https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • 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
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • 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
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • 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

Tracking, Monitoring & Control


News

Polaris Wireless claims first end-to-end 911 solution with vertical location through collaboration with Qualcomm

Polaris Wireless claims first end-to-end 911 solution with vertical location through collaboration with Qualcomm

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 24th August 2021

Polaris Wireless announced that its vertical-location (Z-axis) information can be delivered to carriers for 911 purposes by users of non-iOS and non-Android phones through a collaboration with Qualcomm—a deal that is expected to make the first end-to-end 911 solution with Z-axis location commercially available early next year.

Polaris Wireless CEO and founder Manlio Allegra noted that the company’s vertical-location technology bettered the FCC’s vertical-location accuracy requirements in tests conducted in 2016 and 2018, but the collaboration with Qualcomm on a control-plane solution promises to make it available broadly.

“Back in 2019, we were naïve enough to think, ‘OK, we passed the test, so now we’re going to get deployed,’” Allegra said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “But it’s not that easy, as we all know. Through all of the trial and tribulations … we found out that having a technology and having a complete solution are two completely different tasks.

“We’ve had the technology now for the past three years … but up until this collaboration with Qualcomm, we didn’t have a solution for 911. This is what this collaboration does. It essentially creates the first Z-axis, FCC-compliant solution for 911. We provide the solution—the guts of the product, the technology and everything else—and Qualcomm makes sure that the valuable information about the altitude of the caller goes back to the carrier.

“Having the technology is only part of the story. Today, we can tell you that we have the complete story.”

Karl Kessenich, executive director of business development for Polaris Wireless, said the vertical-location technology will be a software update to the Qualcomm chipset.

Both Polaris Wireless and NextNav demonstrated technologies to meet the FCC’s guideline to provide the Z-axis location of a 911 caller within 3 meters—roughly the height a floor in many multistory structures—but getting this information to carriers proved to be challenging, Kessenich said.

“The carriers have publicly commented—and they mentioned this about both NextNav and Polaris Wireless—that we may have proven our accuracy, but neither of us have proven a complete end-to-end solution, going from the device all the way to the carriers,” Kessenich said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “The one piece that’s been elusive to both of us is this control-plane piece that is owned and controlled by Qualcomm. That’s why Manlio is saying that we now have an end-to-end solution.

“We’ve been working with all of the stakeholders in this ecosystem. The carriers are now aware of this, and we’re working with device guys, OS guys and other location-technology companies to do our part. It’s a major collaboration, but this Qualcomm piece was the blocker until now, and we’re not aware that anybody else has this ability on the control-plane solution.”

Current FCC rules call for carriers to begin supplying Z-axis location about a 911 caller beginning in April. Apple and Google are expected to provide vertical-location information for iOS and Android devices, but Polaris Wireless plans to make the data available from other phones, which represent 5-10% of the market.

“We’re not competing with iOS, and we’re not competing with Android. Apple and Google have a lock on the data on their devices, and they’re working with the carriers, so we’re not trying to inject ourselves into competing with them,” Kessenich said. “We can help them, if it’s necessary—it’s available—but our focus is on non-iOS, non-Android feature phones, low-end smartphones and things like that.”

Allegra acknowledged that “the initial market we are targeting is not huge by any stretch of the imagination,” but that should not diminish the significant achievement of having the first compliant 911 solution with Z-axis.

“This lends a lot of credibility to our company,” Allegra said. “This is first fully compliant control-plane 911 solution for Z-axis. After six years of technology testing, finally we have a complete solution.”

“This is a big statement from us. We are very happy about the partnership with a technology leader like Qualcomm, and the sky’s the limit, in terms of opportunities ahead of us.”

Allegra and Kessenich said current plans call for the Z-axis technology for 911 to be commercially available during the first quarter of next year.

Francesco Grilli, Qualcomm Technologies’ vice president of product management, said the chipmaker welcomes the opportunity to work with Polaris Wireless on the vertical-location issue for 911.

“The addition of vertical location is poised to help first responders to better determine the floor of an emergency caller within a multi-story building,” Grilli said in a prepared statement. “We continue to work with mobile operators, component manufacturers, and location innovators to support FCC regulations in a seamless manner for OEMs and users. We are proud of this work with Polaris Wireless to make it possible.”

Eddie Reyes, director of the Department of Public Safety Communications for Prince William County in Virginia, outlined the potential impact that Z-axis location could have on the response effort to emergency incidents.

“Location accuracy is improving but is still the most important factor in getting first responders where they are needed,” Reyes said in a prepared statement. “Polaris Wireless and Qualcomm Technologies are helping departments like mine do our jobs better, respond faster, and, ultimately, save lives in the communities we serve.”

 

Tags: homepage-featured-4 Applications Companies Critical Infrastructure Dispatch/Call-taking Enterprise FCC Federal Government/Military Incident Command/Situational Awareness News Policy Public Safety Software State & Local Government Subscriber Devices System Installation System Operation Test & Measurement Tracking, Monitoring & Control Wireless Networks News

Most Recent


  • Microsoft Outlook vulnerability could be 2023's 'It' bug
    Microsoft recently patched a zero-day vulnerability under active exploit in Microsoft Outlook, identified as CVE-2023-23397, which could enable an attacker to perform a privilege escalation, accessing the victim’s Net-NTLMv2 challenge-response authentication hash and impersonating the user. Now it’s becoming clear that CVE-2023-23397 is dangerous enough to become the most far-reaching bug of the year, security researchers are […]
  • Getting to know the how—and why—of the telecom cloud
    A funny thing happened during the pandemic: The giant cloud hyperscalers burst into the telecom industry. And now it’s time for everyone to get acquainted with them. Why? Well, it seems increasingly inevitable that a certain percentage – ranging from “a little” to “most” – of telecom operators’ network functions are going to run in […]
  • Zipline delivery drone docks, charges by itself
    Zipline has unveiled its new autonomous drone platform, designed to provide accurate everyday delivery to homes in the U.S., including in busy residential areas. Zipline’s previous delivery system worked by parachuting parcels into a specified area. Now the new drone, dubbed Platform 2 or P2 Zip, sends its goods down to customers via a tether […]
  • State and local leaders can alleviate the burden on public-safety personnel by tackling three workforce trends
    Government officials and public safety leaders wear many different hats. They serve as sounding boards for constituent complaints and for new ideas that need vetting. They are change agents charged with improving the lives of citizens and colleagues and are tasked with keeping order. Their most daunting responsibility, however, is keeping members of their community […]

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

  • 2020 is the year when vertical location becomes a reality for public safety
  • Change is coming: Location-technology predictions for 2019
  • Mark43, Polaris Wireless partner to deliver first-responder 3D location information to CAD system
  • ‘The Holy Grail’: Public safety applauds FirstNet vertical-location launch

Commentary


Updated: How ‘sidelink’ peer-to-peer communications can enhance public-safety operations

  • 1
27th February 2023

NG911 needed to secure our communities and nation

24th February 2023

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

State and local leaders can alleviate the burden on public-safety personnel by tackling three workforce trends dlvr.it/SlBH89

20th March 2023
UrgentComm

6G is shaping up to disappoint, and the industry can blame itself dlvr.it/Sl918J

20th March 2023
UrgentComm

Change is coming to the network detection and response (NDR) market dlvr.it/Sl4cts

18th March 2023
UrgentComm

Telcos need to build businesses, as well as networks dlvr.it/Sl4cRR

18th March 2023

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
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 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.