Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, January 10, 2019

Posted by npstc

As we start the New Year, I would like to once again let you know that what may seem to be an AT&T leaning on my part is not. I believe in FirstNet and have fought for more than ten years for a nationwide broadband network. AT&T was the winner of the RFP so my comments regarding progress, of course, include AT&T. There were three bidders to the RFP, and a number that decided for whatever reason not to respond. For example, I was on a team for a very large Silicon Valley company that came close to bidding. We felt we had a winning proposal and the CFO agreed as did most of upper management. However, just before the deadline, the CEO decided that since this particular company made its money on short-term payback projects and FirstNet would require a sizable investment upfront and a payback over the twenty-five-year period of the contract, he should cancel the effort.

Overall Picture: The big picture view I have of public safety communications is that it is underway but taking much more time than anyone expected. It is a homogenous environment where Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) feeds into both the Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and “FirstNet (Built with AT&T)” networks and provides for citizen input vetted by the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), thus making the public safety community’s job easier and safer. This will lead to more lives being saved, faster results in apprehending criminals, the ability to put fire equipment and personnel where they can attack a fire with the best results, and keep track of those inside a structure. Read the Entire Post Here.

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

More Than 50000 Square Miles of LTE Coverage Added Nationwide to Support AT&T and FirstNet …

Business Wire Jan 9 18:00

We increased the LTE coverage area for the AT&T network and FirstNet …

AT and T Deploys 700 MHz Band 14 Spectrum in 500 Markets

MissionCritical Jan 10 10:10

AT&T increased the Long Term Evolution (LTE) coverage area for the AT&T network and First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) public-safety communications platform by more than 50,000 square miles nationwide, covering an additional 1 million individuals, during 2018. The carrier also deployed band 14 spectrum in more than 500 markets. read more

At CES 2019, 5G is even more of a confusing mess than ever – CNET

CNET: Apple Jan 10 09:15

Commentary: Everyone’s talking about 5G at the show, even if they can’t agree on what 5G actually is.

AT&T Augments LTE Coverage to Benefit FirstNet Subscribers

Zacks.com Jan 10 08:20

AT&T intends to ramp up the FirstNet deployment while focusing on 5G to retain its leading position in the wireless market. The company continues to …

Highway Police Finds Productivity Gains Uploading Video via FirstNet

PR Web Jan 10 08:20

… in the country to opt-in to the highly-secure wireless broadband communications network made available to Arkansas’ public safety community.

CES 2019: First look at the Samsung 5G smartphone

Tech Investor News Jan 9 18:10

Samsung is showing off its 5G smartphone prototype at CES 2019, giving users a first taste of what the device will look like. Read Article at Source …

Samsung: 5G smartphones will be launched in the first half of this year

jqknews Jan 9 18:10

2019 coincides with the 50th anniversary of Samsung Electronics. Over the past 50 years, we have been committed to bringing meaningful innovation.

CES 2019: Inseego 5G NR Solution Portfolio Drives Mobile and Fixed Wireless Deployments …

Inseego Jan 9 17:45

Tier-One Asia-Pacific Operator Selects Inseego 5G NR Fixed Wireless Solution for In-Home Broadband Deployment, Joining Numerous Tier One …

Cradlepoint to provide new gigabit-class LTE edge router

Telecompaper Jan 9 17:00

… NetCloud service and turns 4G/LTE and 5G mobile services into mission-critical wireless WANs for enterprise and public safety applications.

5G dominates 2019 mobile predictions

ITWeb Africa Jan 9 16:25

Market research firm TrendForce predicts the arrival of 5G smartphones will be …

CES 2019 Unveils Next-Gen Innovation to the World

Business Wire Jan 9 16:15

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The next generation of innovation is taking center stage this week at CES® 2019, as companies large and small unveil technologies that will revolutionize the way we live, work and play. This week, attendees are expected to experience all that fuels the expansion of tech into new areas such as 5G, artificial intelligence, smart cities, resilience, sports, vehicle tech, digital health and more. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), CES 20

CES 2019: Latest in Muni Smart Lighting, Earthquake Warning, 5G

Government Technology News Jan 9 16:15

LAS VEGAS – Collaboration between two major cities and their telecommunications partners is generating significant public response and should increase safety, reduce energy consumption and yield operational savings, officials told Government Technology. Technology and public safety officials from Las Vegas and Los Angeles joined executives from AT&T and Ubicquia, a smart city platform provider, on Jan. 8 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to discuss how new and ongoing partnersh

