EMR CONSULTING

The Cost of D-Block: UHF T-Band Spectrum

2012-02-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

H.R. 3630 does many great things for Public Safety, including allocating D-block, securing $7 billion in funding, allowing Public Safety input in development of the network, and ensuring governance managed by an independent First Responders Network Authority.

And what about the hundreds of agencies operating on UHF T-band frequencies? They're out of luck, it seems.

There was some concern about Public Safety having to abandon the 700 MHz spectrum currently occupied, but that relocation has not been mandated. UHF T-band users (operating between 470-512 MHz), however, have been given 11 years to vacate.

This means system, licensing, procurement, and funding issues for Public Safety. In other words, here we go again.

LightSquared Withholds $56.3 Million Payment to Inmarsat

2012-02-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

The would-be communications wholesale giant LightSquared failed to pay $56.3 million to British satellite operator Inmarsat for a spectrum agreement between the two companies.

Inmarsat issued a notice of default allowing 60 days for the company to complete the payment, but LightSquared says there are several matters related to Inmarsat's obligations to the agreement that must be resolved. No details were provided on these obligations.

This incident comes less than a week after the FCC announced that it is blocking LightSquared's terrestrial nationwide broadband network, a devastating announcement to the company's entire business model.

Read more at Bloomberg.

Payroll Tax Bill Passed with D-Block!

2012-02-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

Congress made history Thursday and passed legislation to allocate the D-block spectrum to Public Safety. Ten years in the making, this legislation has been an uphill battle for Public Safety officials and advocates nationwide.

The payroll tax bill also includes $7 billion in federal grants for the deployment of a nationwide LTE dedicated network. This is a victory that will affect not only first responders and their safety, but also will improve the safety of citizens nationwide, allowing the public safety personnel they depend on to communicate like never before.

The bill extends the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, and includes language making more spectrum available to commercial wireless operators through FCC auctions (a significant revenue source). Five of the $7 billion in funds for Public Safety will come from these auction proceeds.

Will $7 billion be enough to pay for nationwide LTe deployment? Many say no, pointing to Sen. Jay Rockefeller's (D-W.Va.) proposal of $11 million as a more reasonable amount. The Senator announced in a web conference Thursday that the funding available will still have a positive impact, and will build momentum for the project, which was the ultimate goal.

FCC Blocks LightSquared Network

2012-02-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

The FCC blocked LightSquared's proposed nationwide wireless network on Tuesday due to interference issues with existing GPS devices.

This is a victory for GPS advocates such as the Coalition to Save Our GPS and others, after long months of fighting to ensure the operations of GPS devices and safety of first responders who rely upon them.

The decision came as a surprise to many, especially LightSquared, whose spokespeople have repeatedly dismissed the NTIA's conclusion and recently said they expected the FCC to push the network through to implementation. The next and only option for LightSquared now is to take the issue to court, because the FCC is the final authority on whether or not they can proceed.

Read more at the National Journal.

LightSquared Requests New GPS Rules, AT&T Factors In

2012-02-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

The controversial cellular start-up LightSquared requested Monday that the FCC create and implement rules clarifying the current "uncertainty" surrounding GPS devices and the adjacent spectrum they listen in on.

LightSquared claimed impropriety last month in the tests performed by nine federal departments and agencies which summarized in a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) there are "no practical solutions or mitigations that would permit the LigthSquared broadband service, as proposed, to operate in the next few months - or years - without significantly interfering with GPS."

Jeff Carlisle, Light Squared's executive vice president of regulatory affairs and public policy holds that because GPS devices are unlicensed, they should not be protected under FCC rules from interference from adjacent and nearby users.

According to Urgent Communications, it is unlikely that this filing will change any part of the decision-making process. GPS advocates claim that although the devices are not licensed, they are operating on authorized spectrum, and the real issue is LightSquared stepping beyond the normal use of satellite spectrum to terrestrial use.

Read LightSquared's filing for yourself here.

Narrowbanding: It really is black and white.

2012-01-11T13:52:00.000-08:00

Public Safety communications officials cannot afford to be misinformed or underinformed about narrowbanding. The fact is, the consequences of noncompliance to the narrowbanding mandate will be very costly and could possibly jeopardize the reliability of communications systems if the license falls between 150-512 MHz.

If you have doubts about whether you're affected by this mandate, simply look at the frequencies on your license. If any of them fall within the designated spectrum, you must narrowband.

Time is running out, and to avoid fines and loss of licenses, noncompliant agencies must file waivers on an individual basis.

Visit the FCC's website to find more narrowbanding information, as well as an up to date countdown clock.

If you have questions or concerns regarding narrowbanding, contact EMR Consulting today to find out how we can help.

10 Things You Should Know About Narrowbanding

2012-01-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

The deadline is approaching... very, very quickly. The January 1st, 2013 deadline is right around the corner, and narrowbanding (formerly "refarming") is no small process. Visit the FCC's website to find out if you fall within the affected spectrum.
What exactly are the requirements? Straight from the FCC's Website:
Any of the following meet the 12.5 kHz equivalent efficiency requirement:
- One voice path in a 12.5 kHz channel
- Two voice paths in a 25 kHz channel
- Data operations on channels greater than 12.5 KHz must employ data rates greater than 4.8 kbps per 6.25 kHz channel, such as 19.2 kbps per 25 kHz channel
Some waivers will be granted. The Commission is already gearing up to receive narrowbanding waivers, as many agencies are struggling to comply by the deadline.
Some waivers might NOT be granted. Your waiver, if not subbmitted accurately and in a timely manner, and with appropriate content, could be dismissed.
Yes, your agency can be fined. Up to $10,000 per day.
Yes, your communications system could be in jeopardy. Especially if there are any breakdowns of communication in your agency.
Most Public Safety agencies cannot do it alone. The fact is that a great deal Public Safety agencies have not been able to complete narrowbanding.
The good news is, you're not alone! If you think you're the only one who is not ready, you're mistaken. Budget cuts and rebanding have created a sparse funding environment for Public Safety. Online resources abound for Public Safety agencies struggling with the narrowbanding process.
EMR is here to help. With 21 years of experience, and a never-give-up attitude, we will ensure your agency's safety and compliance so that you can continue to do what you do best, protecting the public. Visit EMRConsults.com for info.
Time is running out. Act today, because as the deadline approaches, and everyone scrambles to achieve compliance, resources will be diminishing.

Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours!!

2011-12-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Clockwise from left: VP Jenny Adkins, Courtney Hochstetler, Luke McQueen, Robert Wirey, Eric Ping, President Sandra Black, C.O.O Robert Black, Kim Milfort, Cameron Salyers, Timothy Large... Merry Christmas!

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Supports NAWBO and Local Business

2011-12-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

EMR Consulting attended this year's annual Indianapolis NAWBO Awards Luncheon on December 15th at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. Women business owners from all sectors of business were recognized for their achievements, leadership, and ability to inspire the next generation of women in business.

From left: EMR Associate Courtney Hochstetler, VP Jenny Adkins, Gov. Mitch Daniels, President Sandra Black, and Office Manager Kim Milfort

This event has grown from about 30 attendees at its inception five years ago, to more than 900 attendees, including an exhibit and networking hall before the event itself.

Among the attendees was Governor Mitch Daniels, champion of the state's Buy Indiana program, which promotes in-state business ventures. He took some time out of his busy schedule to not only attend the event, but also to stop and meet local business owners. EMR is one of the Buy Indiana success stories, working to secure contracts in Indiana, the Midwest, and the Public Safety community at large.

Governor Daniels responds to gratitude for the program by stating that local business owners affected by the policy earn the contracts themselves, and the program is simply a way to open the door and provide opportunity. "I didn't do anything," he insisted, "you've earned it."

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) holds events, provides invaluable support and encouragement, and allows opportunity for connections among business owners in the community.

Senate Passes Tax Compromise, Crunchtime for D-block

2011-12-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Advocates of D-block reallocation had high hopes for the payroll tax bill passed by the House last week that included language that would provide spectrum and funding for a nationwide Public Safety broadband network, but the Senate chose to pass a two-month compromise instead, excluding any D-block language.

According to Urgent Communications, it is still possible for the House to shoot the bill down and pursue further negotiation for a full year tax bill, in which case D-block might be re-introduced into the bill again. Although some Public Safety officials were troubled by the governance and giveback language of the previous bill passed by the House, it was the closest the first responder community has come to achieving reallocation of the 10 MHz of D-block spectrum.

Hope and enthusiasm are slowly being replaced by frustration and a new sense of urgency surrounding D-block reallocation. Since this year's tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the push to fulfill this recommendation of the 9/11 Commission has been gaining momentum.

There is still a chance the House will reject the compromise and try to push for a full year agreement that could include D-block language, but many believe this is a long shot.

Public Safety Mobilizes in Support of D-Block

2011-12-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

APCO President Greg Riddle issued an urgent, early morning call to action for APCO members to contact their represenatives and senators, asking them to oppose give-backs of 700 MHz Narrowband spectrum and support D-Block allocation with sufficient funding in two bills that are currently on the two respective floors.

The Public Safety Alliance (PSA) issued the same call to action, urging Public Safety advocates and personnel to reach out to their friends, family, and colleagues as well.

A payroll-tax bill, H.R. 3630 was introduced last Friday on the House floor including language that would reallocate the 700 MHz D-Block. The bill also included $5-$6.5 billion in funding for the deployment of the first nationwide dedicated Public Safety LTE network.

This same bill unfortunately also calls for Public Safety to give back its 700 MHz narrowbnand spectrum to the FCC within coming years, and has a questionable governance model according to many Public Safety spokespeople. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) wrote a letter to House Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee leadership in support of the governance model in S. 911, sponsored by Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas). The bill passed the Senate Commerce Committee last week with a 17-6 vote.

According to a Dec. 8th PSA press release, this legislation marks the completion of one of the last unmet recommendations of the 9/11 Commission from more than 10 years ago. It is possible that D-block legislation could become a standalone bill in the House, but most expect the language to be inserted into an appropriations or payroll tax bill.

Although the outcome is uncertain, now is the time for the Public Safety community to make a push on their legislators to support them by fulfilling this recommendation, ten years in the making.

House Communications Subcommittee Approves D-Block Bill

2011-12-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday members of the House Communications Subcommittee approved a bill that would reallocate the 10 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum known as the D-block to Public Safety and provide at least $5 billion ($6.5 billion estimated in text) in funding for a nationwide LTE first responder network.

Public Safety Alliance spokesman Chris Moore released a statement praising Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and the committee for their work to inspire bi-partisan support for the bill and striking a balance "between the needs of commercial wireless, public safety, broadcast and other interests, and in very difficult economic times."

In December of 2009, when the public safety community met in New York City to strategize efforts to pass this comprehensive legislation, many had doubts of its possibility. Despite the challenges of achieving this lofty goal, lawmakers, Public Safety advocates, the FCC, and the Obama administration have been moving towards it, slow and steady.

Since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Public Safety community has been struggling to improve interoperability and secure better operational capabilities for first responders. Access to a contiguous 20 MHz of spectrum is a leap forward for these efforts to come to fruition. Negotiations will continue among committee members, staff, and stakeholders as the JOBS bill is marked-up in the full committee this week.

Moore is chief of police for the San Jose, CA Police Department. He went on to comment, "On behalf of more than 2 million first responders nationwide, the Public Safety Alliance greatly appreciates and applauds their tireless efforts, countless hours of study, analysis, negotiation and results."

