https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

content


FCC agenda out of sync with market

FCC agenda out of sync with market

Lynchburg, Virginia Dear Ted, After attending the recent Motorola consultant seminar, which you
  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 1st August 2003

Lynchburg, Virginia

Dear Ted,
[Chairman Ted Dempsey
Implementation subcommittee, NCC]

After attending the recent Motorola consultant seminar, which you also attended, I then attended the APCO National Homeland Security seminar in Washington, D.C. I have come to the realization that what is going on in Docket 96-86 and the National Coordinating Committee is not meeting the national need. Things have changed and the FCC needs to recognize this and change course on the 700MHz band spectrum to support Homeland Security.

As things are and might be:

As you and I both learned at the same time, the APCO P25 standard is not a standard at all in the normal context. It is a vendor contracting infrastructure document. This arises out of the vendor option for three feature sets: mandatory, optional and value added. What this means is that the subscriber manufacturers are at the mercy of the infrastructure supplier. At this time one — Motorola.

Two other defects existing at this time are. First — the lack of console interface documents; thus console suppliers are locked and at the mercy of the infrastructure supplier. Second — there are no inter-system documents so that two adjacent systems have no assurance of being connected on an open standards basis.

The funding at the federal level is being directed toward APCO P25 systems directly. Redoing what was done in the past with fixed location frequencies with the results of the above is that what is evolving is an uncontrolled, unregulated monopoly, and hence what we are seeing is the APCO P25 system costs 22 percent to 55 percent above other comparable systems.

What then does the nation need?

The nation needs:

  • The ability to float frequencies where they are needed (like cellular, PCS and Nextel).

  • The separation of government infrastructure control from vendors to users.

  • The ability to transport subscriber units nationwide, like cellular, PCS, and Nextel.

  • Critical communications infrastructure not being used as a pawn in the political process.

  • A purchasing/user organization on parity with vendors in technical management and control.

Reality:

  • The national government networks are dynamic in evolution, implementation, and operation.

  • Networking [interoperability] cannot be achieved by the way things were done in the past.

  • Networking [interoperability] cannot be achieved utilizing static industry standards that take years if not decades to develop.

The solution:

  • The frequency and infrastructure [not subscribers] needs to be under the auspice of national/regional structuring.

With my new enlightenment and the changes as a result of the events of Sept. 11, I cannot support the fixed static regional planning process.

A new and different methodology regulatory structure must be found for the good of the nation.
Frederick G. Griffin, P.E.
President

A rebuttal

Albany, New York

I am dismayed that your transmittal to “the world” contains sweeping generalities and only a few crumbs of factual information. I am sure that many would take issue with your broad stroke statements about what cannot be done for Interoperability on a nationwide basis.

It is true that the Console Interface and the Inter-RF SubSystem Interface (ISSI) are still works in progress. And, although you didn’t mention it, the Fixed Station Interface is also a work in progress. It may be relevant to understand that the direction of those standards development efforts was changed recently to become Internet Protocol based, which offers the potential for a more flexible, efficient, and robust network design.

You draw a broad brush picture of the Project 25 standards — as you refer to them. In point of fact, Project 25 is based on a definition of user needs embodied in a Statement of Requirements (SOR) document, which serves as the basis for the standards development effort of the Telecommunications Industry Association’s TR-8 Engineering Committee.

The SOR was developed from input by representatives of local, state and federal public safety entities. The resulting standards that have been developed follow an American National Standards Institute process and ultimately become ANSI standards.

The standards that have been incorporated in the 700 MHz rules of the FCC (47 CFR §90.548 and §90.553) for Interoperability are in fact ANSI standards. These required Standards for Interoperability define the most basic mode of operation — conventional common air interface, as opposed to trunked FDMA or TDMA, and include clear and encrypted voice, and data communication.

Numerous manufacturers offer products that meet these requirements in one or more frequency bands. Some offer subscriber equipment, some also offer fixed stations, and others offer complete systems. In some cases, proprietary equipment is offered for complete systems, which includes the capability to support the FCC required Interoperability Standards.

Technology is evolving at such a rapid pace, that one must realize it is essential to have some baseline common mode of digital communication for communication interoperability to take place at all. Under such circumstances, the traditional requirement for a Public Safety system requiring a “mature technology/product” is no longer feasible. A mature technology or product is an obsolete technology or product in these times. The best we can hope for is to have a uniform method of communication that we can automatically fall back to when we need Interoperability between disparate systems. We have that in the present FCC rules cited above.

