Motorola wins campus contracts at Chinese universities 

By Donny Jackson

The China Education and Research Network (CERNET) has chosen Motorola’s HotZone Duo solution to provide public Wi-Fi access on three university campuses as part of a pilot program, the vendor giant announced this week...

Atheros’ new solution reduces 802.11g costs  

By Donny Jackson

Atheros Communications today launched the AR5007EG chip, an integrated 802.11g PCI Express (PCIe) solution designed to provide cost-effective wireless LAN, or WLAN connectivity for desktop and lower-cost notebook PCs projected to hit the market during the next two years....

LGC Wireless pays $15 million for Alvarion unit  

By Donny Jackson

In-building wireless solutions vendor LGC Wireless yesterday announced that it has closed a deal to pay $15 million for Alvarion’s cellular mobile unit (CMU) that will let LGC offer in-building systems that utilize readily available IP backhaul....

Speaker: Disaster communications ‘not ready’ a year after Katrina  

By Donny Jackson

There are many lessons to be learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but the public-safety communications problems cited in numerous reports likely will be repeated because critical issues are not being addressed, a first responder at the scene said during a panel at the IWCE/MRT Summit....

NetMotion includes QOS in latest Mobility XE release  

By Donny Jackson

Mobile VPN software vendor NetMotion Wireless yesterday announced the availability of Mobility XE version 7.1, which adds quality of service (QOS) features that should help mobile workers using latency-sensitive video or voice-over-IP (VoIP) applications....

Mixed message: FCC dismisses Cyren Call petition but continues to solicit comments 

By Donny Jackson

In an unusual procedural action, the FCC on Friday dismissed Cyren Call Communications’ petition for rulemaking that proposes a public-private partnership to build a nationwide broadband network for public safety utilizing 700 MHz spectrum earmarked for auction to commercial providers....

NENA launches initiative to better coordinate NG911 development  

By Glenn Bischoff

The National Emergency Number Association, or NENA, last week launched an initiative that the organization hopes will ensure a coordinated and managed approach to the deployment of next-generation 911 systems nationwide...

FCC invites comments on Cyren Call 

By Donny Jackson

Cyren Call Communications’ plan calling for a public-private partnership to establish and operate a nationwide broadband network will be the subject of a 30-day comment period, the FCC announced late yesterday....

Guard-band licensees agree to pay costs for new 700 MHz plan  

By Donny Jackson

Access Spectrum and Pegasus Communications this week offered to cover additional incremental costs that would be associated with the companies’ joint proposal to reconfigure the 24 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum that has been allocated for public safety....

Atheros to buy Attansic in $71 million deal 

By Donny Jackson

Wireless-solution developer Atheros Communications this week announced an agreement to pay $71.5 million to buy Attansic Technology, a Taiwan-based fabless semiconductor company that specializes in Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet solutions....

Police chiefs seek additional 30 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum 

By Donny Jackson

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) this week passed a resolution expressing support for the reallocation of 30 MHz of spectrum in the upper 700 MHz band to be held in trust for public safety—a notion first proposed earlier this year by Cyren Call Communications...

Motorola: Proposed 700 MHz reallocation cost neutral to public safety 

By Donny Jackson

Proposals to reallocate public-safety spectrum in the upper 700 MHz band would involve minimal costs to public-safety agencies, which should make them easier to consider, a Motorola official said this week....

FCC makes first decisions on TV ‘white spaces’ spectrum  

Vacant spectrum between television channels—often described as “white spaces”—can be used to deliver low-power, fixed wireless services after the digital television (DTV) transition is completed, the FCC tentatively concluded today....

Donahue to leave Sprint Nextel  

By Donny Jackson

Sprint Nextel Executive Chairman Tim Donahue will retire effective Dec. 31, and former Liberty Media President and CEO Robert Bennett has been appointed to the Sprint Nextel board, the wireless carrier announced today....

Intrado next-gen 911 testing program gains participants  

By Donny Jackson

Leading 911 systems provider Intrado this week announced that several technology companies are participating in Intrado’s Intelligent Emergency Network (IEN) Connect program, which lets providers test their products to ensure that they interoperate within the next-generation 911 environment....