when the RFP is supposed to be released in its final form.
The FirstNet team is advertising for two new positions, also listed below, and continues to travel the United States and its territories holding FirstNet meetings with states, territories, and tribal nations. It still amazes me that FirstNet staff, which are truly underpaid for what they are doing, are devoting all of their efforts to working with the states so Public Safety can have the network it deserves and needs.
You will also see several articles claiming that because cell phone providers lobbied so hard the new FCC location rules, including those for vertical accuracy, have been diluted and therefore won’t be as effective as they should be. My take is that everything in Washington DC takes a long time, and while some may think the new FCC rules are weak, only requiring 50-meter accuracy. I believe the work being done by NIST, FirstNet, and many vendor companies that will be providing capabilities more accurate than the 50-meter requirement will establish the de facto standard. At some point the FCC will update its rules to reflect what can actually be accomplished. I have seen and participated in a number of location demonstrations where a device in a hotel, for example, can be located to within three rooms, and on the proper floor. I have confidence that the FCC rules will not only be met but be bettered before the three and five-year FCC deadlines. Have a Great Weekend Andy
FirstNet is sending out an invite (RFP). Will anyone come? – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts Sep 29 13:15 FirstNet’s final request for proposal (RFP) needs to structured to be friendly to commercial partner(s), because this public-safety broadband network is …
Updated FirstNet Operational Architecture would make winning bidder responsible for most functions – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts Sep 24 12:35 … FirstNet proposed an Operational Architecture outlining 615 functions the proposed public-safety nationwide broadband network should provide to …
FCC Should Make Lifeline Support Available for Mobile Broadband, Implement Specific Measures … – Competitive Carriers Association via Google Alerts Oct 1 15:25 Specifically, CCA encouraged the Commission to refrain from adopting performance standards for mobile broadband provided to Lifeline subscribers, …
NTIA Issues Federal Broadband Funding Guide – National Public Safety Telecommunications Council – NPSTC via Google Alerts Sep 29 22:40 The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has released a guide to help communities access existing federal funding for …
How to guarantee mission-critical multimedia for public-safety networks – lte-applications.com via Google Alerts Sep 29 19:55 The recent emergence of broadband public-safety networks can provide the high capacity that mission-critical multimedia applications require. In fact …
Tools for Public Safety Answering Points – Benton Foundation via Google Alerts Sep 29 19:55 These tools — emergency alerts and the FCC’s new Public Safety Support Center — can help public safety communicators carry out their lifesaving …
Half of 911 callers do not know their location – New Carlisle News via Google Alerts Sep 29 16:55 … announcements sponsored by the Ohio 9-1-1 Program Office and the Ohio Chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials.
Emergency spectrum recommendation ‘short-sighted’: Police Federation – ZDNet Sep 29 06:45 Emergency services need their own spectrum band allocated by the Australian government before they negotiate with telcos and equipment providers, according to the PFA.
FirstNet Posts Number 2 Job – National Public Safety Telecommunications Council – NPSTC via Google Alerts Sep 26 22:20 The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) today posted for job-seekers its No. 2 position, which is currently being held by TJ Kennedy.
Why do police want their own mobile broadband network? – secrets-1.com via Google Alerts Sep 25 07:10 Why do police want their own mobile broadband network? Posted on September 24, 2015 by Healing. By Josh Taylor In times of crisis, mobile …
Mobile Broadband Dedicated For Emergency Will Cost Billions – iTech Post via Google Alerts Sep 24 23:40 “Public safety agencies [PSAs] currently rely on their own radio networks for voice communications and some lowspeed data. Mobile broadband use …
Rural Broadband Expansion Must be ‘Transformative’-FCC Chairman Wheeler – AgWeb via Google Alerts Sep 24 18:05 Rural Broadband Expansion Must be ‘Transformative’-FCC Chairman …
Sprint fined $1.2m for bungling 911 calls – The Register via Google Alerts Sep 24 16:35 … themselves are not illegal, the failure to provide emergency call services poses a public safety hazard and subjects carriers to fines from the FCC.
