Cover Story

Failure is not an option

An Urgent Communications staff report

The public-safety, government and enterprise sectors are understandably excited about the communications future, but myriad obstacles threaten to derail the migration to next-generation technology....

What we'd like to see happen in 2012

Editors' top 12 wishes for 2012...

What we think will happen in 2012

Editors make their predictions for 2012....

Key questions for 2012

Top questions Urgent Communications editors want answered in 2012....

Feature

A bright idea

By Colman Kean

An electrical utility finds that installing a fiber-optic backbone for its smart grid not only improves its service to customers, but also its bottom line....

First Word

When a freight train derails, questions abound

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

It would have been nice to know exactly what was on board and how much of it there was. It would have been nice to know the direction and speed of the wind, and whether we were in any danger of chemical exposure from the smoke that may or may not be wafting in our direction. It would have been nice to know whether we needed to get the hell out of Dodge. ...

View from the Top

If not now, when?

By Jeff Johnson

The D Block must be reallocated and this network must be built, not only for the safety of our nation and the men and women who selflessly protect our country every day, but also for the economic benefits and jobs creation it will bring....

Final Word

Don't believe narrowbanding delay rumor

By Alan Tilles

By now, you may be aware of the bill introduced by Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) that would delay the current narrowbanding deadline by two years. The bill (H.R. 3430) is just two pages long, and only directs the FCC to delay the deadline — there is no explanation as to why....

Dispatches

Military official: xG Technology system a ‘potential game changer’

By Donald Jackson

Known as xMax, the xG Technology solution operates on unlicensed spectrum and avoids interference by assessing the radio-frequency environment in a given location every 33 milliseconds and utilizing airwaves that are available....

App turns CAD texts into GPS driving directions

By Mary Rose Roberts

The app converts text dispatch data into Google navigator and provides firefighter-engineers with GPS-based driving directions to an incident, said Patrick Jackson, the app’s developer and a career fire engineer with the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Fire Department....

Raytheon outfits LA County sheriff’s department with mobile computers (with related video)

By Donny Jackson

Deputies are beginning to leverage broadband technologies in the field with Panasonic Toughbooks installed in cruisers, SUVs and other vehicles. ...

EWA asks FCC for TETRA clarification

By Donny Jackson

Enterprises choosing opting to utilize TETRA technology should be required to complete the frequency-coordination process to ensure they operate on airwaves that will not generate harmful interference to a TETRA network or neighboring systems, according to a recent filing from the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA). ...