Senate Confirms Starks, Carr to FCC

Multichannel News Jan 3 03:20

During his confirmation hearing, I was excited to hear him highlight the need to expand rural broadband and the power of telemedicine. I look forward …

Airbus to Upgrade, Expand German Energy Firm’s TETRA Network

MissionCritical Jan 10 10:10

Airbus will modernize and expand seNet, the secure TETRA system of energy supplier STEAG. Airbus will replace the central technology of the communications system with Taira TETRA servers. read more

Your AT&T Phone Does Not Have 5G Now

Google News – Overview Jan 10 07:30

Samsung is starting it’s #ces2019 press conference talking about 5G. It’s working with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. In a way 5G is here now but it

Two-thirds of global firms plan to harness 5G by 2020, says Gartner

The National Jan 10 07:10

Nearly 66 per cent of companies globally have plans to deploy 5G by 2020, while Internet of Things (IoT) will remain the principle use of the faster, …

Verizon’s 5G CES Keynote: T-Shirts, But No Beef

Light Reading Jan 10 06:30

Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg’s keynote centered on the ‘eight currencies’ of 5G, but offered little in the way of new insight into Verizon’s plans for network rollouts and 5G-powered devices.

CES 2019: Cisco talks 6G

ZDNet Jan 9 21:00

While everyone else spent CES 2019 talking about 5G, Cisco is already looking towards a 6G future.

Comcast New (CMCSA) Holding Has Increased by Uss Investment Management Ltd; Tetra …

The FinExaminer Jan 9 18:20

… 14/03/2018 RadioResource: TETRA Operator Selected to Operate Finland’s Public-Safety Broadband Network; 24/04/2018 TETRA Market Size …

Android Brands to Advocate 5G Smartphones

Eetasia.com Jan 9 18:10

According to TrendForce’s latest report, Android smartphone brands, such as Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and One Plus, all have a …

5G smartphones could revitalize sales, says report, as AT&T accused of deceiving customers

Newsvoice Jan 9 18:10

5G smartphones could revitalize sales, says report, as AT&T accused of deceiving customers.

5G Android Phone- Device List

Apps to Follow Jan 9 18:10

It looks like 2019 will finally see smartphone manufacturers launch a device which can hook up to the ultra-fast 5G networks as soon as possible.

AT&T’s Jeff McElfresh reveals network strategy and 5G plans

Telecom Lead Jan 9 17:45

AT&T said data traffic on its mobile network has grown more than 470,000 …

Verizon, Disney StudioLab Tout 5G Partnership

TVNewsCheck Jan 9 17:45

5G-enabled cloud-based production workflows, live volumetric video and delivery of movies to theaters are some of the developments that Disney’s …

5G Automotive Association at CES 2019: Highlighting connected mobility through 5G

5G Automotive Association Jan 9 17:45

5GAA founding member Ericsson will showcase its latest use of the C-V2X technology, demonstrating how the 4G/5G mobile networks will enable …

Intel Announces Series Of New Products At CES

Markets Insider Jan 9 17:11

(RTTNews) – Intel Corp. (INTC) announced a series of new products at CES, including new chips for artificial intelligence and 5G wireless connectivity.

iPhone and Other Smartphone Sales Are Slowing. Will 5G Networks Bring Them Back?

TheStreet.com Jan 9 16:55

If there was any shadow of a doubt that the smartphone industry is slowing, recent updates from Apple (AAPL – Get Report) and Samsung (SSNLF) …

Verizon Wireless says current spectrum holdings are sufficient for 5G buildout

FierceWireless Jan 9 16:55

Verizon Wireless is confident it doesn’t need more spectrum to achieve its 5G goals. The carrier has only used a little more than half of its existing …

Blackberry CEO on Data Security, AI Threats, 5G

Yahoo Finance UK Jan 9 16:50

Jan.09 — John Chen, Blackberry Ltd. chief executive officer, discusses mobile data security, a partnership with Amazon, and 5G software rollout plans.

How 5G will change your smartphone, and your life in 2019

The Coli Jan 3 10:10

Yes. Easily. But it’s only in its early stages since 5G has only rolled out very slowly last year. Give it until the mid 2020s before we see 5G fully utilized.

