Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 14, 2019

Posted by npstc

T-Band, FirstNet Updates, Laptops and Tablets

First and vitally important to eleven major cities and their metro areas, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have introduced bills cancelling the T-band (470-512) giveback. House bill H.R. 451 is one of the simplest bills ever introduced in the House and it is almost exactly the same as the bill that languished in the House last year. This bill that was sponsored by Representative Eliot, a democrat from New York, now has nineteen sponsors. Three are Republicans and sixteen are Democrats who are primarily from areas that will suffer badly unless the requirement to return the T-band to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) for auction is overturned. The original bill is presently under the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

The Senate bill, S. 2748, contains the exact wording as the House bill. It was introduced in the Senate by Senator Markey, a democrat from Massachusetts. The bill currently has a total of four co-sponsors including Senators from NY, MA, and PA, all Democrats. After it was introduced in early October and submitted to the Committee on Science and Technology where it currently resides.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which provides cost estimates for most bills, has not yet weighed in on this bill, however, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report that is in line with the reports from National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) concerning the cost of relocating first responders in the eleven metro areas that currently have access to portions of the T-band. That is if there was any spectrum available for relocating these agencies. Based on FCC data, there is none. There is a bill in both houses of Congress, as there was last Congressional session, and NPSTC and the GAO have both stated that moving first responders off the T-band would be a very costly and, in reality, impossible task.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and first-responder agencies in areas where the T-band is in use have been working with Congressional staffers and their bosses to make sure they understand the seriousness of the consequences if these bills do not pass in both houses and are not signed into law.

Read the Entire Column Here

Below are the news story selected with the assistance of Discoverypattern.com and their AI technology

USDA invests $4.2 million in rural broadband for Oklahoma families

Oologah Lake Leader Nov 14 06:35

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the investment of over $4.2 million in highspeed broadband …

5G Security Warnings Pile Up

Light Reading Nov 14 06:30

5G could eventually connect everyone and everything. But a growing number of researchers are highlighting potential security holes in the standard.

Firstnet Training Manual

effect.org Nov 13 14:50

written permission of Cerner Corp Updated 09/25/2014 by CT For more training options, visit wwwnavicenthealthorg Hover over For Health Care.

Rural broadband approved by Monroe County EPA members

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Nov 13 14:30

AMORY The Monroe County Electric Power Association (MCEPA) board of directors held a special meeting on Nov. 12 to review the results from the …

NIST cyber bills moving on down the road

Politico Nov 13 14:10

A grid attack simulation kicks off today, with physical and cyber assaults alike. …

Tech, Wi-Fi companies back broader unlicensed use at 6 GHz; public safety and utilities balk

RCR Wireless News Nov 13 13:10

In a filing with the FCC, the coalition of nearly three dozen companies said that Wi-Fi has become the single most important wireless technology for …

Why Reconnecting Our Rural Communities Matters

USDA.gov Nov 13 11:20

Secretary Perdue has made the investment in rural broadband a priority for …

Nokia Selected to Upgrade California Public Safety Network

Pipeline Magazine Nov 13 11:20

Nokia has been selected by Cal OES Public Safety Communications office to upgrade CAPSNET, which is operated by Cal OES Public Safety …

AT&T to upgrade University of Miami to 5G+, powering Magic Leap technology

Newspapers Today, USA News, Headlines, Breaking News, Sports Nov 7 07:15

The University of Miami in Coral Gables will be the first college campus in the nation to receive AT&T’s 5G+ and Multi-access Edge Computing…

Atlantic Broadband Expands Services in VA & Opens New Office

Light Reading Nov 14 06:30

FTTH network will provide high-speed broadband to about 2,700 homes and businesses.

Why African mobile networks must invest in 4G

MyBroadband Nov 14 06:15

Even with the 5G era already upon us, investment in 4G/LTE networks is still vitally important for operators in sub-Saharan Africa and must remain a …

Samsung growing 5G network equipment biz

Digitimes Nov 14 05:50

… accounts for 60% of 5G telecom equipment market in Korea thanks to support from fellow top-three telecom operators – SK Telecom, KT and LG U+.