With regard to Regional Planning, this system of local involvement in the planning process allows for the types of variation that are appropriate and desired by the Public Safety entities within their Region. The State Interoperability Executive Committees (SIECs) were formulated to provide a level of uniformity for plan development, operation and administration of Interoperability on a statewide basis. The suggestion has been put forward to allow the SIECs to have jurisdiction over all FCC-designated Interoperability channels. And, while the FC has not yet acted favorably on the NCC recommendation for uniform nomenclature to describe the FCC-designated Interoperability Channels, it is possible that the SIECs could each require such uniform nomenclature within their Statewide Interoperability Plans. It is unclear why the FCC is inconsistent in this matter, since they have no problem specifying uniform nomenclature for the Emergency Medical Service UHF “MED” channels in 47 CFR §90.20(d)(66)(i).

Clearly, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security should be an active participant in each of the 50 SIECs, and this will go a long way toward solving your perceived Interoperability concerns.

If your letter to the FCC, FTC and others was intended for the Federal marketplace, was it really appropriate to send this to the FCC and the NCC, which do not have jurisdiction over Federal radio communication matters?

I am sorry that I am not able to attend the NCC meetings this week, as I am sure this correspondence deserves significant discussion to bring out the issues with accuracy, clarity and specificity. Hopefully some of the issues I have addressed above will add to the enlightenment.
Robert F. Schlieman
Member of NCC
APCO Project 25 Steering Committee
Regional Planning Committees — 8, 30 and 55

Letters policy

Mobile Radio Technology welcomes all comments, suggestions and complaints.

Send them to mrtletters@primediabusiness.com.

We reserve the right to edit for spelling and grammar, length, and libelous or inappropriate material.

Please include a phone number so we can confirm authenticity.

We also reserve the right to respond when appropriate.

Tags: content

Related


  • Photo gallery: 2014 Communications Marketing Conference (CMC) in Tucson
    This photo gallery features scenes from the 2014 Communications Marketing Conference (CMC) in Tucson, Ariz.
  • Top 5 Stories - Week of Sept. 22
    Top 5 Stories - Week of Sept. 22
    Here’s a look at the most popular stories on IWCE’s Urgent Communications from the last week.
  • RCA plans to expand this year's Technical Symposium
    RCA plans to expand this year's Technical Symposium
    Recent presentations, given by both startups and major corporations, have included fractal antennas, LTE, emergency communications, "invisibility cloaks" using RF, disabling IEDs with RF and tropospheric ducting.
  • Newscan: Securing the Internet of Things is quite a challenge
    Newscan: Securing the Internet of Things is quite a challenge
    Also: EWA requests dismissal of 900 MHz applications; TIA names tech and policy priorities for 2014; IJIS Institute names Shumate Award winner; App makes bus waits more tolerable; a Blackberry comeback may be in the offing.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Newscan: Texting 911 becomes an option for some Pennylvania cell-phone users
  • Newscan: Senator wants inventory of government spectrum
  • CMA conducts 40th conference this week
  • Newscan: Missouri county may have to drop 911 if sales-tax hike fails

Commentary


Public safety needs a better way to triage emergency calls

13th January 2021

In challenging year, working with public safety to move FirstNet forward

30th December 2020

Communications solutions must evolve quickly to meet needs of a changing world

31st October 2020
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: 📆 Mark Your Calendars: IWCE will be returning to Las Vegas this September and registration is slated to open in April 📆 Wa…

15th January 2021
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: ⚡FLASH SALE: Don't miss this exclusive offer! Passes to #IBFVirtual are now 50% off with code TWITTER50. Take advantage of th…

6th November 2020
UrgentComm

Get ready for part 2 of "Ensuring Public Safety Emergency Communications" next week! @PCTEL_inc will explore… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

3rd November 2020
UrgentComm

Over the past few months, we’ve seen the world transform, and it's clear that cities will be affected in the long-t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27th October 2020
UrgentComm

Florida state & local agencies subscribing to the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS) will be able to co… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
UrgentComm

Tune in to @slacorp CEO Josh Lober as he explains how the company has fully integrated its #PTT application to work… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
UrgentComm

.@SierraWireless announced the commercial availability of the AirLink MG90 platform, which they tout as the first m… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
UrgentComm

Attorneys for #Hytera and #MotorolaSolutions this week submitted final written arguments, apparently clearing a pat… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

22nd October 2020

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X