The FCC Is Closing, So Hold Your Cell Phone Service Gripes

WIRED Jan 3 02:55

The agency has washed its hands of much of its oversight over broadband and text-message service providers since Republicans gained control of …

AT&T: FirstNet Connections Increase 60% Since October

Posted by npstc

AT&T, Inc., announced today that there are now more than 425,000 connections at more than 5,250 public safety agencies on the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) system. The number of connections is up 60% since last October.

AT&T said in a news release that it has deployed public safety Band 14 in more than 500 markets. Last year, it said, it “increased the LTE coverage area for the AT&T and FirstNet public safety communications platform by more than 50,000 square miles nationwide, covering an additional 1 million individuals.”

Chris Sambar, AT&T’s senior vice president-FirstNet, said that AT&T now covers more than 40% of its “Band 14 rural and non-rural coverage targets. That’s about a 10% jump in the FirstNet square miles covered since last October,” he added.

“The demand for data has been on a nonstop, upward trajectory for years,” said Marachel Knight, AT&T’s SVP-wireless and access engineering, construction and operations. “Our ongoing work to launch new sites and build out our LTE network is delivering increased network speeds and capacity. By the end of this year, we expect our network capacity to increase by 50% since the end of 2017 while simultaneously laying the foundation for a 5G future.”

AT&T said its three areas of focus in building the FirstNet system are connecting responders in rural and remote areas, increasing capacity in urban areas, and introducing innovated offerings.

“FirstNet is advancing quickly – both in terms of progress and adoption. It’s an incredible testament to the need first responders have for a dedicated, purpose-built network as well as the unparalleled capabilities FirstNet has already delivered. We are looking forward to the further expansion of FirstNet in the year ahead and will continue to work closely with first responders and AT&T to ensure FirstNet is being built to their specifications – coverage and capacity included,” said acting FirstNet Chief Executive Officer Ed Parkinson. “With the Band 14 buildout validated thus far, we’re pleased that more first responders in rural and urban areas have even more access to the connectivity and modern communications tools they need.”- Paul Kirby, paul.kirby@wolterskluwer.com

Courtesy TRDaily

Emergency Responders Using More Digital Data and Technology

Posted by npstc

Recognizing that digital data is more valuable than gold or oil, a panel at the CES show in Las Vegas today discussed how the public and private sectors are teaming up and using new technology to better respond to emergencies and disasters. The panel discussed how new innovations, such as smart home technology, can give emergency responders valuable data when responding to calls. The panel members also discussed how cyber-physical infrastructure is becoming just as important as physical infrastructure for local governments and first responders when responding to calls.

Chrissie Coons, a public safety liaison with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), highlighted how FirstNet provides emergency responders with a nationwide, high-speed, broadband network dedicated to public safety. Ms. Coons pointed out how some emergency responders have experienced buffering and outages during emergencies. FirstNet, which was created under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 as an independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, gives public safety and emergency responders their own spectrum so that their communications do not go down during emergency.

Chris Rezendes, chief business officer with Spherical Analytics, which helps develop environmental impact solutions that combine blockchain technologies with big data and machine learning, also discussed how the private sector and the public sector can forge relationship and share valuable today. Mr. Rezendes said, “We are helping public and private entities to better manage risk.” Mr. Rezendes added, “Most of the infrastructure we use today is outdated and uses outdated models. We are realizing we have some systems that are central to all different kinds of activities.”

Spherical Analytics helped create a new marine data bank in Massachusetts using data and sensors from fishing boats to provide for more coastal resilience. Mr. Rezendes stated that through collective action, business can create a new marketplace where data can be shared, licensed, or sold. But the data has to be trustworthy and relevant.

Based on conversations with emergency responders at the ground level, Mr. Rezendes noted that first responders want three things with new technology: (1) better audio with hands-free and noise cancellation; (2) the best data available such as schematics and floor plans for buildings used by firefighters; and (3) a heads-up display that is cost effective and easy to use.

