Lots of Net Neutrality news this week as the FCC moves to try and make some changes to the Internet. This is going to be an interesting issue to watch and reactions are mixed, some really like what the FCC is proposing and some oppose it. Meanwhile Congress is weighing in but only because donor dollars are being received by those with one view or another. FirstNet appears to be making progress after many months of stagnation. It is good to see them moving forward, hiring good people, and working closer with the States, Territories, and Tribal Nations. I hope the momentum continues. As Bill Schrier points out in his articles listed in the news, this is a daunting task but it can be done. I was very encouraged by the comments of the acting General Manager of FirstNet at the IACP event recently in which he reiterated the need to continue to make use of, and invest in, existing Land Mobile Radio systems. With all of the hype surrounding voice over IP or VoLTE, and the OMA now saying they are working with 3GPP on a Push-to-Talk Standard for LTE, I am still concerned that elected officials will stop funding needed upgrades to LMR Public Safety Systems. This would be unwise and could create some real problems for the Public Safety Community. Have a great holiday week-end and the news summary will continue the week after next. Andy

“I’m Building the First Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network” — Medium – medium.com via Google AlertsMay 22 10:58Which is similar to: “I’m helping to put a Man on the Moon”

Railroad Police Should Have Access to Public-Safety Interop Spectrum (5/20/14) – rrmediagroup.com via Google Alerts May 21 15:04 The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) asked the FCC to modify Part 90 rules to give railroad police access to frequencies …

PSCR’s 2014 Public Safety Broadband Stakeholder Conference – project25.org via Google Alerts May 17 03:00 NPSTC’s FCC Regulatory Update Spring 2014 …

FirstNet seeks new board members – Fierce Mobile Government via Google Alerts May 15 00:58 The law that created FirstNet dictates a few quotas for the board. Three members must have worked as public safety professionals, and three must … [Editor’s Note (Andrew Seybold): Will new Board members change the direction of FirstNet?]

State of Montana cancels licenses to 700 MHz public-safety narrowband spectrum – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts May 21 23:57 FCC officials grant an application from the state of Montana to cancel the … [Editor’s Note (Andrew Seybold): As the Build out deadline approaches for the States]

APCO Announces 2014 Public Safety Communications Awards (5/20/14) – rrmediagroup.com via Google Alerts May 21 15:04 The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International announced the winners of the 2014 Public Safety Communications …

The FirstNet Initiative: A Rare Opportunity at the Federal, State & Local Arena | Government Sales … – immixgroup.com via Google Alerts May 20 12:03 The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) initiative is one of those rare …

Verizon flips switch on 700 MHz-enhanced XLTE | iMore – imore.com via Google Alerts May 19 11:58 The enhanced-LTE service uses Verizon’s AWS spectrum to double the …

Public safety frequencies – 9fss.net via Google Alerts May 18 12:56 The FCC’s Table of Frequency Allocations consists of the International …

Nation’s Leading Public Safety Orgs Offer Unanimous Support for FCC Rule to … – One News Page – onenewspage.us via Google Alerts May 17 14:58 … public safety and public health organizations submitted comments this week in support of a proposed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) …

FCC Vote to End Net Neutrality Means Nothing | TheBlot – theblot.com via Google Alerts May 17 08:56 Broadband companies call the FCC vote on net neutrality a major step …

South Korea deciding on 700 MHz for public safety after Sewol ferry disaster – Land Mobile – landmobile.co.uk via Google Alerts May 16 03:58 Broadband … South Korea deciding on 700 MHz for public safety after Sewol ferry disaster …

The FCC Should Let All Competitors Bid on the Spectrum Necessary to Give Americans 21st … – Huffington Post via Google Alerts May 15 20:57 The FCC Should Let All Competitors Bid on the Spectrum Necessary to Give Americans 21st Century High-Speed Mobile Broadband.

Implementing Public Safety Broadband Provisions | FCC.gov – fcc.gov via Google Alerts May 15 18:58 Federal Communications Commission · The FCC · Leadership …

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Vows to Protect Open Internet – Government Technology News May 15 14:55 The Federal Communications Commission voted on May 15 to proceed with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on network neutrality. The new proposed rules consider multiple pathways to broadband regulation and increase the Commission’s oversight of open Internet principles. The FCC now seeks comment on two specific ways to protect the open Internet, which are outlined in the proposal. The first relies on the belief of some that the FCC has power to broadly regulate…

FCC Advances New Rules for Internet – WSJ: Technology May 15 13:45 The FCC advanced new Internet rules that would ban broadband providers from blocking or slowing down websites, but allow them to strike deals with content companies for preferential treatment.