New International Pact Aims to Accelerate Next Generation Emergency Communications

HSToday Nov 14 02:30

The alliance will promote standards-based Next Generation emergency-communications frameworks such as the ones enabled by the i3 standard for …

Samsung Galaxy S11 phones set to launch with bigger screens, 5G

The Express Tribune Nov 14 02:25

Samsung will be launching its next-generation flagship device, Galaxy S11 around February 2020 and the word around is that the smartphone is …

Rural broadband study looks promising for Southern Alberta

Prairie Post Nov 14 01:30

SouthGrow Regional Initiative recently released its study, Cost Benefit Analysis of Rural Broadband in Alberta. It was noted, the study by the …

Sprint Expands True Mobile 5G to Cover Approximately 16 Million People Within Nine Metropolitan …

New Kerala Nov 13 14:20

In these areas, customers with 5G devices are experiencing dramatically faster speeds, with initial 5G performance results showing a nearly 6X …

Nokia Says 5G will Enable a New Era of Economic Growth

Qrius Nov 13 13:55

In the early aughts, Nokia produced the most coveted mobile phones in the world, before it was disrupted by big tech giants ushering in the age of …

5G has security flaws that could let hackers track your location

MIT Technology Review Nov 13 13:17

5G has security flaws that could let hackers track your location …

Motorola’s folding Razr leaks again just hours before official launch event

The Verge Nov 13 13:10

Images of Motorola’s unannounced foldable Razr phone have surfaced once again, this time via the device’s Federal Communications Commission …

2 Reasons American Tower’s Business Will Continue to Flourish

Motley Fool Nov 13 12:15

… will continue to thrive thanks to increasing infrastructure demands driven by the rise of 5G communications networks and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Land Mobile Radio LMR Market Will Reflect Significant Growth Prospects during 2019-2025 …

Eastlake Times Nov 13 11:45

Land Mobile Radio LMR Market Will Reflect Significant Growth Prospects during 2019-2025 | Harris, Motorola Solutions, Sepura, JVC Kenwood.

BlackBerry On 5G And The IoT Security Problems That Must Be Fixed

pymnts.com Nov 13 11:40

It explores ways to integrate AI into IoT-enabled devices and analyzes how AI and IoT might converge over the next few years especially with 5G …

Qualcomm’s 5G phone forecast all but guarantees ‘iPhone 5G’ in 2020

MacDailyNews Nov 7 08:45

Qualcomm said on Wednesday it expected some 200 million 5G smartphones to be sold in 2020, including flagship devices launching next fall, which investors took as a hint that Apple would offer 5G in the company’s next-gen iPhones…

Hostile drones neutralised with falcon attack strategies and 5G disruption

E&T Magazine Nov 7 07:45

Eighteen projects designed to thwart nefarious drone attacks including a plan to use swarms with peregrine falcon attack strategies have been given …

China kicks off work on 6G research after 5G launch, state media say

TODAYonline Nov 7 07:30

China kicks off work on 6G research after 5G launch, state media say …

PROMOTING TELEHEALTH IN RURAL AMERICA. Increases Transparency, Predictability, and Efficiency of RHC Program Funding Decisions. (Dkt No 17-310).

Posted by npstc

Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 2019-08-01 by R&O. (FCC No. 19-78). WCB. FCC-19-78A1.pdf

Nearly 60 million people—roughly 1 out of every 5 Americans—live in a rural area. Telehealth services are one important solution to the challenge of health care access in rural areas by connecting rural patients with general physicians and medical specialists located outside the patients’ communities. The Commission promotes telehealth in rural areas through the Rural Health Care Program (RHC Program or Program), which provides financial support to help rural health care providers obtain broadband and other communications services at discounted rates. These services are in turn used by health care providers to offer telehealth to patients living in and around the communities they serve.

