Utilities need to act during this window of opportunity 

By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

Putting politics aside, one of the problems with forging a partnership with utilities is determining who should be at the table to represent the sector’s interests....

Remember to feed the elephants 

By David Kahn

Earlier this year I attended NIST’s 700 MHz Public Safety Broadband Demonstration Stakeholders Meeting, where very smart people presented their visions for the national LTE/4G network. However there seemed to be a few elephants in the room that largely were ignored....

Creating global market critical to public-safety broadband success 

By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

Today's APCO/TCCA announcement does not guarantee that all continents eventually will migrate their next-generation public-safety radio systems to LTE, but it is a step in the right direction. ...

Public safety anxiously awaits 700 MHz broadband direction 

By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

Some of those most instrumental in stating the case for public safety’s need for additional spectrum and funding have been left in a rather uncomfortable limbo while anxiously awaiting word from the nation’s capital about the next steps they should take....

For a good time, call Bill Schrier 

By Glenn Bischoff (glenn.bischoff@penton.com)

One of my favorite people is Bill Schrier, who recently departed for the private sector after 29½ years in government, the last 8½ of which were spent as the CIO for the city of Seattle. The headline above this column is my attempt at some good-natured teasing of Schrier, with whom I spoke today. What I actually meant by the headline is that I thoroughly enjoy my conversations with him....

Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it 

By Glenn Bischoff (glenn.bischoff@penton.com)

Some states have laws on the books to punish those who call 911 for events that aren’t truly emergencies. But, as Trey Fogerty — director of government affairs for the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) — noted, it’s not always easy or expedient to enforce these laws. ...

McDowell casts doubts on incentive auctions 

By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

McDowell said he believes the amount of spectrum that will be available through incentive auctions will not be nearly as much as the 120 MHz projected in the FCC’s National Broadband Plan. ...

Adding low-cost ADP encryption could be a pricy decision 

By Scott Tschetter

A movement is afoot to add a proprietary encryption protocol called advanced digital privacy, or ADP, to Project 25 systems across the country. However, in so doing, users are at risk of losing federal grant funds....

Public safety in limbo while feds try to execute new law 

By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

It’s been six weeks since President Barack Obama signed into law the legislation reallocating the D Block to public safety while providing $7 billion to fund the buildout of a nationwide broadband network for first responders. While public safety remains clearly excited about the prospect, the initial euphoria definitely has died down as officials are asking, “How is all of this going to be executed?”...

For FirstNet, an unpleasant, but essential step toward productivity 

By Donald Denning

Shortly the members of the FirstNET board of directors will be selected and they will begin to form their team, which will begin with the always positive and exciting orientation phase. This undoubtedly will lead to the dissatisfaction phase, where individuals will struggle with power, control and conflicting issues....

Long-distance rescue saves public servants  

By Mary Rose Roberts (maryrose.roberts@penton.com)

Last year, East Haven (Conn.) Fire Department dispatcher Ray Kline didn’t expect to be working a call alongside first responders in central Maine, more than 300 miles from his one-person dispatch center. But a 911 call from local resident Erick Stolzman changed Kline’s perspective about how dispatchers can have a huge impact even at an incident miles away....

A new world requires new rules 

By Steven Devine

Public-safety leaders need to expand their perspectives and work with the regulatory community to ensure that any legacy rules still in place that may be burdensome to public-safety agencies are revisited as the sector travels down the path to an exciting broadband-centric future....

A mother like no other 

By Glenn Bischoff (glenn.bischoff@penton.com)

A loyal reader informed me that the frequency-hopping technology today known as spread spectrum — upon which cellular communications and other wireless technologies, such as CDMA, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, are based — was invented by the actress Hedy LaMarr....

Backhaul must be a priority for LTE network 

By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

Many initial concepts to utilize microwave networks designed for low-bandwidth LMR systems have had to be revamped after engineers started calculating the backhaul required to avoid creating throughput bottlenecks beyond the base station....

Miami-Dade County keeps LMR focus amid LTE excitement 

By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

Like many public-safety communications officials today, Felix Perez is a busy man. As the director of Miami-Dade County’s radio communications information division, he’s in charge of maintaining the existing 800 MHz LMR system, overseeing the rollout of a new P25 system and testing on a new 700 MHz LTE pilot project....