Urgent Communications RSS

Harman-Shimkus bill could be a key piece in public-safety broadband puzzle
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) this week introduced legislation calling for $70 million in grant money to help fund development engineering for mission-critical devices that would operate on 700 MHz LTE networks.

Motorola announces first 700 MHz LTE system for public safety
San Francisco Bay?area public-safety agencies have entered into an agreement with Motorola to have the vendor giant build a 700 MHz LTE system as part of the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System (BayRICS) plan, the first phase of which is scheduled to be installed this year.

Positron Front Line, Tiburon form strategic alliance with Intrado
As part of the agreement, Positron Front Line has committed to interoperability with Intrado?s next-generation 911 voice and data services.

Homeowners raise smart-meter concerns
Homeowners in California and Texas are raising concerns over smart meters, questioning their accuracy, feared health effects, the newness of the technology and Big Brother edicts.

Nokia Siemens' purchase of Motorola?s commercial unit raises questions
Analysts wonder how deal will affect how both companies pursue nascent next-generation public-safety broadband market

Expect public safety to outsource network management one day
It's no secret that 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks will be fundamentally different from today's circuit-switched, public-safety analog and digital networks. The biggest difference, of course, is that LTE is an all-IP network. But these networks also will require significantly more base stations to be deployed to get the coverage and high-speed data speeds that the technology advertises.

PlantCML, Zetron expand CORP25 network in Tenn.
EADS, through subsidiary PlantCML, has been awarded a contract to expand the CORP25 digital, trunked land-mobile radio system in Cumberland County, Tenn.

One big step for public safety; one small step toward the ultimate goal
Without question, getting its hands on the D Block would be a huge leap forward for public safety in terms of the nationwide broadband network it covets. But it also is the first step in a very long journey that will follow along a path pocked with myriad potholes and speed bumps.

McCain, Lieberman join public-safety rally in D.C.
Powerful Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) last week participated in a rally conducted by a coalition of public-safety organizations in Washington, D.C., to help convince Congress to reallocate the 700 MHz D Block spectrum for first-responder use in a nationwide wireless broadband network.

Sprint, Pacific DataVision take NextMail to CDMA
Sprint Nextel yesterday announced that its NextMail offering ? powered by Pacific DataVision and previously available only on iDEN devices ? also is available on all Sprint CDMA devices, including the new HTC EVO 4G.