Commentary Arizona outage highlights need for strong network design, monitoring capability in critical communications 5th March 2015 When a single conduit housing multiple fiber lines was cut last week, much of northern Arizona was unable to access the Internet, call 911, use cellular devices, pay with credit cards or get cash from ATMs for about 15 hours, according to multiple news reports. The episode should serve as a reminder of the necessity for reliability and diversity characteristics in critical networks that cannot afford downtime.
News FirstNet board to conduct special meeting, Swenson to testify before Congress next week 4th March 2015 FirstNet board members will consider issuing a second public notice on key policy questions during a special board meeting on Monday, and FirstNet Chairwoman Sue Swenson is slated to testify next Wednesday as part of the Senate Commerce Committee’s first oversight hearing about the three-year-old organization.
Commentary How to make multi-agency collaboration a reality in a FirstNet world 3rd March 2015 A fundamental goal of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) is to enable multimedia communication and collaboration between all first-responder agencies, which is a challenging task. The good news is that numerous advanced technologies are available today to help deliver on the promise of secure, seamless multi-agency collaboration.
News NXT-ID seeks patent for voice-authentication technology for making payments, other potential uses 26th February 2015 Authentication-solutions provider NXT-ID announces that it has filed a provisional patent for a system that leverages voice-recognition technology to ensure a secure and convenient method for making payments. The same approach can be used to authenticate secure user access to networks and databases, according to a company official.
NISC: Charles Werner discusses key outcomes from the recent DisasterTech hackathon 26th February 2015 Charles Werner, National Information Sharing Consortium (NISC) chairman and fire chief for Charlottesville, Va., discusses the value of hackathons to public safety, as well as some of the applications developed at the recent hackathon conducted in conjunction with the International Disaster Conference & Expo (IDCE) in New Orleans.
Commentary Three years after its creation, it is time for FirstNet to begin making key decisions 24th February 2015 Three years after being established by Congress, FirstNet has not made as much deployment progress as many public-safety and industry officials had hoped. However, most of the main components appear to be in place, so 2015 should see the FirstNet board make key decisions about the much-anticipated nationwide broadband network for first responders.
News FirstNet promises ‘profound change’ for EMS, official says 22nd February 2015 High-speed connectivity via FirstNet will let emergency-medical-service (EMS) personnel access and deliver information in a manner timely enough to save lives more often than today, according to FirstNet board member and EMS practitioner Kevin McGinnis.
Commentary FCC takes initial steps to unlock AWS-3 spectrum auction revenue for public-safety initiatives 19th February 2015 The AWS-3 auction’s record-breaking $41.3 billion in estimated net revenue is expected to cover all of the funding priorities outlined in the Spectrum Act, including funding for FirstNet, for research and development related to public safety wireless communications, and for the 911, E-911 and next-generation 911 implementation grant program.
News LA-RICS LTE project shrinks as cities opt out, refuse to approve sites 13th February 2015 With its public-safety LTE system scheduled for completion in six months, the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority (LA-RICS) has seen the scope of the deployment shrink as some member cities have opted out of the project or refused to approve sites, according to LA-RICS Executive Director Patrick Mallon.
News LTE standards group targeting mission-critical push-to-talk specifications for early 2016 12th February 2015 Officials for 3GPP, the standards body for LTE technology, say the organization plans to establish a standard for mission-critical-voice functionality over LTE early next year. That action could have significant impact on both 4G LTE initiatives and LMR plans for public-safety and critical-communications entities.
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
