The IWCE show is next week in Las Vegas. It should be another great show this year and I am sorry I will miss it for the first time in many years. I had planned to attend and take part in some of the programs but ended up with a conflict since the CCA (Competitive Carriers Association) spring conference is the same week in San Antonio and I will be hosting one of my Wireless Universities at that event on Wednesday.

IWCE is one of the most important shows for the Land Mobile Radio (LMR) industry, not only Public Safety but all LMR users as well. There are, of course, educational sessions on Monday and Tuesday and then the conference starts on Wednesday and runs through Friday. There are sessions for anyone and everyone involved in LMR and now broadband wireless communications, and it is a good opportunity for those within the industry to come together and find out what is in store in the upcoming year or so.

There is, of course, a track regarding FirstNet, which I am sure will be well attended, as well as many other tracks and sessions. Unfortunately, I am sure that some of the vendors will be showing their Push-To-Talk (PTT) over LTE offerings and touting PTT over the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network. My response to all of the hype and miss-information regarding PTT over LTE for Public Safety can be found here:  It is here: http://andrewseybold.com/3369-why-the-rush-to-voice-over-lte

I will miss seeing those I know and meeting people I have not had the pleasure of meeting, but I will be following the IWCE activities through Urgent Communications and other news sources. I am particularly curious about Motorola’s new APX LMR/LTE radio and its features and functions, and of course its price point. There will be more broadband products on display I am sure, and I also expect to see several other integrated devices with LMR and LTE capabilities. Have a great show! Andy

FirstNet meeting reveals roadmap, staff structure – Fierce Mobile Government via Google AlertsMar 19 20:55After more than two years in existence with little transparency into its operations, the First Responder Network Authority board revealed during a March …

NTIA announces plans to transition from role in coordinating domain name system – The Ripon Advance via Google Alerts Mar 21 02:56 The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced on Friday its intention to transition key …

Gov’t push for broadband access yields gains; data privacy still a challenge – Network World Fusion Mar 20 09:01 President Obama’s National Broadband Plan has helped expand Internet access in the U.S., but needs to be updated to account better data protection needs.

SAIC supporting broadband emergency network – Breitbart – breitbart.com via Google Alerts Mar 19 21:45 SAIC is to provide planning support services for a public safety broadband data network of the state of California, the company announced.

UN chief hails US plan to relinquish Internet control – Global Times via Google Alerts Mar 19 20:20 … welcomes the announcement by the US Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of 14 March …

No, The U.S. Didn’t Just Give Up Control Of The Internet – Business Insider Mar 19 15:55 Late last week, the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced that it intended to “transition key Internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community.” In its press release, the administration said that it would ask ICANN, the Los Angeles, Calif., based nonprofit responsible for making sure that the names we use to identify websites are consistent everywhere, to develop a proposal that would transition control of the organization away from the NTIA…

NY police commissioner: NYPD-FirstNet a ‘match made in heaven’ – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts Mar 14 15:57 “Having the best technology without a public-safety broadband network, in some respects, is like having a bullet train with no tracks to ride on,” he said …

Region 12 (IDAHO) Public Safety RPC To Hold Annual 700 MHZ meeting | FCC.gov – fcc.gov via Google Alerts Mar 21 00:56 PUBLIC NOTICE. Federal Communications Commission. News media information 202 / 418-0500 445 12th St., S.W.. TTY 202 / 418-2555.

Gov’t Push for Broadband Access Yields Gains; Data Privacy Still a Challenge – CIO Mar 20 09:01 President Obama’s National Broadband Plan has helped expand Internet access in the U.S., but needs to be updated to account better data protection needs.

Gogo’s Business Aviation Group Announces New Communications System – Wall Street Journal via Google Alerts Mar 18 12:57 Available with one, two or three Iridium voice/narrowband data channels, plus one dedicated Iridium data channel, the system allows business aircraft …

ICANN: never mind the conspiracy theories – Telecom Asia Mar 18 11:34 As you no doubt know, the US government has announced it will give up control of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is working to transition governance of ICANN to the global community, with input from stakeholders such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), the Internet Society (ISOC), the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), TLD operators and VeriSign, to make…

FCC to hold workshop on technology, public safety – WRAL Tech Wire via Google Alerts Mar 18 09:57 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announces a workshop on “Public …

Over $5.1M for wireless in Picuris Pueblo, Navajo Nation – taosnews via Google Alerts Mar 18 06:56 Ben Ray Luján announced that the Federal Communications Commission will award over $5.1 million to support mobile broadband service in areas of …

FirstNet officials shed light on network considerations – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts Mar 17 13:57 FirstNet staff members last week reiterated a commitment to ensuring that the much-anticipated nationwide broadband network for first responders will …

Senators push FCC for rural broadband support fund – The Ripon Advance via Google Alerts Mar 17 06:56 Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) called on FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to move forward with a $100 million fund to help support …

Public Safety and Homeland Security – FCC – fcc.gov via Google Alerts Mar 16 08:55 Federal Communications Commission. …

FCC to Hold Public-Safety All-IP Workshop April 17 – 18 – MissionCritical Communications, Radio … – rrmediagroup.com via Google Alerts Mar 14 23:56 The FCC announced a workshop on “Public Safety Imperatives for All-IP …

FCC Approves AT&T’s Leap Acquisition :: Mobile Broadband Strategies :: Yankee Group – yankeegroup.com via Google Alerts Mar 14 20:57 FierceWireless reports AT&T made a series of concessions to get the approval, including agreeing to keep Leap’s Cricket brand, aggressively …

Almost one-third of U.S. households have no choice for broadband Internet service – Boy Genius Report Mar 14 09:45 Nearly one-third of households in the United States have either no choice for home broadband Internet service, or no options at all. The frightening statistic comes from a presentation given to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce this week by SoftBank CEO Mayoshi Son, and it cited data provided by the Federal Communications Commission this past December. Son used the upsetting wireline broadband stats to reinforce his position that Sprint, which is owned by his company SoftBank, and T-Mobile should merge. The combined company would be able to blanket the country more thoroughly with high-speed 4G wireless service that Son says…