In Boston, for example, firefighters struggled with mapping fire hydrants. The firefighters teamed up with the academic community and others to better map hydrants and provide better building schematics, which in turn provides valuable information to the firefighters when responding to calls. Having building floor plans and building schematics in the hands of firefighters while they are in transit and responding to a call can potentially save lives and millions of dollars in property. Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate: Looking Forward to 2019, January 3, 2019

Posted by npstc

Happy New Year to all of you! Hopefully, 2019 will be a great year for all of us including the public safety community of dispatchers, fire, EMS, and law enforcement personnel. At the end of each year and the beginning of the next year there are many articles, stories, and blogs looking back and then looking forward. This week’s Advocate is about looking forward through to the end of 2019. Technology and politics move too quickly to predict what will come beyond that.

As we enter 2019, January is month twenty-three of the FirstNet contract with AT&T. There are two FirstNets, one being the FirstNet Authority with a reconstructed board of directors and an acting CEO who many of us hope will soon lose the “acting” in the title. Then there is the AT&T FirstNet referred to as “FirstNet (Built with AT&T)”. This second FirstNet is ahead of schedule according to the RFP that was issued by FirstNet the Authority and it appears as though it will stay ahead during all of 2019.

Land Mobile Radio: Meanwhile, there are new and updated Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems that were built in 2018 and more are already scheduled for 2019. Not only are P25 systems being deployed, analog systems are being upgraded, perhaps staying with analog only or moving to a combination of P25 and analog. Several P25 systems stand out as examples of more redundant, nearer to public safety-grade than most P25 systems. The difference is that these networks do not have a central core or “brain,” rather the brains of the network are placed at each site and sometimes redundant cores are used at each site to add yet another layer of redundancy. Further, these systems are IP-based and as I mentioned last year, we will ultimately have IP back-ends for NG 9-1-1 and LMR, meaning the FirstNet network can help greatly in providing a homogenized communications platform for public safety. Read the Entire Post Here

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

Senate Confirms Starks, Carr to FCC

Multichannel News Jan 3 03:20

During his confirmation hearing, I was excited to hear him highlight the need to expand rural broadband and the power of telemedicine. I look forward …

FCC To Cease Most Operations In Wake Of Gov’t Shutdown

Law360 Jan 2 19:55

However, the public safety network FirstNet will remain operational and the agency will still oversee “assignment of radio frequencies to federal …

FCC Outlines Impact on its Operations of Potential Funding Lapse

ARRL Jan 2 18:20

Still available will be the Network Outage Reporting System (NORS), the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), the Public Safety Support …

Brevard Public Schools Implement Instant Emergency Communications System with First Responders

Business Wire Jan 2 16:15

WALLINGFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Brevard County, Florida, joined six additional Florida counties using Mutualink’s instant emergency communications coordination platform to enhance school safety readiness and response. On December 11, 2018, Brevard County School Board authorized the implementation of Mutualink in all of Brevard County’s public schools. The system addresses many of the communications coordination problems and delays repeatedly identified in school shooting incident after act

Qualcomm (QCOM) Well Positioned Into 5G, Settlements – Canaccord Genuity

StreetInsider.com Jan 3 11:30

Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley was out positive on Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) ahead of the FTC case starting Friday, which he …

Ericsson and Panasonic Partner on 5G

Market Realist Jan 3 11:30

Ericsson (ERIC) and Panasonic have agreed to collaborate on exploring new 5G use cases. In addition to exploring 5G opportunities together, …

Ericsson Eyes the Mining Industry for the 5G Market

Market Realist Jan 3 11:30

Ericsson (ERIC) and Epiroc (EPOKY) will collaborate to provide mining companies with high-performance wireless connectivity, according to a …

Top 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Features

HowToTechNaija Jan 3 11:20

One of such companies is Qualcomm which brought the first 5G SoC to the world. With the Snapdragon 8510 as its codename, thus chipset has …

NIST Telehealth Remote Monitoring Guidance Plan Gets AMIA Support

HealthITSecurity.com Jan 3 10:50

… recently announced it would fund a project to develop guidance around the security and privacy risks associated with remote patient monitoring.

SK Telecom uses 5G for first 2019 TV broadcast, plans live phone and drone vi…

Google Plus Jan 3 10:30

SK Telecom uses 5G for first 2019 TV broadcast, plans live phone and drone videos http://onvb.co/rEgUZP6 – VentureBeat – Google+.

How 5G will change your smartphone, and your life in 2019

The Coli Jan 3 10:10

Yes. Easily. But it’s only in its early stages since 5G has only rolled out very slowly last year. Give it until the mid 2020s before we see 5G fully utilized.

