Reporter's notebook

Oct 16, 2008 3:11 PM, By Glenn Bischoff and Donny Jackson

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Networks & Systems

Tyco Electronics M/A-COM today announced that the first phase of New York’s $2 billion Statewide Wireless Network is ready for testing by the state’s Office for Technology (OFT). The company also said it had resolved all of the technical issues raised in the OFT’s notice of default, which was issued in late August. A system test is scheduled for November. If that test goes well, an operation test will follow in December. Should the state reject the first phase of the buildout, it can void the contract without paying any money to M/A-COM, which already has spent more than $50 million on the project and has secured a $100 million performance bond. …

EF Johnson Technologies announced it has received a contract from the City of Norfolk, Va., to deploy a video-surveillance system that will be used by first responders in the city. The system offers FIPS 140-2 encryption and utilizes pan/tilt/zoom cameras. “It will extend the reach of first responders into troubled areas,” Councilman W. Randy Wright said in a statement. …

The City of Augusta, Maine, has chosen Tait Radio Communications to deploy a Project 25 VHF simulcast radio system that will be used by police and fire personnel. The contract includes the purchase of P25 mobile and portable radios that will be used on the 2-site, 4-channel system, which will replace a 20-year-old legacy system that was capable of providing just 60% coverage, according to Tait. … Tuesday marked the end of the reply comment period regarding E911 location requirements for cellular services. FCC spokesman Rob Kenny said the commission hopes to approve rules on the matter before the end of the year. …. Tuesday also marked the beginning of the 30-month schedule for 800 MHz rebanding along the U.S.-Canadian border. Government officials continually note progress in rebanding negotiations with Mexico, but no deal has been reached to date. …

On Oct. 1, the FCC named Jon Peha as the agency’s chief technologist. As a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Peha wrote several white papers regarding the concept of a public-private shared network for public-safety use. It will be interesting to see if his input can help tweak the FCC’s 700 MHz D Block proposal in a manner that works for both a commercial partner and first-responder agencies. … Speaking of the D Block, the FCC recently established a deadline of Nov. 3 for comments on its latest proposal. Reply comments on the matter are due Nov. 12.