"Broadband"
Rockefeller, Security Officials Push New Broadband Network
May 13, 2011U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller introduced legislation on Thursday to improve the access first responders and public safety officials have to the airwaves. Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said, “Any 16-year-old with a smartphone is ahead of us in this. That is a little bit embarrassing,”
Read full articlePresident Obama’s Visit to Ground Zero Underscores Need for First Responder Network
May 5, 2011Washington, D.C. — President Barack Obama’s visit to Ground Zero in New York City today is an important reminder of the need for a nationwide public safety broadband network, announced the Public Safety Alliance. The network would ensure that first responders have the spectrum they need for reliable and efficient interoperable communications and strengthen their emergency response capabilities with faster more secure broadband capabilities.
Read full articleRockefeller Touts D Block for Public Safety in Charleston, W.Va.
May 4, 2011Charleston, W.Va. — TV stations formerly used a wide section of the public airwaves to send out their programs. Radio stations, cellphone systems and other transmissions use nearby segments of the electromagnetic spectrum. With changes in technology and the arrival of digital transmission, broadcasts now use smaller portions of bandwidth. That leftover space offers an opportunity for a significant improvement in public safety, says Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.
Read full articleThe Needs of First Responders
April 1, 2011“Mr. Chairman, the needs of first responders are not being met,” said APCO International President Bill Carrow before the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee. On Wednesday, Carrow and other Public Safety Alliance representatives testified at a hearing on the state of public safety communications since 9/11 and legislation to reallocate the D Block to public safety.
Read full articleAPCO International Hosts New Broadband Summit
April 1, 2011Daytona Beach, Fla. — APCO International will present its first Broadband Summit and Expo on May 16-18th at the Renaissance Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. This summit will engage both policymakers and practitioners in discussions on public safety broadband issues and industry demonstrations of LTE technology.
Read full articleSprint Unveils new Gold Standard in Push-to-Talk
March 17, 2011Sprint unveiled its fourth-quarter launch plans for next-generation push-to-talk capabilities powered by Sprint’s broadband CDMA network. As part of the launch, Sprint will offer an initial set of handsets packed with features designed for workgroups that rely on push-to-talk and establish a new push-to-talk brand — Sprint Direct Connect.
Read full articleNew Study Verifies Public Safety’s Broadband Plan
March 2, 2011Alexandria, Va. — A new economic study released today by former FCC staff and leading telecommunications academics finds that assigning the D block to public safety, as opposed to subjecting it to a commercial auction, provides the nation with at least $3.4 billion more in social benefit. Furthermore, the study concludes that the allocation of D block to public safety will help contribute to deficit reduction.
Read full articleFCC Seeks Comments on Technical Interoperability Framework for Public Safety Broadband Network
February 24, 2011The Commission seeks comments on the development of a technical interoperability framework for the nationwide public safety broadband network. This document considers and proposes additional requirements to further promote and enable nationwide interoperability among public safety broadband networks operating in the 700 MHz band. This document addresses public safety broadband network interoperability from a technological perspective and considers interoperability at various communication layers.
Read full articleReality on the Ground
February 17, 2011“When an emergency happens, we rely on first responders like police, firefighters and public safety officials to keep us from harm. Far too often we talk about the important role these brave first responders play, but fail to give them the tools they need to do their job,” said Sen. John D. Rockefeller at Wednesday’s hearing on Safeguarding Our Future: Building a Nationwide Network for First Responders.
Read full articleThoughts from Around the Room
February 11, 2011For APCO International, its inaugural Technology Roundtable, held Feb. 9 in Ontario, Calif., and sponsored by TeleCommunication Systems Inc., succeeded in creating an open and dynamically evolving dialogue among 13 public safety communications leaders on the topics they wanted to discuss.
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