News FCC set to vote on 4.9 GHz order, despite public-safety opposition 30th September 2020 FCC commissioners are scheduled to consider new rules that would let states lease 4.9 GHz spectrum—a 50 MHz swath that has long been designated for public-safety use—to commercial entities amid considerable opposition from public-safety organizations and representatives. Under the proposed 4.9 GHz order, states would be given the ability to lease 4.9 GHz spectrum to […]
News Assured Wireless co-founder, CEO Tom Bilotta dies 29th September 2020 Assured Wireless today announced the death of its founder, chairman and CEO Tom Bilotta and that the company—best known for developing high-power user equipment (HPUE) for FirstNet—now is being led by new President and CEO John Goocher. Bilotta, 63, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, Sept. 18, according to Assured Wireless. Private services will be […]
News Motorola Solutions announces P25 radio for firefighters with integrated LTE 25th September 2020 Motorola Solutions this week announced the APX NEXT XE, its high-end P25 radio designed for firefighter use that also is capable of leveraging LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity to deliver programming updates and some advanced applications, according to a company official. Scott Alazraki, Motorola Solutions product manager for APX devices, said the announcement of the APX […]
News FirstNet One LTE blimp used for first time in aftermath of Hurricane Laura 23rd September 2020 FirstNet One, recently completed its first real deployment providing public-safety communications, as the tethered the aerostat that acts as an LTE tower in the sky supported the response effort in Louisiana during the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, according to AT&T officials. “This was our first field deployment in a real incident,” Tom Steele, AT&T’s director […]
Partner content Connectivity steers toward the software-defined car 21st September 2020 Automotive industry stakeholders are heavily engaged in the creation, refinement and application of connected/autonomous-vehicle (CAV) technology in the quest to develop next-generation vehicles. According to James Hunt, CEO at aicas, advances in solutions that enable over-the-air (OTA) programming for vehicles are already answering stakeholder concerns relating to revenue for carmakers, third-party ability to introduce features […]
News Ericsson to buy Cradlepoint for $1.1 billion cash 18th September 2020 Ericsson today announced an agreement to pay $1.1 billion cash to acquire Cradlepoint—known in the U.S. public-safety market for providing broadband connectivity solutions in vehicles—in a deal that is expected to close by the end of the year. Ericsson President and CEO Börje Ekholm described Cradlepoint as a leading provider of wireless-edge WAN enterprise solutions […]
Partner content Why a unified communications platform is imperative for public safety 16th September 2020 Informed decision-making rests at the core of an effective response to any incident or event. Whether public or private sector, organizations must be capable of building a real-time, accurate picture of what’s happening. More importantly, they must be capable of doing so quickly and across multiple channels, without falling prey to misinformation or suffering from […]
News Ubicquia prepares to expand streetlight-based small-cell, smart-grid solutions portfolio 16th September 2020 Ubicquia plans to leverage $30 million in new funding to accelerate the development and deployment of its platforms, which plug into streetlight photocell sockets to deliver flexible smart-city, small-cell and smart-grid functionality in form factors that are often inconspicuous to the public, according to CEO Ian Aaron. “From smart city to small cell to smart […]
News UK public safety’s transition from TETRA to LTE-based ESN targeted for 2024 or 2025, Home Office officials say 15th September 2020 Emergency-services agencies in the United Kingdom (UK) are expected to stop using the Airwave TETRA LMR system in 2024 or 2025, when the transition to an LTE push-to-talk solution on the much-delayed Emergency Services Network (ESN) is scheduled for completion, officials for the UK Home Office said last week. Home Office Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft, […]
News Verizon official outlines potential 5G benefits for critical-communications users 12th September 2020 Public safety and other critical-communications users should benefit significant from Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband, the millimeter-wave offering that promises to deliver unprecedented data speeds, low latencies, quality of service and security, according to an official for the nationwide carrier. John Harris, Verizon’s federal director of mobility solutions, said during his keynote address at IWCE Virtual […]
Latest 3GPP standards-development work includes new classes of HPUE, progress on mission-critical services 1 22nd April 2024
Is LMR the best solution for first responders? Should 4.9 GHz license go to the FirstNet Authority? 3 24th March 2024
Video Check out key takeaways from Disaster Management Symposium webinars, register to view archives Video: Opening of the Expo Hall on day three of IWCE 2023 Lynk CEO Charles Miller: The sky’s the limit
