Collections

FirstNet board does not vote on proposed draft RFP, will meet again in the ‘very near future’

• 25th March 2015

​Expressing a desire to ensure that the draft request for proposal (RFP) “right” before releasing it, FirstNet board members say they will revisit the document during a meeting in the “very near future” to address remaining issues—specifically some financial aspects of the proposed nationwide public-safety broadband network.

Firefighters’ union claims of RF dangers jeopardizes LA-RICS public-safety LTE project

• 23rd March 2015

Complaints from a firefighters union that radio-frequency (RF) emissions from LTE sites being installed at several Los Angeles-area fire stations are a health hazard could derail the regional public-safety LTE system, according to an official with the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS), which is building the network.

LA-RICS has reduced the number of LTE sites in its planned deployment from 232 to 177, according to LA-RICS Executive Director Pat Mallon.

Expect the unexpected: PSAP planning for atypical events is challenging, but necessary

• 19th March 2015

How can a public-safety answering point (PSAP) prepare for events that happen so infrequently they barely register on the radar screen or fall outside the scope of a PSAP’s normal responsibilities? It’s a challenging task, but a failure to take such events into account could have disastrous consequences for the citizen in need, the PSAP and the public safety agency it serves.

FirstNet’s role as spectrum licensee critical as states consider opt-out alternative

• 18th March 2015

FirstNet’s relationship with opt-out states or territories is explored in a public notice released last week. It includes a lot of legal detail, but interested parties should remember the fundamentals associated with FirstNet’s role as the spectrum licensee.

Congressional hearing on FirstNet offers fresh insight into potential opportunities, challenges for commercial partners

• 12th March 2015

Carriers, vendors, owners of network infrastructure, and other entities that wish to partner with FirstNet should keep in mind some of the key opportunities and challenges about business opportunities with FirstNet that could be gleaned from this week’s hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee.

FirstNet’s Swenson to Congress: Final RFP due this year, ‘we should be shot’ if 2022 goal not met

• 11th March 2015

FirstNet Chairwoman Sue Swenson testifies before the Senate Commerce Committee that FirstNet plans to issue its final request for proposal (RFP) by the end of this year and that “we should be shot” if the much-anticipated nationwide broadband network for first responders is not operational by 2022.

FirstNet takes first step toward getting down to business

• 10th March 2015

Does FirstNet have the right to take excess revenue generated in an “opt-out” state to use elsewhere in the nation? The answer promises to have a significant impact on FirstNet’s business mode, how bidders approach FirstNet’s final request for proposal (RFP), and the relationship between FirstNet and the states/territories.

FirstNet board initiates public-notice proceeding on relationship with ‘opt-out’ states

• 9th March 2015

FirstNet board members approve a public notice that seeks input on FirstNet’s relationship with states and territories that choose the “opt-out” option, including how revenues generated by opt-out states can be used. Policies associated with these topics could have a significant impact on FirstNet’s efforts to establish a business model that ensures long-term sustainability, according to FirstNet Chairwoman Sue Swenson.

Airbus DS CEO highlights company’s ‘momentum,’ planned 911/LMR partnerships with commercial carriers

• 6th March 2015

Airbus DS Communications continues to see customers adopt its VESTA 911 platform and is proceeding with plans to partner with commercial carriers to offer mission-critical 911 and P25 service to public-safety entities in the United States, according to company CEO Bob Freinberg.

NXT-ID seeks patent for voice-authentication technology for making payments, other potential uses

• 26th February 2015

Authentication-solutions provider NXT-ID announces that it has filed a provisional patent for a system that leverages voice-recognition technology to ensure a secure and convenient method for making payments. The same approach can be used to authenticate secure user access to networks and databases, according to a company official.