Networks & Systems Commentary

Commentary

FirstNet’s public-safety-first approach to 5G and evolving the first-responder network

You would be hard-pressed to read the news today and not find a headline about 5G. It has been an exciting year for the telecommunications industry as a whole, with initial 5G services becoming more available on smartphones and tablets — including some of the devices our first responders use during emergencies and everyday operations. […]

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

New technologies drive code advancements for in-building public-safety communications

In-building coverage is a significant challenge for first-responder emergency communications, according to an International Fire Chiefs Association report based on a Safer Buildings Coalition survey conducted in 2018. According to the report, 98% of emergency responders said that they were having problems with their communication because of dead spots in a building, while 56% said […]

Commentary

Unfinished Business: Why NFPA and IBC fire codes need to kill the fire phone

In the human body, the appendix seems to serve no functional purpose. Why did the organ appear? How can it come out of people’s bodies with no harm? Much as a person’s appendix is a mystery organ with no value, the North American fire codes contain a similar useless bygone artifact. The omnipresent-but-never-used wired two-way […]

Commentary

Unlocking the power of ESInets: Different NG911 provisioning approaches exist; level of control is key differentiator

Next-generation 911 (NG911) systems represent a quantum leap forward for the public-safety community and the citizens that it serves. Internet Protocol (IP)-based and broadband-enabled, such systems are capable of considerably more than legacy 911 systems, which is why many emergency communications centers (ECCs) from coast to coast are clamoring to implement them. The broadband capabilities […]

Partner content

Ransomware? Let’s call it what it really is: extortionware

Just as the targets of these attacks have shifted from individuals to corporations, so too has the narrow focus given way to applying force and pressure to pay. No one needs reminding that ransomware has reached incredible proportions; one widely reported statistic from Purplesec suggests that $20 billion was paid out in 2020. That’s almost double its […]

Commentary

Redefining communications for today’s mobile workforces

Communicating with personnel was already a challenge for companies with workers in the field, deskless staff who travel, as well as widespread workforces in siloed divisions and office locations. Now that COVID-19 has all but eradicated traditional in-person relationships and many in-office team members are now working remotely, keeping everyone synced is an even more […]

Partner content

Hi-tech sewer can help safeguard public health, environment and economies

In the wake of the coronavirus, economic recovery is top of mind for all city leaders, the majority of whom believe that investing in infrastructure and technology can spur a rebound. Yet current analyses indicate that we only have funding available to cover approximately 57 percent of infrastructure system improvements through 2029, leaving an investment gap of $2.6 […]

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 […]

Networks & Systems Commentary

Commentary

FirstNet’s public-safety-first approach to 5G and evolving the first-responder network

Commentary

Complacency is not an option

Commentary

For public-safety communications, our past guides the future

Commentary

New technologies drive code advancements for in-building public-safety communications

Commentary

Unfinished Business: Why NFPA and IBC fire codes need to kill the fire phone

Commentary

Unlocking the power of ESInets: Different NG911 provisioning approaches exist; level of control is key differentiator

Partner content

Ransomware? Let’s call it what it really is: extortionware

Commentary

Redefining communications for today’s mobile workforces

Partner content

Hi-tech sewer can help safeguard public health, environment and economies

Commentary

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

Commentary

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

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

FirstNet success means no hypothetical ‘shots’ need to be fired, Swenson says

Events

UC Ezines

IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

Twitter

FirstNet PTT technical progress highlighted by AT&T at APCO 2022 dlvr.it/SWZtNJ

Newscan: D.C. appeals court upholds FCC decision to share 5.9 GHz V2V spectrum with Wi-Fi dlvr.it/SWZQpx

Cisco confirms data breach, hacked files leaked dlvr.it/SWV8l9

Researchers developing health-monitoring e-tattoo dlvr.it/SWV749

Partnership launches no-cost wastewater monitoring service for local governments dlvr.it/SWV5PK

Verizon Frontline demos connectivity and emergency response to chemical spill drill dlvr.it/SWV4cg

Research claims driverless tech still too easy to trick dlvr.it/SWMDts

Coalition expresses urgent need to NG911 funding, wants more than proposed $10 billion dlvr.it/SWL5VW