Educate Yourself: A Look at Upcoming Webinars

2011-11-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Not everyone has the time or resources to attend educational conferences. Webinars are a great chance to gain industry insight and keep up on what's happening without spending the time or money most conferences require. Consider participating in the following webinars coming up this month.

1. TIA's Enabling Compliance: The FCC's new disability access rules will be held for members this Tuesday, November 29, 2011. On October 7, 2011 at 3:00 pm, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released two sets of final rules that will further implement the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (21st CVAA).

2. IWCE will be hosting a virtual tradeshow in partnership with Urgent Communications, complete with four free webinars on December 6, 2011:
Will Broadband Voice Replace Narrowband Voice? 11:15 am-12:15 pm (EST)
Comparing Digital Technologies: P25, TETRA, DMR, LTE, NXDN 1:30 pm-2:30 pm
IP in an LMR World 2:45 pm-3:45 pm
Implementing Broadband Communications 4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Register for this free event online with IWCE.

3. Register at Urgent Communications for Delivering Coordinated Emergency and Incident Response to Achieve Smarter City Operations (free) will be held at 2:00 pm on December 7th, 2011.

4. The Federal Communications Commission is in the process of updating its Part 90 rules for Private Land Mobile Radio Services, which will impact many Public Safety and utilities communications systems. The Utilities Telecom Council is hosting an educational webinar on December 7, 2011 to help communications officials become familiar with the new rules in the pipeline. The cost of this event is $145 for members, $295 for non-members. For more information, visit http://www.utc.org/utc/webinar-get-know-regarding-fcc-s-part-90-updates.

APCO Women's Leadership Conference Announced

2011-11-10T06:09:00.000-08:00

APCO International will host its annual Women in Public Safety Communications Leadership Conference in Orlando, FL next year at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.

April 18-19, 2012, women from across the country will gather to learn about and discuss leadership topics, including office communication, work-life balance, and career development.

For more info, visit http://wipsc.apcointl.org/.

Motorola to Release LTE Gear in November

2011-11-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Motorola Solutions 700 MHz LTE networking and device gear will be available for purchase by Public Safety agencies beginning next month, according to an announcement at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Chicago Monday.

The full commercial launch will make available the vendor giant's first version of fully integrated Public Safety LTE. They expect the first version to be fully commercially released by November 11th of this year, with everything fully integrated. Motorola is the first vendor to announce the release of commercial LTE on Band 14.
"We're proud to be there first," said Rick Keith, director of product management, according to Urgent Communications.
Partnerships with Ericsson and Verizon have been vital to Motorola's end-to-end solution. The company established a roaming arrangement with Verizon, and will use Ericsson LTE base-station equipment.

60% of Officers Use Consumer Broadband

2011-11-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

A survey conducted in Pinellas County, FL by AT&T showed that more than 60% of police officers are using their commercial broadband devices (smart phones, tablets, laptops), to supplement the shortcomings of their agency-issued communications devices.

This information was provided by Pam Montanari, radio and data-systems manager for Pinellas County, during the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in Chicago. Those who doubt the need of the proposed 700 MHz LTE network for Public Safety often criticize the plan by questioning whether officers will actually use wireless broadband technology regularly.

Of the 60%, 84% say they use these devices daily, 20% say they use these devices in critical situations. Regulations often prohibit the use of personal devices while on duty, but it seems the operations benefit outweighs the risk of reprimand for most first responders.

"Some of the most compelling uses of broadband cited by officers were 3D views of floor plans, GIS information, and a host of web applications that can accelerate the identification process and provide valuable evidence, according to the survey," writes Donny Jackson.

A trial is running this week in Pinellas County of these applications on Alcatel-Lucent's hosted LTE core. Montanari notes that the trial does not indicate that the county has chosen its LTE vendor yet, but clearly it is one more agency that is gearing up for utilizing next generation technologies.

Read more at Urgent Communications.

From the FCC

2011-10-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

1. COUNTY OF GENESEE, NEW YORK AND SPRINT NEXTEL CORP. Denied Genesee's Motion for Stay for failure to meet established Commission criteria for issuance of a Stay. (Dkt No. 02-55 ). Action by: Deputy Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
Adopted: 10/28/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1808). PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1808A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1808A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1808A1.txt
REDUCTIONS TO RURAL HEALTH CARE AND SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OPERATIONAL
SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACT. FCC approves cost reductions for USAC operational support services contract. Action by: Deputy Managing Director by LETTER. (DA No. 11-1801). OMD http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1801A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1801A1.txt

2. Released: 10/26/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON REQUESTS FOR WAIVER OF THE JANUARY 1, 2013 VHF-UHF NARROWBANDING DEADLINE FILED BY ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI, ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MISSOURI, JEFFERSON COUNTY 9-1-1 DISPATCH BOARD AND. (DA No. 11-1784). (Dkt No 99-87 ) THE EAST-WEST GATEWAY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
Comments Due: 11/10/2011. Reply Comments Due: 11/17/2011. PSHSB .
Contact: Roberto Mussenden at (202) 418-1428, email:
Roberto.Mussenden@fcc.gov, TTY: (202) 418-7233 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1784A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1784A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1784A1.txt

3. Released: 10/20/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES REGION 14 (INDIANA) PUBLIC SAFETY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEES TO HOLD 700 MHZ AND 800 MHZ NPSPAC MEETINGS. (DA No. 11-1746). (Dkt No. 90-178 ). PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1746A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1746A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1746A1.txt

4. Released: 10/12/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES COMMENT AND REPLY COMMENT DATES FOR THE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING IN THE NEXT GENERATION 911 PROCEEDING. (DA No. 11-1703). (Dkt No 11-153 10-255 ). Comments Due: 12/12/2011. Reply Comments Due: 01/10/2012. PSHSB . Contact: Patrick Donovan at (202) 418-2413 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1703A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1703A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1703A1.txt

FCC Names First ERIC Director

2011-10-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

Bob Pavlak, RF and network engineering consultant for the District of Columbia has been appointed the FCC's first permanent director of the Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC).

