Informed decision-making rests at the core of an effective response to any incident or event. Whether public or private sector, organizations must be capable of building a real-time, accurate picture of what’s happening. More importantly, they must be capable of doing so quickly and across multiple channels, without falling prey to misinformation or suffering from a lack of visibility…
I have several things on my mind this week. The first concerns how WiFi fits into FirstNet communications. The second is the sudden decision by the FCC Chairman, who seems to have the votes, to license the 4.9-GHz spectrum currently licensed to multiple public-safety agencies under FCC Part 90, to the individual states. To understand what might happen if the spectrum is handed over to the states, we will look at the last time the FCC followed this path and licensed a block of 700-MHz Land Mobile Radio (LMR) spectrum to the states…
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — RapidDeploy, the industry’s only truly open and integrated emergency response platform, announced today that the company will directly integrate supplemental emergency data from some of the largest and most influential companies in technology and public safety. Google, OnStar, ADT, Priority Dispatch® and Rave Mobile Safety are the most recent additions to RapidDeploy’s Unified Critical Response (UCR) ecosystem, which already has partnerships with AT&T, Microsoft, AT&T FirstNet, and Esri, among others… READ MORE
By Brian Crawford, FirstNet Authority Board Member
As our country faces challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, first responders continue to answer the call to protect our communities while experiencing a unique set of challenges of their own. I am a 30-year fire service veteran and the former City Manager of Shreveport, LA. I know that in times of need, we rely on readily available technologies that give us what we need, when we need it. For the first time in the history of this country, first responders have access to a network designed specifically to keep them connected as they serve and protect communities. And that connection is now, more than ever, critical. READ MORE
About 4.9-GHz Spectrum
The 4.9-GHz band is 50 MHz of spectrum that was allocated to public safety in 2002 on the heels of the 9/11 attacks. This spectrum was set aside by the FCC Commissioners at the time to improve public-safety communications and address one of the major issues described in the 9/11 Commission Report. More than a year later, vendors were able to build WiFi-like equipment capable of operating in this band…
A number of committees are working toward solving both the Land Mobile Radio (LMR)/LTE Push-To-Talk (PTT) interoperability issues and LTE/LTE PTT interoperability issues. Meanwhile, the 3GPP standards body is crafting 3GPP TS 23.283, Mission-Critical Communication Interworking with Land Mobile Radio Systems, or the Interworking Function (IWF). The IWF is to be the interface that will provide solid interoperability between Mission-Critical Push-To-Talk (MCPTT) and LMR networks…