Learn about communications during the Pope’s visit, how states are meeting FirstNet’s data … – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts Sep 24 14:35 In addition, Fred Scalerathe public-safety broadband manager from New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security & Preparednesswill detail the …
Roll-your-own public safety broadband network too pricey for Australia – LessThunk.com via Google Alerts Sep 24 08:15 http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/23/rollyourown_public_safety_broadband_network_too_pricey_for_australia/…
TV, wireless landscape could change with FCC auction – abc7news.com via Google Alerts Sep 24 00:25 Wireless broadband signals may improve greatly in just more than a year, but some of the TV stations people might watch could be going away, …
Why do police want their own mobile broadband network? – Crikey via Google Alerts Sep 24 00:20 The Productivity Commission has recommended that police, fire, and ambulance services use Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone mobile networks for their …
The Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: 2015 – 2030 – Remote Site and Equipment Management Magazine via Google Alerts Oct 1 10:21 Due to the bandwidth limitations of their traditional voice-centric LMR (Land Mobile Radio) networks, public safety agencies are keen to leverage …
AT&T Tells FCC Broadband Thrives With ‘Light’ Regulation – Law360 via Google Alerts Oct 1 10:00 Law360, New York (September 30, 2015, 3:45 PM ET) — AT&T again has come out against requests for the Federal Communications Commission to …
Public Safety Bureau, Weekly Market-Based Actions, 9/30/15 – FCC via Google Alerts Oct 1 04:32 PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission News Media Information 202 …
Cell phone lobby win means ‘more people will die’ – Yahoo News via Google Alerts Sep 29 20:21 The FCC’s invitation was based on a long and successful history of collaborations between wireless carriers and the public safety community to …
FCC – Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Announces Comment and Reply Comment … – Colorado Media.Net via Google Alerts Sep 29 19:55 From the FCC: Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Announces Comment and Reply Comment Dates For the Notice of Proposed …
FCC Opens PSAP Online Support Center – Radio Resource via Google Alerts Sep 29 19:55 The FCC opened its Public Safety Support Center (PSSC), a Web-based portal to enable public-safety answering points (PSAPs) and other …
New Rules for EAS? – Emergency Management via Google Alerts Sep 29 13:15 The government’s rules for the Emergency Alert System (EAS) need to evolve, says the deputy bureau chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland …
Government shaves over 200m off National Broadband Plan spend, cut to 275m – Irish Independent via Google Alerts Sep 29 12:00 The government is to spend 275m on an initial stimulus for the National Broadband Plan, just over half the sum originally pledged for the rural …
Harmonizing the industry on a narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) – Qualcomm via Google Alerts Sep 29 03:16 The battle lines are being drawn for the future of cellular IoT
NTIA Says BTOP Delivered on Broadband Promises – Multichannel News via Google Alerts Sep 28 21:25 The National Telecommunications & Information Administration is marking the end this week of its $4 billion Broadband Technology Opportunities …
Remarks of Gigi B. Sohn on Consumer Protection – FCC via Google Alerts Sep 26 07:50 Consumer Protection in the Broadband Era: The Role of the FCC 4th Annual …
A Brief Guide to the New LTE Standard for Connected Devices – Fraud & Technology Wire via Google Alerts Sep 25 00:05 Recently members of 3GPP convened to define a new LTE standard tailored for IoT, specifically for Narrow-Band IoT that is energy efficient and …
LTE standard for Internet of Things machines gets the green light – Daily World News – Easy Branches via Google Alerts Sep 24 17:25 News The NarrowBand IoT standard would let Internet of Things devices communicate for years on a battery Stephen Lawson The international body …
Land Mobile Radio/Professional Mobile Radio and Progress in Public Safety Communications … – MarketWatch via Google Alerts Sep 24 15:30 … networks will be primarily used for voice applications. LTE is selected as the main technology for the FirstNet the nationwide U.S. PSC network; …
Local/Regional EAS Tests Come to Forefront – Radio World via Google Alerts Sep 24 14:35 22, the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau approved a …
What net neutrality means for Netflix, AT&T, Time Warner ” and you – Tech Sep 24 13:00 Americans are increasingly ditching their desktops and reaching for their mobile devices to access the internet instead. For this reason, mobile broadband – or internet access from any mobile device – was included in the FCC’s recently adopted net neutrality proposal, making it subject to many of the same constraints and regulations as the wired internet. This has added another layer to the hot-button debate on net neutrality – the concept that all data transmitted over the…
Windstream says FCC’s mobile broadband testing should mirror wireline broadband – Make Me Feed via Google Alerts Sep 24 10:10 As a provider of wholesale services to the largest wireless operators, Windstream isn’t down on mobile broadband, but the telco would like to see the …
The new Narrowband IoT 3GPP standard brings cellular-based LPWA one step closer – Machina Research via Google Alerts Sep 24 07:50 Named as Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), the technical details of the new standard are still uncompleted, but it is likely to be a combination of proposals …
Huawei and partners Leading NB-IoT Standardization – Scoopasia | Press Releases via Google Alerts Sep 24 05:40 Huawei and partners Leading NB-IoT Standardization PHOENIX, 23 September 2015 — /PRNewswire/ — The work item titled NB-IoT (Narrow Band …