As the demand for robust broadband has increased throughout the country, the RHC Program has witnessed a dramatic increase in health care provider participation. Even with the Commission increasing the RHC funding cap last year by more than $170 million over the prior $400 million funding cap to account for inflation, demand continues to stress the RHC Program. This creates a challenge for program administration, leading to uncertainty among participants as to the status of their funding requests and complicating the planning of upgrades and existing service relationships. This increased demand and resulting administrative challenges required us to take a closer look at whether the current rules and procedures are cost-effective and efficient and adequately protect the Universal Service Fund against waste, fraud, and abuse. Accordingly, in this Report and Order, after reviewing the record, Federal Communications Commission FCC 19-78 3 we adopt a number of the proposals made in the 2017 Promoting Telehealth Notice and Order3 to reform the RHC Program rules to promote transparency and predictability, and further the efficient allocation of limited RHC Program resources.

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.

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 …

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 →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, April 25, 2019

Posted by npstc

Waiting on Mission Critical Push-To-Talk (Data, Video). According to Motorola, its Kodiak Networks has developed the first Push-To-Talk (PTT) application for on-network use. On-network means the network hosts the application as opposed to an over-the-top application such as ESChat or Orion Labs, the other FirstNet-approved options. Motorola’s claim is that the Kodiak PTT solution as deployed in both the AT&T and Verizon networks (though not compatible across the two, I am told) is close to meeting the Mission Critical Push-To-Talk specification released by the 3GPP standards organization.

All that is needed, claims Motorola, is for companies to start producing Proximity Services (ProSe) chipsets, which Motorola claims remains the greatest hurdle to being fully MCPTT-compliant. I am using Motorola as an example here since it recently stated its PTT solution for FirstNet (Built with AT&T) works and is embedded in the FirstNet network. ESChat and Orion Labs are also certified on FirstNet. I find Motorola’s comments about ProSe to be peculiar coming from one of the premier Land Mobile Radio (LMR) companies in the world that for many years has built mobile and handheld radios that provide push-to-talk on public safety and business radio networks and further provides the capability for off-network push-to-talk.

Off-network push-to-talk, which I have written about over the years, is critical to the ability of those in the field to communicate with others even when a network is not available—either because they are out of network range or because they are deep inside a structure and cannot reach the network that may be available on the street. Simplex, talk-around, or whatever you want to call it is vital to the operation of the public safety community. It is used every day by police, fire, and EMS personnel. Simplex provides one-to-one and one-to-many communications to any unit in range of the transmitting unit. Read the Entire Column Here .
Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, April 18, 2019

Posted by npstc

Updates on What Public Safety Needs from Congress. This week APCO sent out an email asking for all of us to support the 9-1-1 Saves Act. This bill will upgrade 9-1-1 professionals and reclassify them as Protective Service employees. This should have been done years ago and I hope the re-designation will carry forward to non-sworn public safety dispatchers. There is a link for this important bill and a guide for you to follow on how to notify your U.S. Senators and Representatives, so please do so.

This is only one of the significant pieces of legislation that should be passed by Congress and signed into law. The issues I am concerned about include the T-Band, NG911, and 4.9 GHz if the FCC doesn’t leave it alone. The most recent bill introduced in the House replaces H.R.3994, which was passed in 2018 but died in the Senate where no vote was taken. This year it is back as H.R.1328 and must once again make the rounds.

I believe H.R.1328 is of vital interest to the public safety community. It is the Access Broadband Act that would create a single organization for tracking and helping implement rural and poverty-level broadband. Today there are numerous federal and state agencies involved in grants and loans, but there seems to be a serious lack of coordination. The Access Broadband Act is extremely important to rural broadband coverage and as such should be supported by the public safety community. Currently, its odds of gaining passage are slight unless more sponsors from both parties join the effort.
Read the Entire Column Here.

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Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, April 4, 2019

Posted by npstc

Milestones and More. Last week marks the two-year anniversary of the FirstNet award to AT&T. It also marks a full year since the Public Safety core (heart of the network) was turned on. If you map this two-year anniversary against the FirstNet Authority Operational Capability (IOC) description of the project, last week also marked the end of IOC-3, which was expected to be completed by the end of twenty-four months.