The center was established to provide technical guidelines for the proposed 700 MHz broadband network for first responders. Pavlak, a 30 year telecommunications veteran, is head of Network CFI, an engineering management contractor for public safety broadeband projects in the D.C. area. His position officially starts November 7th.

Read more at MissionCritical Communications.

FEMA to Test EAS Nationwide

2011-10-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

On November 9, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern FEMA, in conjunction with the FCC, will conduct a nationwide test of our national Emergency Alert System.

The two agencies, as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been implementing a plan to improve the EAS, including testing the readiness and effectiveness of the system on a regular basis to identify necessary improvements.

The test does not have pass or fail criteria, and it will not specifically test Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) compliant equipment.

The forum website, A National Dialogue on the Emergency Alert System, provides valid information and a venue for discussion and sharing among first responders and public safety professionals regarding the national EAS.

FCC Enforces Signal Jamming Prohibition

2011-10-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Retailers selling signal-jamming devices that illegally interfere with cell phones, GPS, Wi-Fi and other wireless technology will face steep fines if they do not cease the marketing and sale of such devices.

There are 20 known onloine retailers who market products that give users the ability to violate federal law and FCC rules by "jamming" the signals of wireless communications. Each one was warned in the document by the FCC, which hopes to send a strong message that such violations will not be tolerated. Jamming devices pose risk to public safety and may have very dangerous consequences for consumers and first responders, according to Michele Ellison, chief of the enforcement bureau at the FCC.

Penalties for violating the order include fines of $16,000 to $112,500 for each device or each day a device is marketed, according to a press release. Additional penalties may include equipment seizure or imprisonment.

Retailers do not technically fall under the jurisdiction of the FCC, therefore the federal government requires the Commission to first issue a warning before assessing any penalties. Other efforts to prevent jamming have occured in the past, but this recent citation is the boldest attempt to enforce the rules. Consumers and retailers were given advisory back in February that enforcement efforts were increasing, and that retailers who sell the equipment would be held responsible as well as the consumers who operate the jammers.

Read more at Urgent Communications.

LightSquared Threatens Legal Action

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jeff Carlisle, VP of regulatory affairs and public policy at LightSquared, told FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski that the company's next step will be legal action if the Commission rejects their planned nationwide broadband network.

In a briefing on Monday, Carlisle also told reporters that any interference caused by the LightSquared network is due to the GPS devices picking up frequencies outside of their designated band. Even when operating on the lower 10 MHz of spectrum furthest away from GPS frequencies, the 40,000 sites that would make up their nationwide network would render most high-precision devices useless without some type of filter.

Last month, LightSquared announced that it will market Javad GNSS filters for positioning applications by November 2011, followed by filters for precision timing devices by March 2012. There's no doubt that the company will profit considerably from this new technology, and many are asking whether or not this profit will come from taxpayers' pockets or if LightSquared will be footing most the bill to prevent interference from their network, similar to Sprint Nextel's rebanding debacle.

Economics of the Wholesale Network
According to Total Tele, LightSquared needs $3.5 billion to remain cash positive over the next two years, an amouint which CEO is confident they will be able to raise. LightSquared claims to have $150 million earmarked for fixing the interference issue, but some wonder if that will be sufficient. The company's network will allow wireless carriers to purchase signal wholesale for $6/G (giving them at least a 50% revenue margin on their charges to customers). The company's recently signed deal with Sprint Nextel saves them $13 billion on buildout from the ground up.

With LightSquared's filter solution Public Safety and Homeland Security communications departments would be compromised in the name of private interest, either just logistically or as some fear, logistically and financially.

The question FCC officials must ask themselves is simple: will the benefit of a nationwide broadband network (allowing companies like AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon to increase their profit margin) outweigh the cost of retrofitting each high-precision Public Safety GPS receiver? And once they have the answer, will they stand up for what they determine to be in the public's best interest?

APCO Appoints Derek Poarch to Executive Director

2011-10-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

Former FCC Chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Derek Poarch has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), as announced yesterday from the organization.

Poarch has more than 30 years of Public Safety experience, and served as a leader in law enforcement and in telecommunications regulations.

AGL Conference: Well worth the day.

2011-10-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

For telecommunications professionals looking for a some education on new systems and the tower industry, look no further than AGL (Above Ground Level) Magazine's regional conference tour. EMR attended the Chicago conference this year and found it to be well worth the day.

We were truly impressed with the succinctness and organization of the one-day conference, as well as the content quality of each presentation. The sessions set this conference apart in that they are not just a review of wireless industry basics or common current knowledge. Truly innovative and insightful ideas were shared. AGL did a phenomenal job putting it together, and we're sure they will have even greater success with next year's conferences.

For those of you who missed out this year, here is a recap of the day's panel discussions:
Opportunities for the Wireless Infrastructure Community
A roundtable discussion on the wireless infrastructure community's needs and how mobilization of an association can improve the industry as a whole. Speakers included presidents from Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin Wireless Associations.

Opportunities for Future Site Growth
A panel discussion covering increasing demand for high-speed data and technologies like Super Wi-Fi on TV whitespace, picocells, and distributed antenna system (DAS) networks and how they affect tower owners and operators.

Collaborative Approaches in the 4G World of Siting
Panelists shared creative ways to address public concern about towers, and gain local support for infrastructure by using political campaign-style strategies, clear cut data, and quality of life due to wireless coverage.

