News FirstNet Authority board approves FY 2021 budget with $46 million for network investment 22nd August 2020 FirstNet Authority board members this week voted unanimously to approval the organization’s $213 million budget for fiscal year 2021 that includes $46 million allocated for making investments into the nationwide public-safety broadband network. Approved during the FirstNet Authority’s board meeting, the fiscal year 2021 budget earmarks $83.5 million for the FirstNet Authority’s operating expenses, as […]
News Florida continues work toward new statewide procurement, extension of current system 21st August 2020 Early progress is being made to procure a new Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS) in Florida, while state officials continue to talk with current SLERS vendor L3Harris about extending the existing SLERS contract that is scheduled to expire in a little more than nine months. Patrick Gillespie, deputy secretary of business operations for Florida […]
News Kymeta buys satellite service provider Lepton Global Solutions 18th August 2020 Satellite-antenna manufacturer Kymeta today announced its purchase of satellite service provider Lepton Global Solutions, which will let Kymeta provide a “one-stop-shop” offering to critical users seeking mobile terrestrial broadband in even remote locations, a company official said. Bill Marks, chief strategy officer for Kymeta, said the deal has been closed, making Lepton Global Solutions a […]
News Osterthaler named as new FirstNet Authority board chair 17th August 2020 Robert “Tip” Osterthaler will be the new chair for the FirstNet Authority board, which oversees the deployment and operation of FirstNet, the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) being built by AT&T, according to an announcement today by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Tip Osterthaler has been an instrumental FirstNet Board member who will bring […]
News Michigan, Indiana test Motorola Solutions’ cloud-based Critical Connect as LMR-LTE interoperability platform 17th August 2020 Results of initial testing in Michigan and Indiana indicate that Motorola Solutions’ Critical Connect cloud-based interoperability platform could be a “very powerful tool” that helps first responders share voice, data and video communications in the future, according to an official leading the Michigan statewide P25 system. Brad Stoddard, director of the Michigan Public Safety Communications […]
Partner content Starlink speed tests surface 16th August 2020 Although Starlink hasn’t revealed pricing and packaging for Elon Musk’s ambitious low-Earth orbit satellite broadband service, purported speed tests from a group of beta users posted to Reddit indicate that Starlink will be more than capable of delivering a true “broadband” experience, at least as it is defined by the FCC. The posted, “confirmed” Starlink speed tests […]
News Airgain targets launch of new HPUE antenna-modem platform for FirstNet by the end of year 11th August 2020 Antenna manufacturer Airgain expects that its AirgainConnect antenna-modem—designed to enhance wireless signals in many frequencies, including the 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum licensed to the FirstNet Authority—will be commercially available during the fourth quarter of this year, company officials indicated last week. AirgainConnect is an antenna-modem platform that delivers about 60% more power to a […]
Partner content Survey results: Financial uncertainty troubles local government leaders 10th August 2020 To better understand the social and budgetary landscape of the post-COVID-19 world, American City & County has issued a series of surveys to take the pulse of its readership. Although the most recent results paint a picture of financial uncertainty, it also shows local government’s resolve to provide uninterrupted service. The results indicate that failing an influx of stimulus money, 68 […]
Audio L3Harris: James Potter highlights benefits of company’s MCA partner program 10th August 2020 James Potter, senior manager of strategic partnerships at L3Harris, outlines progress within the company’s Mission Critical Alliance (MCA) program, which has expanded from 11 partners to 17 partners during its first year, including FirstNet, Built by AT&T. As part of the MCA’s first anniversary, L3Harris will conduct an online roundtable, during which partners will […]
News Are telcos and cloud providers destined to be frenemies? 7th August 2020 Telcos and cloud providers are both customers and competitors. The move to 5G commercialization and private networks could deepen all sides of these complicated relationships. As I was brushing up on what has transpired in the industry during my year away, I was struck by the number of announcements regarding alliances between Tier 1 CSPs […]
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? 2 24th March 2024