AT&T Adds to 5G Confusion

EE Times Jan 3 07:10

As if there isn’t already enough confusion about what 5G is and isn’t, AT&T dropped a bombshell with the news its 4G phones supporting advanced …

CES 2019: Alexa vs. Google, foldable TVs and 5G to take center stage in Las Vegas

USA Today Jan 3 06:00

The world’s biggest tech trade show kicks off Sunday, with some 4,000 exhibitors showing products and prototypes that promise to make our lives better.

The FCC Is Closing, So Hold Your Cell Phone Service Gripes

WIRED Jan 3 02:55

The agency has washed its hands of much of its oversight over broadband and text-message service providers since Republicans gained control of …

AT&T’s 5G speeds may not be much faster than 4G LTE

Notebookcheck.net Jan 3 01:30

Carriers and smartphone manufacturers have recently expressed concerns about problems they’ve encountered with implementing 5G into …

Samsung Galaxy 10 is 5G ready.

Supanet Jan 2 20:35

Samsung Galaxy S10 will include support for 5G mobile networks, a reliable tipster with an impressive track record of forecasting updates from …

5G Phones Are Coming Soon, But You Should Wait to Buy One

Bloglovin Jan 2 20:10

With just about every major US cellphone service provider prepping their 5G network rollouts, you’ve probably seen 2019 hyped as the beginning of …

Horowitz Eyes FirstNet 2.0, Board Meeting With New Members

Posted by npstc

Edward Horowitz, the new chairman of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) board, said the authority plans to discuss a “new vision” on Thursday at the first meeting of its newly constituted board.

In September, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross reappointed Mr. Horowitz to a three-year term and appointed him chairman of the board (TR Daily, Sept. 5). He succeeded Sue Swenson, who was term-limited in leading the board and, along with Vice Chairman Jeff Johnson, resigned from FirstNet in August (TR Daily, Aug. 20). Mr. Horowitz named Hennepin County, Minn., Sheriff Richard Stanek as vice chairman of the board (TR Daily, Sept. 24). Mr. Horowitz joined the FirstNet board in 2015 (TR Daily, Aug. 19, 2015), and Sheriff Stanek was appointed in 2014 (TR Daily, Sept. 4, 2014).

In October, Mr. Ross announced the appointment of five new board members and the reappointment of Neil Cox (TR Daily, Oct. 31). The appointments brought the board to a full complement of 15 members for the first time since the end of 2016, when Barry Boniface resigned. Mr. Ross today officially swore in the new and reappointed board members

In an interview, Mr. Horowitz told TR Daily that he’s looking forward to Thursday’s meeting of the newly constituted board. The session will be a joint meeting of the board and its four committees. The meeting is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center, 7901 Tysons One Place, McLean, Va.

FirstNet has released the committee assignments for board members. Mr. Horowitz, who most recently chaired the Finance Committee, will chair the Governance and Personnel Committee. Robert Osterthaler will chair the Finance Committee, Mr. Stanek will chair the Public Safety Advocacy Committee, and Mr. Cox will continue to chair the Technology Committee.

Mr. Horowitz, a venture capital and technology industry veteran who is currently founder and chairman of Edslink LLC, a venture capital firm, detailed several FirstNet activities that have kept him busy since he was appointed board chairman.

He noted that he worked with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, where FirstNet is housed, to finalize the new board appointments and to develop a process to hire a new permanent chief executive officer to replace Mike Poth, who left in September (TR Daily, Sept. 5) (Ed Parkinson is the acting CEO); named Sheriff Stanek as vice chair; appointed Todd Early chair of the board’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (TR Daily, Nov. 20); made committee assignments; and met with representatives of major public safety groups, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Sheriffs’ Association, and Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International. Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, December 6, 2018

Posted by npstc

Looking Back and Looking Forward. As we enter the 21st month of the 25-year contract between FirstNet the Authority and FirstNet (Built with AT&T), the last three of this year’s Public Safety Advocates will examine what has already transpired and what may lie ahead for FirstNet in 2019. As you read these three Advocates, keep in mind that had the contract been awarded to a vendor that was focused simply on building out Band 14 (the public safety spectrum), this vendor would only have been required to have 60-percent of the network built out in metro areas at this point in time.

