Cover Story

In-Building Blocks

By Lynnette Luna

Municipalities finally have the tools to push in-building public-safety communications throughout the country, but cost and complexity threaten to slow the process....

Features

Fancy footwork

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

Wearable device turns troops into walking mesh nodes, extending network range and capabilities....

Can less be more?

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

Defense agency seeks to reduce need for communications infrastructure....

Rescue me

By Peter Thornycroft

IP PBX vendors and third parties are working to help PSAPs take emergency calls from Wi-Fi phones....

Crystal clear

By Jay M. Jacobsmeyer, P.E.

Almost every radio has a crystal oscillator — here's how they work....

Code blue

By James W. Hart, P.E.

Radio, RFID tags and more can cause havoc with hospital equipment....

First Word

Old school in the new school

By Glenn Bischoff

It is fortunate that there are people who possess the requisite patience to work as teachers, lest we become a nation of dolts. Couple that patience with boundless energy and enthusiasm, and you have something truly special. You have Carole Perry....

Dispatches

Federal government flooded with broadband stimulus applications

By Lynnette Luna

The NTIA said more than 320 applicants are seeking about $2.5 billion for broadband awareness, training, access and support, while another 360 are asking for a total of $1.9 billion for computer centers to expand broadband access. The rest want funding for infrastructure projects. ...

PSST to seek D Block for public safety

By Donny Jackson

Congress should reallocate the 10 MHz commercial D Block spectrum in the 700 MHz band for public-safety use, the board of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) — the nationwide license of the public-safety broadband spectrum adjacent to the D Block — voted yesterday....

North Dakota revamps 700 MHz waiver request

By Donny Jackson

North Dakota has resubmitted its waiver request to the FCC that would allow early buildout of a 700 MHz broadband system on public-safety broadband spectrum in the band, as well as use of airwaves currently reserved for public-safety narrowband services....

FCC releases emergency-preparedness report

By Donny Jackson

The “FCC’s Preparedness for a Major Public Emergency” was prepared by the FCC’s public-safety and homeland security bureau (PSHSB), which conducted a 30-day state-of-readiness review launched by Chairman Julius Genachowski. ...

Verint developing speech analytics for 911 centers

By Donny Jackson

Public-safety answering points (PSAPs) now can use Verint Systems' patent-protected call-recording and speech-analytics technology to analyze trends in 911 calls and help improve call-taker performance or to assist in investigations. ...

Gear

Motorola launches new rugged computing device

By Donny Jackson

Motorola this week announced the MC9500, a new rugged handheld computer that is designed to extend the functionality of the company's best-selling MC9000 line....

Alvarion offers license-exempt, quasi-licensed solution

By Lynnette Luna

WiMAX vendor Alvarion, which has been targeting Internet service providers, public safety, municipalities and utilities looking to deploy smart grids with WiMAX technology, introduced a product designed for the license-exempt and quasi-licensed frequency bands....

Computer-aided dispatch systems

Learn about computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems from Midian Electronics, Omnitronics, PlantCML, VPI, Winsted, and Zetron....

Final Word

Listening to 'lone' voices

By Alan Tilles

Dear Editor: In your online column of Sept. 17, "A fine line exists between consensus and repression," you stated that "... those who opposed the [800 MHz rebanding] plan were vilified. We were among them. We argued that there was no way to know whether $850 million would be enough." I'm not sure who you believe vilified you, but it certainly didn't come from this corner....