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....

Nokia introduces Wibree technology 

By Donny Jackson

Wireless equipment maker Nokia yesterday introduced Wibree, a new short-range technology operating in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band that is as robust as Bluetooth but utilizes less power than Zigbee....

Boeing wins border-security contract  

By Donny Jackson

Chicago-based federal contractor Boeing has been awarded a contract to establish a hi-tech network of sensors and other surveillance equipment along the Mexican and Canadian borders as part of the U.S. government’s Secure Border Initiative (SBI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced yesterday....

Intrado makes Los Angeles County ready for VoIP E-911 

By Donny Jackson

Los Angeles County public-safety answering points (PSAPs) can accept voice-over-IP (VoIP) E-911 calls and transfer calls with the push of a button after 911 vendor Intrado deployed its V911 solution in the county, the company announced recently....

Motorola to buy Symbol Technologies 

By Donny Jackson

Motorola has agreed to pay $3.9 billion in cash to purchase enterprise mobility solutions vendor Symbol Technologies, the companies announced yesterday....

Motorola releases incident-scene management suite 

By Donny Jackson

Motorola last week introduced Incident Scene Management, a suite of wireless broadband solutions for public-safety and government entities that are required to coordinate responses to large-scale emergencies....

New York City awards $500 million wireless contract to Northrup Grumman 

By Donny Jackson

New York City this week announced that it has awarded a five-year, $500 million contract to Northrup Grumman to provide the city’s broadband wireless public-safety network...

iPass partners with Tropos, US Wireless Online 

By Donny Jackson

Enterprise connectivity software vendor iPass this week announced a partnership with mesh-networking equipment maker Tropos Networks to make ...

Intrado conducts VoIP 911 location trial in New York  

By Donny Jackson

Leading 911 systems vendor Intrado this week announced the successful completion of a trial in New York City to automatically locate 911 callers using a mobile voice-over-IP (VoIP) device and deliver the information to a public-safety answer point (PSAP)....

Providence unveils first-responder mesh data network 

By Donny Jackson

City of Providence, R.I., officials yesterday announced that a new citywide mesh network is allowing police and fire personnel to access broadband data and video from ...

Harris announces Truepoint enhancements  

By Donny Jackson

Microwave communications vendor Harris yesterday announced a capacity expansion to its flagship Truepoint solution that is designed to give international operators additional backhaul flexibility. Previously, maximum PDH microwave offerings internationally were provide...

Cisco introduces public-safety advanced technologies program 

By Donny Jackson

ORLANDO--IP-based vendor giant Cisco Systems announced its Solutions with Advanced Technologies (SWAT) program this week here at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) conference...

Data interoperability project nears completion 

By Glenn Bischoff

ORLANDO--A project begun in January to develop standards that would let a variety of public-safety agencies share data across multiple vendor platforms is scheduled to conclude next month, according to officials speaking yesterday at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials conference...