Instead, the RFP winner, AT&T, offered up all of its existing LTE spectrum plus Band 14. This had a significant impact on public safety communications. First, today, only 21 months into the contract, FirstNet (Built with AT&T) is providing far more than 60-percent coverage in metro areas with full priority access including pre-emption where and when needed. Further, AT&T has stated that as it continues to build out its own LTE network, the FirstNet network will also have access and when it starts building out its 5G system, FirstNet will be part of that, too.

The questions I will ask and try to answer are about Push-To-Talk (PTT), both on- and off-network, coverage that still needs to be completed in metro, suburban, and rural areas, and finally what lies ahead for 2019.

All this will be weighed against goals that created FirstNet: To have a Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) for public safety’s use including full pre-emption. We have not yet reached this goal but it is still in early in the development of the network. Some believe we can come close to achieving this goal but there will be some agencies that do not join FirstNet, at least in the next few years. I have to believe that as these agencies recognize the advantages of fully interoperable communications for the first time in the history of public safety communications, they will join in and this goal will eventually be realized. Read the Entire Post here. Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 29, 2018

Posted by npstc

Presentations and Awards. On Tuesday the week before Thanksgiving, I flew to Denver to speak at a FirstNet Association (FNA) event and on Wednesday I flew home. Then on Thursday, I started out on what became a two-day trek to New York City due to weather delays. When I finally arrived in NYC, it was late on Friday so I was only able to join the Radio Club of America (RCA) board of directors meeting for the last thirty minutes. This was my last board meeting and I regret I could not have been there for the entire meeting but stormy weather and flying don’t often go well together.

FirstNet Association (FNA). The presentation I gave for attendees who came to hear the latest about FirstNet focused on coverage and the PowerPoint slides can be found here. The first slide set the level of expectations versus today’s progress. It shows that at present we are in month twenty of the contract between AT&T and FirstNet the Authority and outlined RFP-stated FirstNet milestones that would have to be met for the bidder to be compliant and on-track for building the network. When the RFP was developed, conventional wisdom was that a bidder would win the contract and deploy Band 14 (20 MHz of spectrum) for public safety over a five-year period.

Instead, when AT&T was awarded the contract, it provided public safety with full access to all AT&T LTE spectrum along with a plan to add Band 14 to its sites. The slide for month twenty states that at the end of twenty-four months of contract, “Achievement of 60% of contractor’s proposed Band 14 coverage in non-rural areas” should be complete. While only 60-percent of non-rural areas are required to be covered by Band 14 now, the FirstNet (Built with AT&T) footprint is much broader. Read the Entire Post Here. Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 11, 2018

Posted by npstc

Critical LTE Communications Forum and More. This week’s Advocate is late since I attended and took part in the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) Critical LTE Communications Forum. There were about 200 folks in attendance, all with a keen interest in broadband communications for public safety. The sessions were great for the most part but there were occasional topics where some speakers presented information or ideas that were simply wrong or conveyed advances as coming much faster than they actually will.

For some reason, neither FirstNet (Built by AT&T) nor the FirstNet Authority had any sponsorship or participation. However, there were FirstNet folks in the audience. This lack of FirstNet visibility allowed the first keynote by Verizon to contain comments that could have and should have been countered by FirstNet. These issues included sharing networks, how soon Verizon’s Mission-Critical Push-To-Talk (PTT) would come to its network, and then a plea for states to include a statement in their policy that would make it mandatory for full network interoperability.

Verizon’s take on Mission-Critical Push-To-Talk was that it would roll it out in 2019. Then, in the same sentence, stated this would soon be followed by off-network LTE or Proximity Services (ProSe). Neither of these statements is based on actual fact and later in the day during the PTT panel (see below), I finally heard that the first iteration of Mission-Critical PTT was nothing more than a first-generation product and it would be years before all the kinks had been worked out.
Read the Entire Post Here .

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

Fiber forward: FCC awards waiver for county broadband project Continue reading →

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 1, 2018

Posted by npstc

LMR, FirstNet, WiFi, Just to be Clear, and More. Last week’s Advocate discussed the integration, over time, of NG9-1-1, FirstNet, Land Mobile Radio (LMR), and WiFi into a homogenous communications system for public safety. Before last week, I had written multiple Advocates about LMR and FirstNet working hand-in-hand and in recent months I have been promoting a way to integrate FirstNet, LMR, and WiFi into a solid, interactive communications platform for all of the public safety community.

