The Federal Communications Commission is looking for information on how to prevent unwanted robocalls from reaching public safety answering points (PSAPs).
FCC first adopted a PSAP Do-Not-Call registry in 2012 to address autodialer-initiated calls, which were tying up public safety lines, diverting critical responder resources from emergency services and impeding the public’s access to emergency lines..
Google is aware of a strange issue with Android and Microsoft Teams that can prevent emergency service calls, such as dialling 9-1-1.
The company posted a detailed response following an investigation into a report about a Pixel device preventing someone from calling 9-1-1. A Reddit user detailed what happened with their Pixel 3 running Android 11 on U.S. carrier Verizon… READ MORE
History shows that times of crisis and disruption are often the driving force behind technological innovation and growth. Nowhere is this more evident than in public safety, where those on the frontlines in law enforcement and emergency response need to adapt quickly to meet the safety and security needs of the communities they serve.
One need not look back more than a few decades for examples. Consider the horrific massacre at Columbine High School in 1999, which led police departments to reassess response tactics and has driven the implementation of “panic buttons” and other technologies connecting schools and first responders. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 exposed limitations in Louisiana’s communications systems and led to investment in a radio system capable of withstanding hurricane force winds and flooding. Just last year, the murder of George Floyd laid bare the need for video to record encounters between law enforcement and the public and sparked the accelerated deployment of body-worn cameras…
As you saw, last week we published the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance’s (PSSA) comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Eighth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The PSSA was not alone, a number of other comments were filed as well. Next come reply comments, which are due at the FCC before Christmas (the closing date is right after Christmas).
A number of these submitted comments are worth reviewing and perhaps filing reply comments. For example, radio astronomers are concerned about what will happen if the 4.9-GHz public-safety band is taken away and given to the states. Radio astronomers have reason to be concerned since they use the spectrum just above the public-safety 4.9-GHz band. I think they would feel better if the FCC would agree that the public-safety spectrum should be licensed on a nationwide basis with a band manager. The band manager would work closely with the radio astronomers to ensure there would be no interference in either direction on a nationwide basis. Without this manager, radio astronomers would potentially have to deal with a large number of individual license holders across the United States…
By Bruce Fitzgerald, First Responder Network Authority Senior Public Safety Advisory
When hurricanes strike, many communities become vulnerable to high winds and widespread flooding that can cause injury and damage infrastructure. Communities in a storm’s path are often without power, food, or water for days – and for first responders, the main and immediate focus after a hurricane is rescuing and responding to those in need of aid. Last season, public safety officials relied on new technologies to communicate and monitor hurricane activity. During – and in the aftermath of – these storms, FirstNet sustained and restored emergency communications for many hard-hit communities.
FirstNet was built with innovative solutions that help first responders prepare for emergencies. The network’s Band 14 priority and preemption features give public safety access to reliable, interoperable communication service when they need it most – including hurricane season.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance’s (PSSA) stay request for the previous FCC’s plan to take back the 50 MHz of 4.9-GHz spectrum it had granted to public safety in 2002. Claiming it is under-utilized, the FCC planned to hand this spectrum over to each state. The idea was that each state would award a master lease for the spectrum to a third party, which would then determine what the spectrum would be used for in that state.
Most recently, the FCC issued the Eighth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the 4.9-GHz spectrum (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WP Docket 07-100). This NPRM contains language which, if accepted by the commissioners, would return the spectrum to the public-safety community…