Wireless Ordinances: Friend or Foe?
Municipalities adopting wireless ordinances can have a broad impact on macrocell and DAS siting. Getting to know these ordinances and working in conjunction with them instead of against them can benefit tower owners and operators.

The Art of Negotiation: Leasing Tower Space in the 4G World
Next-generation technologies and innovative business practices are affecting tower leasing rates. This discussion examined the current market and trends of the future.

The Changing Face of Tower Regulation
FCC rule changes regarding environmental assessment, tower climbing safety, tower lighting and marking, the Shot Clock, right of way rules, pole attachment, and Congress's collocation by right of legislation. This discussion also covered FCC draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment of the ASR Program.

View details and slideshows from the presentations here, courtesy of AGL.

From the FCC

2011-10-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

1. Released: 09/30/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU EXTENDS 800 MHZ REBANDING NEGOTIATION PERIOD FOR WAVE 4 BORDER AREA NPSPAC AND NON-NPSPAC LICENSEES ALONG US-MEXICO BORDER. (DA No.

11-1652). (Dkt No 02-55 ). PSHSB . Contact: Brian Marenco at (202) 418-0838, email: Brian.Marenco@fcc.gov http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1652A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1652A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1652A1.txt

2. Released: 09/29/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES REGION 5 (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) PUBLIC SAFETY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE TO HOLD 800 MHZ NPSPAC MEETING. (DA No. 11-1646). (Dkt No

89-97 ). PSHSB

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1646A1.doc

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http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1646A1.txt

3. Released: 09/29/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES REGION 54 (SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN) PUBLIC SAFETY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEES TO HOLD 700 MHZ AND 800 MHZ MEETINGS. (DA No.

11-1645). (Dkt No 89-363 ). PSHSB

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1645A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1645A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1645A1.txt

4. Released: 09/29/2011. THE FCC'S PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: INTRODUCING THE DISASTER INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM (DIR) TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMMUNICATIONS. (DA No. 11-1648). PSHSB . Contact: Jane Kelly at

(202) 418-2832. News Media Contact: Lauren Kravetz at (202) 418-7944,

email: Lauren.Kravetz@fcc.gov

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1648A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1648A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1648A1.txt

5. IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS IN THE 800 MHZ BAND. Granted,

Granted in Part or Held in Abeyance the requests for waiver of the June 26, 2008, deadline submitted by the licensees. (Dkt No. 02-55 ). Action

by: Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted:

10/03/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1662). PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1662A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1662A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1662A1.txt

Pay No Attention to the Billionaire(s) Behind the Curtain!

2011-09-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

LightSquared, the wholesale satellite and terrestrial carrier at the center of the GPS interference issue signed an agreement with Javad GNSS to eliminate interference issues with high-precision GPS devices imperative for operations of first responders.

The solution? A high-precision GPS device which is said to be invulnerable to the interference created by their nationwide LTE network, designed and sold by the company itself. The military personnel and first responders should be thrilled to spend tax dollars purchasing this new, albeit beneficial, solution - directly from the creators of the problem.

This is just the most recent proposal from LightSquared, a finale to the attempted side-stepping, then spectrum shifts, then the claim of a 10-cent filter that can be installed to eliminate interference.
Phillip Falcone, the billionaire backer of LightSquared, claims that 10-cent filter installed into each affected device would resolve the interference issue, but despite GPS advocates' requests to obtain the device for testing, it has never appeared. Certainly General William Shelton, head of Air Force Space Command, would like to see this simple solution at work. He gave a testimony before the House Armed Services Committee last week, outlining the results of the interference testing.

Shelton claims that he was pressured to give a testimony more favorable to LightSquared, but instead of bowing to the pressure, he expounded the details of adverse effects LightSquared's proposed network has on GPS devices, and it's not pretty.

LightSquared blames the GPS industry for the problem, claiming the manufacturers should have heeded the 2008 Department of Defense recommendation on filtering technology for new GPS devices. Developing filtering standards may be a good idea with or without LightSquared's network in the picture, however at this time there are no filtering standards in place to abide by, only recommendations. Whether or not abiding by these standards will solve the interference problem remains to be seen.

Falcone is now attracting the attention of House Republicans concerned about impropriety of White House interactions for LightSquared to obtain Federal loans. The mogul's $30,400 donation (as well as his wife's and his C.E.O. at LightSquared's matching donations) to the Democratic campaign organizations certainly appear to be unethical, or atleast bad timing, as they were made on the same day as a meeting with White House staffers in 2009.

LightSquared is also catching the attention of Republican Senators wondering how this most recently proposed solution will be funded. In his open letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) expresses his concerns regarding how the FCC is handling LightSquared: "My concern regarding LightSquared’s application to create a terrestrial 4G network is that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appears not to have taken sufficient steps to safeguard the American taxpayer and appears to have let LightSquared off the hook regarding the multi-billion cost to retrofit GPS receivers to block out LightSquared’s terrestrial network."

Sen. Grassley also goes on to question who will be footing the bill for the retrofitting GPS receivers, the answer to which impacts tax payers, the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as other military and Public Safety/Homeland Security agencies.

It should be noted that the House Representative, Ralph Hall (R-Tex.) calling these donations into question receives donations to his own campaign of tens of thousands of dollars from AT&T.
Politics don't belong in public safety, but unfortunately issues such as this one could have a significant effect on operations of our military and first responders. Personally, we don't care who wins the fight as long as it's in the best interest of the public. LightSquared expects to have 25 of their new devices available within the next two weeks, and the investigation into the company's dealings with the White House is well under way.

Read the most recent report on the interference study, straight from the source.

From the FCC

2011-09-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

September 2 - 28, 2011
Daily Digest Highlights

1. AMENDMENT OF PART 90 OF THE COMMISSION'S RULES TO PERMIT TERRESTRIAL

TRUNKED RADIO TECHNOLOGY. Clarified the scope of the waiver granted by

the Commission. by ORDER ON CLARIFICATION. (Dkt No. 11-69 09-234 ).