The FCC’s Net Neutrality Proposal Is About Giving the FCC More Power – Reason.com Full Feed May 22 15:55 The key thing to understand about the Federal Communications Commission’s new net neutrality proposal is that it’s not strictly about net neutrality or fast lanes or any of the other regulatory buzzwords you hear. Instead, it’s primarily about giving the FCC more power and more authority to regulate what sorts of business practices are acceptable for broadband Internet providers. The FCC, of course, is framing the rules as a kind of light-touch approach that…

Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials. APCO stands for Association of … – Acronyms – allacronyms.com via Google Alerts May 22 11:59 Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials definition, categories, type and other relevant information provided by All Acronyms.

Public Safety Bureau, Market-Based Pending Terminations, 5/21/2014 | FCC.gov – fcc.gov via Google Alerts May 22 04:59 Federal Communications Commission …

Taking the Lead: Broadband for sustainable development – Trinidad News via Google Alerts May 22 02:58 … health care, e-commerce, e-government and public safety and security. Every year, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) celebrates …

Lawmakers to FCC: stop mulling net neutrality reclassification – Network World Fusion May 21 13:00 Republican legislators don’t even want the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to think about reclassifying broadband as a utility — a route the regulator could take in order to reinstate net neutrality rules.

AT&T’s DirecTV Acquisition Places Major Bet on Proposed FCC Net Neutrality Rules – strategyanalytics.com via Google Alerts May 21 11:59 Combined with the FCC’s new proposed rules for Net Neutrality/Open Internet Broadband and the Comcast / Time Warner merger, the stars are all …

FCC chairman expresses concern about TV networks blocking websites – LA Times May 20 17:55 Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler expressed concern during a congressional hearing over the growing practice of programmers blocking access to their websites during fights with pay-TV and broadband providers. Asked by Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) if such incidents are a…

Mobile Broadband Working Group Open Internet Advisory … – FCC – Docstoc – docstoc.com via Google Alerts May 20 16:58 Mobile Broadband Working Group Open Internet Advisory Committee Jennifer Rexford Princeton University http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jrex Mobile …

NTIA Sets Up AWS-3 Transition Site – Multichannel News via Google Alerts May 20 15:59 The National Telecommunications & Information Administration has created a Web site with information about the upcoming AWS-3 transition, which is …

FCC Decision Paves the Way for Broadband Innovation | Broadcom Connected – broadcom.com via Google Alerts May 20 00:55 Last week there was an important development for the wireless broadband industry � one that�s set to have a lasting effect on the way that…

APCO Brings Public Safety to the Middle East – Zahal IDF Blog News – zahal.com via Google Alerts May 19 16:57 The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International announced today that its training arm is reaching to Saudi Arabia in …

Public Safety Organizations Support FCC Rule to Help Find Wireless 911 Callers – GPS World magazine via Google Alerts May 19 15:58 Find Me 911 seeks to ensure that the FCC moves forward quickly to establish a reasonable, measurable level of location accuracy for emergency calls …

FirstNet board member Charles Dowd reportedly will retire from NYPD – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts May 19 12:55 During the past several years, Dowd has been an outspoken proponent of public safety leveraging wireless broadband communications.

The Most Important Question AT&T Has To Answer Before It Buys DirecTV For $49 Billion (T, DTV) – Business Insider May 19 12:55 Now that AT&T’s intention to buy DirecTV for about $49 billion is official, the next step is to convince government regulators that the merger won’t hurt competition or consumers. Here’s how AT&T plans to dance around any potential concerns: First, AT&T says it will honor the FCC’s net neutrality rules from 2010 for three years following the merger. (More on the in a bit.) Next, AT&T will build out its broadband network, providing access…

FCC seeks comment on mobile broadband (RCR Mobile Minute) – Tech Investor News – techinvestornews.com via Google Alerts May 17 01:59 Mobile Minute: The Mobile Minute is sponsored by SpiderCloud Wireless. For now, mobile network operators are not subject to the same net neutrality …

CTIA-The Wireless Association?? Statement on the FCC’s May Open Meeting on the Spectrum … – IT Business Net via Google Alerts May 16 20:57 This historic effort has the potential to unleash vital spectrum to meet ever-increasing consumer demand for mobile broadband services, spur …

Improving Public Safety Communication in the 800 MHz Band | FCC.gov – fcc.gov via Google Alerts May 16 15:00 Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 ‘ May 15, 2014. DA 14-659. Small Entity Compliance Guide. Improving Public Safety …

Jersey Net | Broadband Working Group – JerseyNet, New Jersey’s Public Safety Network – State of … – nj.gov via Google AlertsMay 16 13:59The mission of the Broadband Working Group (BWG) of the New Jersey Public Safety Communications Advisory Council is to aid in the realization of …