Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet

News

PSCR testing extended-cell LTE for rural use

Initial downlink tests indicate data throughputs up to 16 MB/s at the cell edge–which in this case is 48 miles from the tower site.

News

FirstNet board to consider spectrum-lease deals with New Jersey, Adams County

Approval is expected as FirstNet’s finance conmmittee recommended the approval of both deals; the Adams County project–which will entail 18-20 sites and serve about 2,000 first responders–is expected to provide a “real-world testbed” to address issues about coverage, network speeds and core interoperability, said FirstNet GM Bill D’Agostino.

News

FirstNet GM clarifies position on spectrum arbitrage

FirstNet General Manager Bill D’Agostino issues a statement clarifying the FirstNet position on the role that spectrum arbitrage will play in the FirstNet business model, noting that it will be part of the strategy, “but it’s not our only answer.”

News

Newscan: FirstNet lists information for points of contact in states, territories

Also: Verizon triples LTE capacity in major cities; NENA comments on FCC actions regarding 911 reliability; ReliOn unveils enhanced fuel-cell system; AT&T responds to call for spectrum-auction limits; SIA welcomes FCC evaluation of rules regarding use of mobile devices aboard aircraft.

News

Recent FirstNet contracts clarified

Four firms–Information Management Resources, Redhorse, The Costas Group, and e-9 Corporation–receive contracts that collectively are worth up to $67.3 million over four years to provide FirstNet with technical, acquisition and general program support.

Commentary

FirstNet officials hint at business-plan components

While dynamic specrum arbitrage might be a strategy used by FirstNet to deploy it’s nationwide first-responder broadband within budget, “it won’t play a big role in what we do,” said General Manager Bill D’Agostino. However, he added that FirstNet is eager to identify partnership deals that would allow it to leverage its expected excess spectrum capacity–largely with carriers that need additional capacity, and with entities that can bring assets to the table, such as utilities.

Commentary

PSAPs should be viewed as a prime FirstNet partner

The ability to push text, audio, pictures and videos to first responders will have limited value if the greatest source of real-time, relevant information—the public—can’t send its media to PSAPs.

News

FirstNet officials commit to rural coverage

Another key goal is to provide mobile coverage over 95% of the nation’s land mass, possibly via satellite and/or self-organizing-network technology, according to Bill D’Agostino, FirstNet’s general manager.

Article

FCC grants STA extension to Texas, allows Harris County to continue LTE operations

County receives an additional 90 days to operate 13-site system using 20 MHz of broadband spectrum licensed to FirstNet; meanwhile, FirstNet is expected to extend spectrum-lease negotiations with the state of Texas, according to a FirstNet spokeswoman.

News

FirstNet officials: First states could opt into the network next fall

One of the first tasks that needs to be accomplished is for FirstNet staff to complete the evaluation of more than 300 responses to 11 RFIs that address potential solutions to myriad network, device and business-plan issues associated with the nationwide broadband system.

News

PSCR testing extended-cell LTE for rural use

News

FirstNet board to consider spectrum-lease deals with New Jersey, Adams County

News

FirstNet GM clarifies position on spectrum arbitrage

News

Newscan: FirstNet lists information for points of contact in states, territories

News

Recent FirstNet contracts clarified

Commentary

FirstNet officials hint at business-plan components

Commentary

PSAPs should be viewed as a prime FirstNet partner

News

FirstNet officials commit to rural coverage

Article

FCC grants STA extension to Texas, allows Harris County to continue LTE operations

News

FirstNet officials: First states could opt into the network next fall

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

Long-haul autonomous truck revealed dlvr.it/SQSczK

5G proponents fret over Biden’s fiber fancy dlvr.it/SQSYCp

Log4Shell exploit threatens enterprise data lakes, AI poisoning dlvr.it/SQRMng

Newscan: EV-infrastructure cyber vulnerabilities put cars, the grid at risk dlvr.it/SQKjJW

Motorola Solutions continues buying spree with Videotec acquisition dlvr.it/SQKHHs

Black Hat Asia: Firmware supply-chain woes plague device security dlvr.it/SQJZfs

Artemis returns with private pCell strategy dlvr.it/SQJTqp

Breaking down the Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act dlvr.it/SQFKXD