Action by: Chiefs, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, and Office of Engineering and Technology.

Adopted: 09/26/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1604). WTB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1604A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1604A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1604A1.txt

2. BROADBAND: A DRIVING FORCE FOR AMERICAN JOB CREATION & ECONOMIC GROWTH.

Genachowski addresses America's broadband opportunities and challenges; lays out path for job creation, economic recovery and global competitiveness through broadband. News Release. News Media Contact:

Neil Grace at (202) 418-1032, email: Neil.Grace@fcc.gov OCHJG http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-309892A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-309892A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-309892A1.txt

3. Released: 09/27/2011. FCC'S PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU TO HOLD WORKSHOP/WEBINAR ON DEPLOYABLE AERIAL COMMUNICATIONS ARCHITECTURE. (DA No. 11-1607). PSHSB . Contact: Jennifer A. Manner at (202) 418-3619, email: Jennifer.Manner@fcc.gov. News Media Contact:

Lauren Kravetz at (202) 418-7944, email: Lauren.Kravetz@fcc.gov http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1607A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1607A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1607A1.txt

4. Released: 09/26/2011. EMERGENCY ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT OF OCTOBER 14, 2011 MEETING. (DA No. 11-1599) Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. CGB . Contact: Cheryl King at (202) 418-2284,

email: Cheryl.King@fcc.gov or Patrick Donovan at (202) 418-2413, email:

Patrick.Donovan@fcc.gov, TTY: (202) 418-0416 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1599A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1599A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1599A1.txt

Motorola Solutions Investigated for Bribery Accusations

2011-09-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission have requested information from the Public Safety communications giant Motorola Solutions about their transactions in seven European countries from the past two years. The company is reportedly being investigated regarding bribery allegations.

According to Forbes.com sources say the investigating agencies are searching for evidence that of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, meant to prevent American companies from offering bribes to officials of foreign governments.

The company opened up its own investigation in 2009 of possible bribery mispractices, sparked by a suspicious transaction in Turkey. U.S. officials began their investigation shortly after, now focusing on the business dealings in Europe.

Motorola Solutions has not been subpoenaed and is voluntarily providing information. Part of the investigation is focused on an bribery allegations involving an Austrian lobbyist and count, in relation to BAE Systems. Authorities are looking into whether the lobbyist was involved with paying a bribe to win a contract on behalf of Motorola in 2004.

The penalty for violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is a hefty fine, and with recent questions about Motorola dominating the Public Safety communications industry, the company's reputation will be further damaged by another question of its ethics.

Multimedia Access for 9-1-1 Call Centers

2011-09-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

The FCC unanimously approved a notice of proposed rulemaking last Thursday seeking input to improve the framework of next-generation 9-1-1 (NG-911). The goal is to provide multimedia access call centers and prioritization of 9-1-1 calls on commercial networks.

The notice examines the expected benefits and discusses facilitation of 911 call prioritization, text-to-911, MMS, IP-based messaging or Real-Time text, standards development and PSAP-based triggers for providers to implement non-voice solutions. Read more about the FCC's goals for NG-911 at Urgent Communications.

New Obama Job Bill Includes D-Block

2011-09-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

President Obama's recent speech to a joint session of Congress outlined a draft version of a jobs bill that includes reallocation of the 700 MHz D-block and provides $7 billion of nationwide LTE network funding ($3 billion less than the S.911 Senate bill) for Public Safety.

According a report released by the Telecommunications Industry Association, the nationwide LTE network buildout would create more than 100,000 new jobs. With House Republicans focused on balancing the budget, reducing deficit, and creating jobs, it is important that this bill is beneficial to the economy as well as Public Safety.

The Obama administration voiced support for D-block reallocation and funding previously, although S.911 (the D-block Senate bill). Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) has been an outspoken advocate for auctioning the D-block to commercial operators will reportedly introduce his legislative proposal within weeks. Although Walden's proposal would prevent D-block allocation to Public Safety, many believe the introduction of such a debate will inspire a more productive debate.

Read more at Urgent Communications.

More Wholesale Agreements for LightSquared

2011-09-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

After the announcement of a 15-year, multibillion dollar agreement with Sprint Nextel, LightSquared announced last week that it signed its 14th multiyear wholesale agreement- with VoX Communications.

According to Frank Boulben, LightSquared's chief marketing officer, the company is currently the only carrier offering 4G LTE on a wholesale basis, making them attractive to customers across the country hoping to compete with AT&T and Verizon 4G.

LightSquared is reportedly in contract negotiations with 22 other entities and initial talks with 30 others. The company's nationwide broadband network is scheduled to launch during the second half of 2012. Where 4G is not available during deployment, customers will be able to use Sprint's 3G network, enabling nationwide coverage even if deployment is not yet complete.

LightSquared has signed agreements with wireless carriers that lack a 4G migration path but are still hoping to compete with Verizon and AT&T and with some wireline communication providers. Internet service providers and some retailers such as Best Buy have expressed interest. The previously offered satellite push-to-talk services for Public Safety will continue from LightSquared, and the company plans to enhance this capability with push-to-talk offered via applications over LTE. The goal is to offer all of these capabilities on a single device powered by Qualcomm chipsets and possibly other vendors. The cost of ownership for first responders carrying two handsets would be decrased with one unified device offering regular cell service, data, and satellite service.

Andrew Seybold on Public Safety Broadband: Real-World Testing Results

2011-09-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

This was re-posted with permission from Andrew Seybold.
Originally posted 9/18/11 on andrewseybold.com.

