Let’s start this week with a math quiz! What does “More RF Interference from more different sources minus FCC Field Engineers equal?” The answer of course is more and more interference left to the Public Safety community to find and remedy. This is what is about to happen in spite of the recent NPSTC visit to the FCC and the presentation of a lot of data regarding interference. The NPSTC report on their meetings with the FCC can be found here: http://blog.npstc.org/2015/05/07/fcc-field-office-closure-proposal-gets-cool-reception-at-npstc-meeting/.
This is the continuation of a very disturbing trend within the FCC. In the “good old days” the FCC Commissioners would never rule on any spectrum issues without consulting with their Engineering folks. Today most of those folks hail from the IT world and it appears, as least from the outside looking in, as if they are not consulted before the non-technical folks making the recommendations get their ideas passed into law. The FCC is now going to decimate an already decimated group within the FCC the Field engineers. These are the folks who go out and investigate interference issues and who have the clout to get the problems resolved once they are found. Without their assistance the Public Safety Community and many others are on their own. From my vantage point the amount of interference is going to get worse and worse.
Many new Fluorescent light ballasts, LED and other light bulbs emit a LOT of RF interference and yet all are self-proclaimed as meeting the FCC’s emission standards. What about LTE and other broadband transmissions in the 900, 800 and 700 MHz spectrum adjacent to Narrow band communication? LTE does not just stop at the edge of their 5 or 10 MHz spectrum allocation, but causes some level of interference on both sides of the LTE carrier. The RF noise floor, that is the level of noise which is present in a given portion of the spectrum when there are no radio signals in it, is going up with each passing year. This means that receivers don’t hear remote traffic that they used to, and it could mean that a first responder who needs help, cannot get their transmission through to seek that help. The fact that the FCC is basically walking away from these issues is very troublesome.
The FirstNet RFP questions are due back to FirstNet on the 28th of this month, and then comments are due on the contents of the RFP by the end of July. It will be interesting to see what questions are asked and more importantly what the answers are. If any of you will be at the Dayton Hamvention look me up, my friends and I hang out in flea market spaces 737,738, and 739, stop by and say hello! Have a Great Week-end Andy
Enforcement Bureau Tries to Reassure Public Safety Officials – Radio World via Google Alerts May 7 12:55 FCC officials have spent time trying to reassure broadcasters that attention to RF interference complaints will not decline if the agency implements its …
Commission renews attempt to harmonise spectrum rules – EurActiv via Google Alerts May 8 08:45 While the DSM strategy mentions the 700 MHz band will be used to expand broadband, it also briefly references the audiovisual industry, generally …
The Gateway to Public Safety’s Long Term Evolution – Motion Computing via Google Alerts May 8 08:10 Which wireless network 3G, 4G LTE or FirstNet will be the most reliable and have the best coverage for public safety?
APCO International Awards Leaders in Public Safety Policy (APCO – Association of Public-Safety … – World News via Google Alerts May 7 21:15 Source: APCO – Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International Inc) Last night the Association of Public-Safety Communications …
End of 2016 FirstNet Contracts – National Public Safety Telecommunications Council – NPSTC via Google Alerts May 7 14:16 First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) acting Executive Director TJ Kennedy said today that it’s too early to predict whether the authority might …
APCO International Awards Leaders in Public Safety Policy – Public Safety Communications – APCO International via Google Alerts May 6 23:55 Last night the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International honored the recipients of its prestigious Public Safety …
Wireless LTE for Public Safety Pilot Project Developed in Minnesota to Establish State Model for … – Competitive Carriers Association via Google Alerts May 6 19:20 Opportunities on how to evaluate public-private partnerships in a public safety broadband network deployment; Execute a model MOA between the …
Feds to cable industry: Embrace broadband competition, or else – CNET via Google Alerts May 6 18:21 The new FCC Net neutrality rules and the agency’s rejection of the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger were also meant to protect competition.
LTE Summit Fingers Bureaucracy Not Technology as FirstNet’s Achilles – Wireless Week via Google Alerts May 1 08:35 While $7 billion in funding for a nationwide interoperable first responder’s network has already been allocated via the promise of the upcoming 600 …
FCC Sets Comment Dates for Non-Service-Initialized Phones Proceeding – MissionCritical Communications, Radio Resource International, and Public Safety Report … via Google Alerts May 7 23:55 The NPRM sought feedback on whether the obligation to transmit 9-1-1 calls on NSI devices continues to serve as an important public-safety objective …
Bakcell gets 700 MHz frequencies for LTE – Global TD-LTE Initiative via Google Alerts May 7 18:05 Azerbaijan mobile operator Bakcell has received additional spectrum in the 700 MHz band to provide LTE services, reports Telecompaper.com on …
Positioning, Navigation, and Timing & Spectrum Management – Research and Innovative Technology Administration – U.S. Department of Transportation via Google Alerts May 7 17:23 Another Study Suggests Some Narrowband GPS Receivers. Graphic Version. Designed with Sufficient ABI Resistance. Compares to Inexpensive …
Qualcomm, Broadcom at Odds Over LTE-Unlicensed – EETimes May 7 16:01 The FCC has declared its intention to monitor promoters of the new LTE-U, pressuring them to play nice – and fairly – in the unlicensed spectrum with those who rely on Wi-Fi for broadband business. Stakes are high for everyone involved.
Network Neutrality: Mobile Broadband is Now a Commercial Mobile Radio Service – TMCnet via Google Alerts May 7 15:45 My friends ask me: ‘We always knew mobile was regulated by the FCC. We have all these FCC fees on our bill. What’s the big deal with network …
Mobile Wireless – Open Government Data Platform India via Google Alerts May 7 10:20 Data shows the trends of internet subscribers which includes wired, fixed Wireless and Mobile Wireless. Segment wise ( Broadband and Narrowband) …
FCC Seeks Comments on 911 Call-Forwarding Requirements for Non-Service-Initialized Phones – Targeted News Service via Google Alerts May 6 16:15 Public safety representatives have indicated that NSI devices are frequently used to …
FCC – Public Safety And Homeland Security Bureau Announces Comment And Reply Comment … – Colorado Media.Net via Google Alerts May 6 13:55 FCC – Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Announces Agenda for May 8, 2015 Workshop On The Use of Smartphone Apps In The Provision …
Netflix’s plea to FCC: Reject the merger between AT&T and DirectTV – xmlpush May 6 13:00 Netflix is asking the Federal Communications Commission to reject AT&T’s proposed merger with El Segundo’s DirecTV. The Los Gatos-based company said the $48.5 billion deal would increase the combined company’s incentive and ability to harm online video distributors and other Internet content that can be viewed as a threat to AT&T’s broadband and video programming businesses. The merger, if approved, would make AT&T (NYSE: T) the largest multichannel video programming distributor, according…
FirstNet NPSBN Development – NPSTC via Google Alerts May 6 11:25 NPSTC is a federation of organizations whose mission is to improve public safety communications and interoperability through collaborative …
xG Technology Announces Agreement with Drakontas to Co-Market xMax Broadband Network … – xG Technology via Google Alerts May 6 11:25 Alliance Will Provide Robust Command and Control Communication and. Collaboration Solution to Public Safety Agencies. Sarasota, FloridaMay 6, …
Tower companies see lower Q1 network spending from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile – with Sprint … – FierceWireless via Google Alerts May 1 11:00 T-Mobile plans to expand its LTE network to 300 million POPs by year-end, both through the deployment of its 700 MHZ A Blocks spectrum and by …