by AllThingsECC.com | May 24, 2022 | Articles, Comm Center News
More than 80% of first responders said that interoperability – the ability to communicate with other agencies across differing technologies – is of “critical” or “somewhat” concern, according to a November 2021 survey by Verizon.
Despite the pervasive presence and accessibility public messaging apps to enable interoperability, the use of these consumer programs among police and first responders poses significant workplace and legal risks. And unfortunately, an overwhelming number of public safety employees use consumer apps, along with SMS texting, for work-related communications – breaking the law while doing so without realizing it…
by AllThingsECC.com | May 23, 2022 | Articles, Comm Center News
Dialing 911 could be the most important phone call you will ever make. But what happens when the software that’s supposed to deliver that call fails you? It may seem simple, but the technology behind a call for help is complicated, and when it fails, deadly.
The infrastructure supporting emergency contact centers is one of the most critical assets for any city, town or local government. But just as the pandemic exposed the creaky tech infrastructure that runs local governments, in many cases the technology in those call centers is outdated and hasn’t been touched for decades…
by AllThingsECC.com | May 20, 2022 | Articles, Comm Center News
Article after article has been written to make a case that broadband in the United States should be available to all regardless of where they are located or their ability to pay for the service. While “broadband for all” has been a goal for the wireless/fixed communications industry a long time now, progress has been slow.
Now Congress has allocated $65B toward closing the “digital divide” and the FCC and others continue to fund various aspects of deploying broadband systems. If I were to grade the United States on two properties of broadband deployments, I would give us an “A” for the number of broadband technology options for fixed and wireless communications deployments and a “D” for actually extending broadband to rural America and to those who cannot afford it…
by AllThingsECC.com | May 19, 2022 | Articles, Comm Center News
Companies Tout Benefits of Upgrading to 5G Networks
Despite protests from some organizations, such as the AICC, AT&T maintains it has done about all it can to prepare customers, with at least three years’ notice of the change. The company also provided business customers more than $100 million in incentives to replace obsolete devices, Fierce Wireless reports.
AT&T has already migrated more than 37 million Internet of Things (IoT) devices off the 3G network and is willing to help those who have not yet fully migrated…
by AllThingsECC.com | May 19, 2022 | Articles, Comm Center News
By John Hunt and Lori Stone, Senior Public Safety Advisors, First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority)
One thing the 9-1-1 community learned from the pandemic was the need to plan for alternate ways to work. Rather than be tied to workstations at fixed locations, 9-1-1 telecommunicators need flexibility to remotely take, dispatch, and supervise calls. In December 2021, Maryland telecommunicators put FirstNet to the test, demonstrating the network’s connectivity and reliability during remote operations.
Remote call-taking expo
Six counties from across Maryland staged a 9-1-1 expo with live call-taking from a remote and crowded location using FirstNet. READ FULL ARTICLE
by AllThingsECC.com | May 17, 2022 | Articles, Comm Center News
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) officials are espousing the launch of the Public Safety Immersive Test Center in Boulder, Colo.
Authorities indicated the effort would nurture the development and deployment of technologies critical to effective public safety response.
“When seconds count, situational awareness can be a matter of life or death for first responders,” FirstNet Authority Chief Network and Technology Officer Jeff Bratcher said. “We are proud to partner with NIST on this state-of-the-art facility and provide first responders with an immersive virtual experience to help them prepare for those critical moments…
