Interoperability Commentary

Commentary

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

I’m from a little town in West Texas. As a Texan, I like getting straight to the point: I believe that emergency communications are a matter of national security. Because this message is so important, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has designated this April as the first-ever Emergency Communications Month. At CISA, we […]

Commentary

Rethinking mega-event private critical communications after Astroworld

The catastrophic loss of life in November at the Astroworld music festival in Houston is a potent reminder of the special critical-communications needs that should be considered at large venues hosting tens of thousands of participants. Large-scale mega-events—for example, football games, music festivals, and concerts—are not unusual, and many take place safely. But tragedy is […]

Commentary

Complacency is not an option

A rising tide of public-safety broadband networks (PSBN) around the globe creates opportunities for agencies delivering police, fire, and emergency medical services. But along with the chance to rethink traditional voice communications and add new broadband-enabled tools, agencies must assess and plan for the risk of network failure. Networks designed for public-safety operations incorporate layered […]

Commentary

For public-safety communications, our past guides the future

Reflecting on past innovation can inspire industry to deliver more for first responders. As the country honors first responders today, those of us in the public-safety community bear a special responsibility to recognize the valor of those who keep the public safe, protected, and healthy. We must show them our gratitude by making their jobs […]

Commentary

Collaborative PS-IOT could supply missing pieces in public safety’s common operating picture

The explosive growth of the LTE ecosystem results from standardized open interfaces that enable the interconnection of innovative devices and networks. Much as LTE has grown thanks to a virtuous cycle spawned by standardized interfaces, so will future advances in public-safety command and control systems. At Fire Rescue International 2021 in Charlotte, innovators brought at […]

Commentary

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

The world has changed significantly in recent months, and there is no doubt we are living in unprecedented times. The ways in which we communicate have evolved rapidly, particularly for the first responders who have stepped up to fight the pandemic, wildfires, and more. There has been not just a flurry of new users, but […]

Commentary

How satellite communications create a critical connectivity link for first responders

During the 2019 California wildland fires, at least 874 cellphone towers were unavailable because of power outages or tech issues and damage from fire and wind. Up to 57% of cell sites in impacted areas were not working. The situation created what the director of the state’s Office of Emergency Services, described as a “worst-case […]

Commentary

FirstNet Authority standards director recaps June 3GPP Plenary Meetings in Newport Beach, Calif.

The June quarterly Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) meetings in Newport Beach, Calif., addressed standards in several areas relevant to the evolution of the public-safety broadband communications and the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). The major topic across the 3GPP plenary meetings was planning for 3GPP Release 17 (R17). This release will be built […]

Commentary

Why every PSAP needs to be vigilant about cybersecurity

Public-safety answering points (PSAPs) are now well aware of the real-life stories behind the industry’s new concern: cybersecurity. As a quick reminder, here are a few examples that reiterate this significant threat: March 2018—A ransomware attack compromises Baltimore’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), causing a shutdown of the digital dispatch and recording systems. December 2017—A California man […]

Commentary

Trick or treat? Next few months could influence direction of critical-communications world

It’s Halloween, a time that celebrates the unusual and surprising. Even when you can anticipate that something is going to happen, it can be difficult to predict whether it will scare you to death or result in sweet rewards that can put a smile on your face. A similar sense of anxious expectation is surrounding […]

Interoperability Commentary

Commentary

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

Commentary

Rethinking mega-event private critical communications after Astroworld

Commentary

Complacency is not an option

Commentary

For public-safety communications, our past guides the future

Commentary

Collaborative PS-IOT could supply missing pieces in public safety’s common operating picture

Commentary

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

Commentary

How satellite communications create a critical connectivity link for first responders

Commentary

FirstNet Authority standards director recaps June 3GPP Plenary Meetings in Newport Beach, Calif.

Commentary

Why every PSAP needs to be vigilant about cybersecurity

Commentary

Trick or treat? Next few months could influence direction of critical-communications world

Commentary

Reflections on recent LTE outages

Necessity indeed is the mother of invention

LTE and liability: Why the fire service must move forward with digital incident command

Events

UC Ezines

IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

Twitter

Newscan: Federal cyber mandates for water infrastructure too costly to implement, experts say dlvr.it/SZ5LZy

South Korea wants half of all cars to be autonomous by 2035 dlvr.it/SZ4rcB

Cloud and hosted UC services outpace growth on-premise dlvr.it/SZ4Zkr

Twitter’s whistleblower allegations are a cautionary tale for all businesses dlvr.it/SZ1g18

BT emergency-call handlers set to join strike action in UK dlvr.it/SZ1cBL

Amazon Web Services launches smart cities hub to connect communities with experts dlvr.it/SZ1bFK

Samsung announces new rugged smartphone, tablet with 5G support dlvr.it/SYtgTd

FirstNet Authority CEO job posted officially, application deadline set for Oct. 24 dlvr.it/SYt7zN