This past spring we were contracted by San Francisco Bay Area UASI (Urban Area Security Initiative) to conduct real-world testing of the first Public Safety broadband network in the Bay Area. This network, known as the Cornerstone project, is the precursor to the East Bay Regional LTE network currently being deployed.

The East Bay Region is one of 21 jurisdictions that received waivers from the FCC to operate a broadband network on the 10 MHz of 700-MHz spectrum already allocated to Public Safety. The license is currently held by the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) and the waiver recipients not only have a waiver from the FCC to build and operate their portion of the nationwide network, they have all entered into lease agreements with the PSST for use of the spectrum.

The East Bay organization entered into an agreement with Motorola to provide the system and it received a $50 million grant from the broadband stimulus funds (BETOP grant) to build out the network. A previous grant funded the first part of the network known as the Cornerstone project and this was the network we tested. The report goes into detail about the network, test procedures, actual tests, and results. We have also included more details on all phases of the testing in seven appendices.

The tests were based on real-world incidents that are typical in both metro and suburban areas on a daily basis. The number of first responder personnel assigned to each incident and their functions at the incident and in the command center have been vetted by many within the Public Safety community and, in reality, the number of first responders assigned to the incident for our tests represents a conservative set of personnel on the scene.

It should also be pointed out that these tests were made under ideal conditions. There was no other network traffic, each test was conducted at the center of a single cell sector, multiple times, and the mobile devices were mounted in vehicles using roof and trunk-mounted outside antennas. The backhaul between the cell sector and the network was 30 Mbps and cannot be considered as a choke point in the network. Further, the testing server was physically located at the network center or core so there were no additional data links that could have skewed the results.

A paragraph taken from the conclusions section of the report sums up our findings.

“Based on these real-world tests, we strongly recommend that public safety be provided with at least 20 MHz of contiguous spectrum (10 MHz by 10 MHz). The only way to accomplish this is to reallocate the 700-MHz D Block to public safety and this should be done prior to the build-out of the waiver recipients’ portion of the nationwide network. The cost to build out 10 MHz of spectrum and 20 MHz of spectrum is identical at the time of construction. Later, the addition of this spectrum would add to the cost of the network and require device redesign, adding to the cost of the user equipment. The entire premise of providing public safety with broadband spectrum using a commercial technology is to provide public safety personnel with capabilities they do not have presently at a lower cost than its existing voice communications equipment.”

The full report, as it was submitted to the FCC, is attached to this column in PDF format and will also be posted on our website for future reference. We believe our testing methodology is solid and that the tests, which were repeated multiple times for each incident, were conclusive. In addition to our own findings, Anritsu America was taking off-the-air measurements with its test equipment to verify the total traffic being sent over the network. We thank Anritsu for its support and assistance. I would also like to thank Motorola, the provider of the network, for its cooperation in working with us on this project. Finally, a big thanks to Panasonic, which provided us with seven identical Toughbooks running Windows XP. These units are identical to thousands of Toughbooks that are installed in police, fire, and EMS vehicles around the United States.

The bottom line: Public Safety needs the D Block and the funding to build out the nationwide Public Safety network. If the D Block is not reallocated, Public Safety will end up with a network that will not provide the types of information and videos it wants and needs on a daily basis for incidents that occur multiple times a day in both major metro areas and their surrounding suburbs. Senate bill S.911 provides both the spectrum and the funding that is needed by the Public Safety community. This bill passed through committee with a strong 21-4 bipartisan vote and it needs to be introduced on the floor of the Senate as soon as possible. This will put pressure on the House of Representatives to pass a similar bill and send it to the President for his signature.

Ten years after 9/11, there is no excuse for not providing the Public Safety community with the tools it needs to better serve all of us. This becomes even more important when the Public Safety community has seen layoffs at a local level because of a lack of funding. Doing more with less takes the right tools, and in this case the right tool is a robust Public Safety-only broadband network that has 20 MHz of spectrum available.

Andrew M. Seybold

Andrew Seybold: Mission-Crticial Voice and LTE: Be Careful!

2011-09-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

Reposted with permission of Andrew Seybold.
This was posted on andrewseybold.com on August 26, 2011:

Do not ignore continued investment in existing mission-critical analog and P25 voice systems because you believe voice over LTE broadband that is mission-critical is just around the corner. Many elected officials in federal, state, and local agencies seem to believe this so continued investment in existing channelized voice systems is not needed. While a lot of progress is being made in the world of broadband voice, it will be sometime in the future (undefined) before all of the pieces and parts of mission-critical voice as defined by NPSTC (soon be to published) are included in LTE. Even then there may be limitations that will hinder the Public Safety community or require some changes to how voice systems are used today.
My view is that our channelized voice systems will be around and needed for at least the next 5-10 years, therefore, continued investment in these systems not only makes sense, it should be a requirement. Progress is being made as you will see below, but even with the definition of mission-critical voice in place I know of no work being done to determine the specific requirements regarding the number of dispatch, coordination, or simplex, talk-around, or peer-to-peer voice channels or circuits that will be required. It is possible that there will be mission-critical voice capabilities on LTE and other broadband networks but that these broadband technologies may not be able to provide the number of voice channels that are used today for major incidents such as wildland fires, etc. It is also possible that broadband voice will not be able to support the number of dispatch areas or zones in use today in major metropolitan areas. It is also possible that the combination of voice and data services will give Public Safety the ability to make changes in the operations to streamline the dispatch and tactical aspects of incidents as well as to operate as it does now.
Where We Are Today; Where We Are Going