OC-3 contains many milestones in and of itself. For example, by the end of IOC-3, the local control application (portal) should be complete, the core should be complete, devices Phase 3 should be complete, and achievement of 50-percent of contractor’s IOC-5 public safety device connection target should be attained. This last point is not discernable from the outside since FirstNet the Authority did not specify the number of connections, rather the number was determined by each bidder. However, it appears to me, like with most of the IOC-3 requirements, FirstNet (Built with AT&T) has already blown past IOC-5 in addition to most of the IOC-3 requirements.

There still remain issues, especially concerning coverage as public safety agencies continue to monitor FirstNet progress. Once more, I need to remind people that had AT&T not offered up all of its existing LTE spectrum and then begun augmenting it with public safety Band 14 spectrum, and a bidder had simply planned on building out the entire network on Band 14, we would not yet have attained today’s level of coverage nor would we have pre-emption except on Band 14. So, while there are still some issues with coverage, much of what we have today was not even planned to be available until one, two, or even three years further down the road. Read the Entire Column Here .

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

Florida’s Riviera Beach Police, Fire Rescue Deploy Smartphones via FirstNet

MissionCritical Apr 4 10:05

Riviera Beach Police and Fire Rescue in Florida announced it is transitioning to the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) public-safety broadband network. read more

Utility’s In-Car Video System Certified as FirstNet Ready

MissionCritical Apr 4 10:05

Utility, a law enforcement technology company, announced that its Rocket IoT XLE is an AT&T FirstNet Ready certified device on the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) network. read more

FCC Sets Stage for Next Spectrum Incentive Auction at April Open Meeting

JD Supra Mar 28 10:15

The FCC anticipates retaining OTARD rule exceptions for state, local, and private restrictions on antennas based on public safety issues or historic …

Fixed wireless and mobile hotspots lead first wave of 5G

RCR Wireless News Mar 28 10:15

Fixed wireless and mobile hotspots lead first wave of 5G …

Korea launches 5G smartphone networks ahead of schedule

Federal News Radio 1500AM Apr 4 11:00

South Korea’s telecommunications carriers have turned on super-fast 5G mobile internet networks abruptly ahead of schedule in an attempt to ensure the country becomes the first in the world to launch the services The post S. Korea launches 5G smartphone networks ahead of schedule appeared first on Federal News Network .

Samsung’s Multi-Mode Exynos Chipsets Help Bring the 5G Era to Mobile Consumers

Yahoo News Apr 4 10:55

Exynos Modem 5100 is Samsung’s first 5G modem solution that had …

Verizon launches its mobile 5G network in parts of Chicago and Minneapolis, with a 5G-enabled

Techmeme Apr 4 10:55

#5G availability starts today in Chicago & Minneapolis from @verizon. 1st phone is Motorola z3 with 5G moto mod…

AT&T and Sprint’s 5G Legal Dispute Illustrates the Ways of Wireless

D Magazine Apr 4 10:50

Let’s take first things first: Regardless of what your phone might be telling you, you aren’t on 5G yet. It’s not possible. Most of the equipment isn’t up, …

DSA brings together leaders at 2019 Summit

BusinessGhana Apr 4 10:35

… and high-band spectrum available on a shared and dynamic basis to address accelerating demand for the full range of next generation narrowband …

Motorola is preparing a smartphone with quad rear cameras and a 48MP sensor

XDA Developers Apr 4 10:35

Considering Motorola just became the first company to allow its consumers to connect to a commercial 5G network, it would be wrong to call it lagging …

Virtual RANs Simplify Administration and Increase Flexibility

Dataconomy Apr 4 10:30

Test environments for 5G mobile networks exist already. …

Keysight’s 5G Test Solutions and Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G Modem Establish Mobile …

EE Journal Apr 4 10:15

This industry milestone was achieved using Qualcomm Technologies’ second-generation Snapdragon X55 5G modem with integrated multi-mode …

CCA Partners with Parallel Wireless to Provide End-to-End Network Solutions for Mobile Operators

