Audio TCCA: Tony Gray discusses organization’s TETRA history, work toward LTE future 9th March 2020 As TCCA celebrates its 25th anniversary, TCCA CEO Tony Gray talks about the organization’s support of the development of TETRA—the LMR standard for public-safety agencies in Europe and many other parts of the world—as well its crucial role in helping get the 3GPP standards body to create public-safety standards within LTE technology. As public-safety […]
News FirstNet suffers data-service outage in southeast U.S. 6th March 2020 Data service for some FirstNet users was interrupted Thursday morning, but the issue was resolved, according to FirstNet contractor AT&T, which indicated that it is investigating the cause of the outage. “Early this morning, data service was affected for some customers in the Southeast region,” according to an AT&T statement provided to IWCE’s Urgent Communications. […]
News Latest coverage figures, third-party data indicate AT&T narrowing 4G coverage, performance gaps with Verizon 5th March 2020 Recent 4G LTE coverage figures from AT&T, Verizon and an independent third-party industry source reveal that Verizon holds about a 70,000-square-mile 4G coverage advantage nationally—a fraction of the 450,000-square-mile advantage touted by Verizon in communications to public safety for years, and as recently as last month. Verizon’s web site includes a page stating that its […]
Partner content In a new data decade, constituent experience reigns 29th February 2020 Over the years, humans have predicted fantastical feats would be achieved by 2020, from robot servants to public space travel. Now that 2020 is here, some of the accomplishments are different—but still grand. In the decade ahead, transformational technologies that better meet constituent needs will define the missions of local government leaders. Advancements in 5G, […]
News AT&T updates FirstNet numbers, says it has closed coverage gap with Verizon 27th February 2020 FirstNet subscribers—more than 11,000 public-safety agencies representing more than 1.2 million connection—have access to an expanding AT&T LTE network that covers more than 2.61 million miles in the U.S., making the coverage difference between AT&T and Verizon “nearly imperceptible,” according to an AT&T executive. “We’ve been on a mission for some time now to make […]
Commentary Real-Time Situational Awareness: Today’s Holy Grail 25th February 2020 So, I have heard this expression before, but what does it really mean? Holy Grail: something that you want very much but that is very hard to get or achieve. Well, that seems about right, as “real-time situational awareness” or a “common operating picture” are goals that are often bandied about in public-safety and emergency-management […]
Video B4PS: Niki Papazoglakis outlines initiative for secure, low-cost collaboration platform 24th February 2020 Niki Papazoglakis, the principal at Mobility 4 Public Safety, outlines the purpose of Bridge 4 Public Safety (B4PS), a proof-of-concept initiative led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology directorate that hopes to encourage the development of a secure, no-cost/low-cost collaboration tool that will let first responders safely message each other […]
Video TEEX: Warren ‘Country’ Weidler notes challenges integrating new technologies, dangers of autocorrect 20th February 2020 Warren “Country” Weidler, the search-and-rescue coordinator for Texas Task Force One and part of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), describes the recent cybersecurity-related response exercise conducted at the Winter Institute, where he led the incident-command post. With LMR radio unavailable under the scenario, chat messaging, pictures/video from drones and other communications methods were […]
Partner content Verizon: We have more unused network capacity today than five years ago 18th February 2020 Verizon this week sought to counter ongoing worries that its wireless network won’t be able to support any more customers or traffic. Specifically, the company released a chart showing the growth of traffic on its network and its efforts to keep pace with that traffic through the application of more spectrum and new wireless technologies […]
News Manatee County (Fla.) selects RapidDeploy to provide cloud-based 911 tactical mapping, data analytics 18th February 2020 Manatee County, Fla., soon plans to install RapidDeploy’s cloud-based NG911 Bundle, which is expected to provide tactical-mapping and data-analytics capabilities to the county’s 911 emergency communications center. Funded with almost $100,000 from a state grant program designed to let public-safety answering points (PSAPs) procure next-generation 911 (NG911), the RapidDeploy Radius Plus platform being implemented in […]
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