It was, therefore, a shock to me to read a response to last week’s Advocate from a gentleman I have conversed with and met on several occasions. The response to my columns is moderated on AllThingsFirstNet.com but I have never chosen to not accept any comment, good or bad, as that goes with the territory.

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, after I approved the comment for inclusion at the bottom of the Advocate and typed in my response, the site went down. The web folks were able to save a copy of the comment and my response, which is directly below:

“Welcome back Andy, I have been a little disappointed in the past few articles since they have been focused on FirstNet and the possibilities making it seem like you were advocating to replace LMR today. I agree that the current radio will evolve to include data/text/video, but as you stated in todays article, it will be a while until all the pieces fit together.”

My response: “First of all thank you for the comment but I am horrified that anyone reading my Advocate would believe that I am about replacing LMR with FirstNet, I think you will find that I have always stated that LMR is a vital and important part of overall public safety communications. I have been very vocal in my call for LMR to LTE PTT solutions and I have, I thought been very clear about the fact that LMR is a vital portion of the public safety communications picture and will be for many, many Years. Best regards, Andy”

The comments he made indicated that even though he was a long-time reader he apparently thought that in a number of my articles I was making a case for FirstNet as the only network for public safety. This is what surprised me. I have, for many, many years, said that FirstNet and LMR (and WiFi) will work in concert with each other and that LMR has a long life left within the public safety community. In the most recent hurricanes, both LMR and FirstNet were up and running and where one was not, the other was. So, to be very clear, my vision of public safety going forward is robust and up-to-date NG9-1-1 systems, LMR, FirstNet, and WiFi where available. I believe this will provide the best of all worlds.
Read the Entire Post Here . Continue reading →

ACTING CEO EDWARD PARKINSON: Welcoming new members to the FirstNet Board

Posted by npstc

Dear colleagues,

I’m excited to share that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has made the 2018 appointments to our Board, filling five new seats and reappointing one Board member. We welcome the following members to our Board:

Richard Carrizzo, Chief of the Southern Platte Fire Protection District, Kansas City, MO, who also serves as lead fire representative on the policy Board that manages the region’s 911 system.
Welton Chase, Jr., Brig. Gen. (Ret.), U.S. Army, Army Information Technology (Signal), led the Army’s largest theater information technology organization supporting over 430,000 Army users across 81 data centers in 38 states.
Brian Crawford, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Shreveport, LA, responsible for the city’s fire, police and public works departments, who brings public safety experience as the former Fire Chief of Plano, TX, and Shreveport, LA; was a flight paramedic; and served as Commissioner and Vice Chair of the Louisiana State Police.
Billy Hewes, Mayor, Gulfport, MS, who’s played a key role in recovery operations from natural and manmade disasters.
Paul R. Patrick, Division Director, Family Health and Preparedness, Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, and past president of the National Association of State EMS Officials.

As you can see from their experience, our Board has the skills to support us through the next phases of FirstNet, with deep experience in public safety operations; cyber; telecommunications; and federal, state and local government. Because our Board members come from across the nation, they understand the needs of our stakeholders — whether in remote/rural or more urban areas.

I also want to take a moment to recognize the Board members who have completed their service to FirstNet, including Kevin McGinnis, a member of the Board from its inception and a strong voice for the EMS community, and Annise Parker, who served on the Board’s Committee for Public Safety Advocacy and helped us engage with our local government stakeholders. We’re incredibly grateful for all they’ve done for our organization and public safety as part of FirstNet.

With our Board now in place, let’s move full speed ahead to deliver on the promise of FirstNet. Together, we’re creating a broadband communications experience that transforms public safety operations – and saves lives.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Council

This Just In

FirstNet News

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, January 10, 2019

AT&T: FirstNet Connections Increase 60% Since October

Emergency Responders Using More Digital Data and Technology

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate: Looking Forward to 2019, January 3, 2019

Horowitz Eyes FirstNet 2.0, Board Meeting With New Members

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, December 6, 2018

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 29, 2018

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 11, 2018

Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, November 1, 2018

ACTING CEO EDWARD PARKINSON: Welcoming new members to the FirstNet Board