Policy & Law Commentary

Invest in public safety, now

The future of public safety in America is intrinsically inked with two words that you may not associate with police, fire, and EMS: “innovation” and “investment.” But these two words must be at the heart of the business of public safety in the very near future.

Fixing the nation’s 911 system will require commitment, not rhetoric

This week, during the National Emergency Number Association’s conference in Minneapolis, much of the chatter was about NENA’s i3 standards, which provide the technical guidelines for the development of next-generation 911 technologies.

United public-safety stance turns tide in D.C.

Right now, regardless of the bill’s ultimate outcome, public-safety officials should take note of what has been accomplished during this process. For years, first-responder representatives have complained that their voices have been drowned out in the halls of Capitol Hill by those of highly paid lobbyists representing corporations and special interests.

Movement on 700 MHz legislation appears imminent — finally

Regardless of the outcome for this and other issues related to the matter, it will be good to see public-safety broadband legislation be voted upon by lawmakers, instead of simply being debated again. As we near the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the time for such tangible action as getting this kind bill out of committee is certainly appropriate, if not long overdue.

D Block debate requires big-picture perspective

Politics and number-crunching aside, providing the spectrum and funding that lets public-safety users be armed with 21st-century communications tools in an ever-challenging environment is simply the right thing to do.

Rockefeller action a big step in the right direction

The goal is to make Rockefeller’s bill a law by Sept. 11, the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on American soil.

FCC should move LightSquared network off the fast track — for now

Rural America can wait just a bit longer to download hit movies at lightning speeds. It is far more important that the FCC move LightSquared off the fast track to protect critical GPS services that are far more important.

Incentive-auction proposals filled with promise, questions

If given the authority to conduct incentive auctions, the FCC plans to give TV broadcasters an option to relinquish valuable spectrum and share in the proceeds from an auction. For a cash-strapped broadcaster — and those certainly exist in the rough economic environment — it could be an attractive way to make ends meet, especially if 95% of its viewers access its programming via cable or satellite.

Feds need to clarify scope of proposed 700 MHz broadband systems

Broadening the potential user base to other government personnel would greatly improve the business case, in terms of economies of scale and additional funding sources. In addition, it would provide a unified network that could enable interoperability throughout all levels of a government entity.

CTIA panel: Many hurdles must be cleared to make NG-911 a reality

Next-generation 911 (NG-911) promises a robust, flexible platform that will allow public-safety answering points (PSAPs) to receive voice, video, text and data information from emergency callers, but several challenges remain before such systems can be deployed and implemented throughout the U.S., according to panelists at a CTIA Wireless session.

Invest in public safety, now

Fixing the nation’s 911 system will require commitment, not rhetoric

United public-safety stance turns tide in D.C.

Movement on 700 MHz legislation appears imminent — finally

D Block debate requires big-picture perspective

Rockefeller action a big step in the right direction

FCC should move LightSquared network off the fast track — for now

Incentive-auction proposals filled with promise, questions

Feds need to clarify scope of proposed 700 MHz broadband systems

CTIA panel: Many hurdles must be cleared to make NG-911 a reality

Commentary

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