TOP NEWS FROM IWCE 2005

Reporter’s notebook: IWCE 2005

Apr 15, 2005 6:18 PM, By Glenn Bischoff

So much happened last week at IWCE 2005 in Las Vegas that we couldn’t report on all of it, even in a town where no one sleeps. Here are few items that, while buried in our notebooks, are still noteworthy...

Motorola, other vendors reveal replacement-radio strategies

Apr 12, 2005 12:18 PM, By Donny Jackson

Some radio vendors at IWCE in Las Vegas last week announced that they plan to manufacture new radios with outdated features that will qualify as replacement radios under the terms of the FCC’s 800 MHz rebanding order...

FreeLinc introduces wireless accessories for two-way radios

Apr 12, 2005 12:12 PM

FreeLinc last week at IWCE in Las Vegas debuted wireless accessory products that leverage magnetic-induction technology to let two-way radio users communicate hands-free without introducing security risks, according to company officials...

IWCE: North Carolina police department deploys Motorola in-vehicle video solution

Apr 8, 2005 12:16 PM, By Glenn Bischoff

LAS VEGAS--Motorola announced during IWCE 2005 that it has landed a contract with the Wilmington (N.C.) Police Department to deploy its Mobile Video Enforcer system, and said it would introduce a new capability that would enable officers in the field to wirelessly transmit video footage captured by the system...

IWCE: Utilities still eager to share public-safety radio systems

Apr 8, 2005 12:05 PM, By Glenn Bischoff

LAS VEGAS--A prominent attorney representing the interests of the nation’s public utilities said during an educational session at IWCE 2005 here that utilities are still eager to share public-safety communications and that there is no reason for first responders to fear such an arrangement...

IWCE: Transition Administrator establishes rebanding “to-do” list

Apr 8, 2005 12:01 PM, By Donny Jackson

LAS VEGAS--Members of the Transition Administrator (TA) team this week answered some questions about licensees’ responsibilities during the 800 MHz rebanding process while promising more detail in the near future....

IWCE: Mesa shares P25 lessons learned

Apr 8, 2005 11:51 AM, By Doug Mohney

LAS VEGAS--The City of Mesa, Ariz., is in the process of completing a transition over to Project 25, joining with neighboring Phoenix on a multi-year project initiated in 1996 to build a regional interoperable P25 network. A representative from the city shared their experiences in acquiring and deploying the technology over a nine-year period during the Project 25 Symposium at the 2005 IWCE conference and sponsored by the Project (25) Technology Interest Group...

IWCE: EADS to purchase Nokia’s TETRA assets

Apr 7, 2005 1:45 PM, By Glenn Bischoff

LAS VEGAS--EADS announced it plans to acquire Nokia’s TETRA assets. EADS expects the transaction to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2005, pending regulatory approvals, said Peter MacLaren, the company’s president of public safety...

IWCE: The promise and peril of SDR for first responders

Apr 7, 2005 12:31 PM, By Doug Mohney

LAS VEGAS--Software-defined radio (SDR) holds both potential benefits for first responders and requires issues to be resolved, said Fred Frantz, director of law enforcement programs for L-3 Government Systems. Speaking at a Wednesday afternoon session on interoperability at the 2005 IWCE conference, Franz said “the killer app” for SDR is interoperability. “SDR has the potential for first responders to load in waveforms at incidents,” allowing them to easily communicate with each other and other agencies. ...

IWCE: Harris unveils H-Class platform

Apr 7, 2005 11:50 AM, By Donny Jackson

LAS VEGAS--Harris yesterday debuted its H-Class content-delivery platform, which is designed to let public-safety agencies deliver rich media content such as video to first-responder vehicles via datacasting from television broadcast towers...

IWCE: Technology session reviews pros, cons of wireless alternatives

Apr 6, 2005 11:08 AM, By Donny Jackson

LAS VEGAS--Utilizing the strengths of various wireless technologies and masking their weaknesses is critical to successfully implementing an effective integrated network, according to speakers during a Tuesday technology session at IWCE in Las Vegas...

COMMENTARY FROM IWCE 2005

Rebanding promises to be a taxing proposition

Apr 8, 2005 11:47 AM, By Donny Jackson

Representatives for 800 MHz licensees being rebanded as part of Wave 1 may want to make an extra effort to get their tax returns finished early this year, as they could be too distracted on April 15 to be bothered with last-minute filings to Uncle Sam...

SAFECOM: Holistic approach is the only way to conquer interoperability

Apr 7, 2005 11:13 AM, By Glenn Bischoff

Last week in this space I suggested that public safety spend less time complaining about the dearth of interoperable communications nationwide and devote greater effort to achieving region-wide consensus on interoperability strategies. Yesterday, representatives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Project SAFECOM, speaking during an educational session at IWCE 2005 here, made the same suggestion...

Cronauer: Spectrum property rights inevitable

Apr 6, 2005 11:09 AM, By Doug Mohney

Delivering the keynote this morning at the 2005 IWCE Show in Las Vegas, Adrian Cronauer predicted the end of the existing spectrum licensing policy with a migration to a true property-rights regime...

IWCE reflects a changing industry

Apr 1, 2005 12:00 PM, By Alan Tilles

If memory serves, I believe this will be my 20th International Wireless Communications Expo. In that time, profound changes have occurred in the land...

PRODUCTS AT IWCE 2005

Products take center stage at IWCE

Apr 1, 2005 12:00 PM, By Glenn Bischoff

In addition to its bright lights, one-armed bandits and what happens here, stays here, culture, Las Vegas is known for another icon of indulgence: the...