PR Newswire Apr 4 10:10

World’s First Virtualized Open RAN to Deliver Profitability and Cost-effectively Enable 4G Expansion and Migration to 5G NASHUA, N.H. and WASHINGTON, April 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Parallel Wireless, Inc., the leader in providing the world’s first software-based unified end-to-end ALL G…

CTIA Report Says U.S. Catches China in 5G Readiness

MissionCritical Apr 4 10:05

A new 5G summary by CTIA said that the United States is tied with China in 5G readiness, moving up from a year ago when the U.S. lagged behind China and South Korea. read more

New Intel CEO dishes on 5G, more acquisitions and moving his 50-year-old company forward

MassHighTech Apr 4 10:05

Bob Swan was promoted to the California semiconductor giant’s top role in February after serving as executive vice president and CFO since October 2016. He told a Phoenix audience that Intel can no longer take an ‘insular’ market approach.

Report: Intel will miss its deadline to deliver a 5G modem to Apple, putting 5G iPhone in jeopardy

MassHighTech Apr 4 10:05

Santa Clara-based Intel Corp. is racing to develop a 5G-capable mobile modem chip this year, but will likely miss a key deadline to get the chip to Apple Inc. in time, putting the company’s 5G iPhone in jeopardy, Fast Company reports, citing an unnamed source. Meanwhile, Apple has reportedly assembled a team of between 1,000 and 1,200 engineers to design its own 5G modem. That effort is still in its early stages, which means Apple might enter the 2020 holiday sales season without a 5G-capableâ€¦

5G era for smartphones has begun

Seeking Alpha Apr 4 09:55

It’s unclear which country struck first, but Verizon has launched 5G wireless service in parts of Chicago and Minneapolis, while carriers in South Korea …

4×4 mimo the performance boost for lte

Creutz coaching and consulting Apr 4 09:40

MIMO system enables 5G performance on LTE networks. …

Motorola Wins the Race to First 5G Smartphone in the World

Gizmodo UK Apr 4 09:30

The 5G version of the Samsung Galaxy S10 goes on sale in South Korea tomorrow, but Motorola has just pipped it to the post by making the Moto Mod …

Samsung begins mass production of its 5G chipsets

SamMobile Apr 4 09:15

Samsung has begun the mass production of its 5G multi-mode chipsets for next-generation 5G smartphones. The company’s latest 5G communication …

5G Broadcast Solution to Transmit Media Content Directly to Smartphone Users

everything RF Apr 4 08:55

Reaching billions of smartphones will be the future of broadcasting in line with ATSC and 3GPP. As a part of the Bavarian research project ‘5G …

Norway offers to postpone 5G frequency payments to boost investment

Reuters Apr 4 07:45

Norway will offer telecoms operators to postpone payments for mobile phone frequencies, including 5G networks, in return for investment commitments, the government said on Thursday.

Samsung Galalxy A50 review: Premium experience at a mid-range price point

Economic Times Apr 4 07:40

… Galaxy S10 phones, 5G smartphone, Galaxy buds and smartwatches. …

China Mobile Hong Kong and Sino Group Jointly Present Hong Kong’s First In-Mall 5G Experience …

ACROFAN USA Mar 28 10:25

Dr Li Feng, Chairman of China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK), said, ‘We are very pleased to work with Sino Group in developing the first 5G showcase, …

Bill Schrier Reports AT&T Announcements

Posted by npstc

AT&T made a number of announcements today. FirstNet Assist is an app available later this year to allow extended primary users to request priority uplift during an incident. FirstNet Single-Sign-On will allow a user to logon with credentials once and have those credentials transferred to other apps on the device. The other apps do need to be modified with a software development kit (SDK) for that to work, and no apps presently have done that. But there are now about 60 apps in the FirstNet App Catalog and others in the pipeline. There’s also an API in the development ecosystem which will allow apps to modify their own priority under certain circumstances. I don’t have a lot more detail on these functions/features yet, but wanted you to know they have been announced.

https://about.att.com/newsroom/2019/firstnet_anniversary.html