As the 700-MHz waiver recipients begin building out their portion of the nationwide 700-MHz broadband network, and as the various committees of the various Public Safety organizations meet and discuss issues, one that keeps coming up is the use of the broadband network for mission-critical voice. I have been saying for a long time now that mission-critical voice (as defined by a recent NPSTC document) is still a long way from becoming real over the LTE broadband network.
However, some progress has been made in recent months. One of the most important elements of Public Safety-grade mission-critical voice has to do with off-network or tactical communications, sometimes referred to by the IT world as peer-to-peer communications. Simply stated, this means the ability for two or more field devices (mobile or handheld) to communicate with each other without having to use a cell site or radio tower system. Many who have discussed this include it as a must-have for times when field units are out of coverage of a network. However, in most cases this type of off-network communications is also a requirement of field units even when they are within network coverage.
Call it what you will—tactical, simplex, talk-around, peer-to-peer—it is the ability for units in the field to be able to communicate directly with each other without any infrastructure required. Today’s Public Safety voice devices all include this feature as standard, but cell phones do not support this mode of operation. I have been skeptical that commercial network operators or others within the LTE broadband community would get behind this mode of communications, but recently, simplex mode communications was introduced at the 3GPP standards body and has been endorsed by some commercial network operators including AT&T, as well as by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In other words, now at least the beginnings of this function are being incorporated into the 3GPP standard for LTE and other broadband wireless technologies. BUT, and this is a big but, it may take years for this to work its way through the 3GPP and be voted on by the membership.
Several federal agencies have funded development work on mission-critical voice over LTE and broadband in general, and several of the bills to reallocate the 700-MHz D Block to Public Safety include additional funding for this type of research and development. However, to date there is no real specification that outlines the number of voice circuits that are or will be needed going forward. If we look back at past major incidents and add up the number of voice circuits that were used at a given incident, is this really the number of voice circuits that will be needed when combined with broadband data services?
For example, if we look at one of the major wildland fires in Southern California over the past few years it is possible to determine how many incident and non-incident voice channels were in use during the incident, but does that translate to how many voice circuits will be needed when we add broadband capabilities into the mix?
The Incident Command System (ICS) clearly defines the roll-out of both the ICS management system as well as the Communications Structure. During a major incident today, the communications leader or someone appointed by him usually completes an ICS form 205, which is the Incident Radio Communications plan that lists the incident name and then radio channel utilization. In most cases, this form is filled out by hand, usually at the staging area where vehicles arriving at the incident report to receive their assignments.
The number of voice radio channels used depends on the size of an incident. During the Tea Fire in Santa Barbara that started on November 13, 2008, burned 1,940 acres, destroyed 210 residences (130 in Santa Barbara, 80 in the county), and caused 30 firefighter injuries, the total number of radio channels in use at the height of the fire was 18 command-and-control channels and 72 tactical or simplex channels used for the fire and by police and other first responders directly involved with the firefighting efforts. Normal operations used an additional 4 dispatch channels and 6 tactical or simplex channels.
The good news is that in California almost all of the fire units that responded from federal, state, and local agencies had multi-channel VHF radios so there was a good amount of interoperable communications available. However, this did not include police, sheriff, highway patrol, and other agencies that were also involved in the firefighting. Coordination between these agencies and the fire command was handled via the dispatch centers and/or the emergency operations center. As you can see, there were a large number of radio channels in use and of these, some of the channels were federal, some state, and others local channels. One of the questions that need to be answered as we add broadband services (data and video) to these types of incidents is how much of the traffic on these channels would be reduced and could a future incident get by with fewer voice channels. Another question is that since this fire covered a large area, could some of the voice channels, in the future, be reused in different sectors? These are questions that can only be answered by those who plan for these types of major incidents and it is their input that will be critical to the development of the requirements for mission-critical voice over broadband systems.
One of the reasons so many voice channels are required during major incidents has to do with the fact that each group assigned to the incident has its own specific task to complete. Since each of these groups must have instant and complete communications capabilities, each group is generally assigned its own voice channel with the commander of each group monitoring both the local working channel and the channel on which they then talk to the next higher ranking officer at the incident. This system has worked well for many years and has provided a highly reliable way of ensuring that anyone who needed help could get on a radio and ask for it, and that someone else, either local to them or within radio range, could hear the call and respond accordingly. Without this type of reliable communications there might have been more injuries or even deaths as a result of someone calling for help and that call being unanswered.
In an ideal world it would be wonderful if every first responder had all of the capabilities needed to do their job and protect themselves and the public in a single device. Such a device would give them all of the voice, video, and data capabilities they need, when they need it. But we don’t have this type of device today. First responders cannot take the time to dial a phone number, and many times they do not have two hands available to change the status of the wireless device or make a menu selection. They need to know that simply by pushing an emergency button or calling for help their location and their need for assistance has been heard and that help is really on the way.
Technology is advancing rapidly and the first responder community, for the first time ever, is embracing a commercial and readily available technology for broadband (LTE). Hopefully, Congress will give the first responders the spectrum they need to build out a nationwide broadband network that will provide fully interoperable communications from border to border and coast to coast. Broadband will provide video for those responding to an incident, which is like giving sight to the blind. It will enable a swat team commander to see, on a mobile device, exactly what his snipers are seeing through their high-powered rifle scopes, all of which translates to better protection for both the citizens they serve and for themselves.
In the future, there is no doubt in my mind the Public Safety community will be able to have a single device that will permit voice, data, and video, but when will that future be? There are, at the moment, about 100 different answers to that question. The general consensus from those working with the technology is that some level of mission-critical voice can and will be available over LTE broadband networks. The remaining questions are how many of the mission-critical voice requirements can actually be met with LTE broadband or future broadband technologies, and how long will it take to be able to prove to the Public Safety community that LTE broadband can provide both voice and data services?
The bottom line is that today’s mission-critical channelized voice systems, and the new systems being deployed, developed, and planned, need to continue to be funded to ensure that when the time comes, the capabilities of LTE broadband can be weighed against the needs of the Public Safety community. If there is a perfect fit, the transition from channelized to broadband mission-critical voice should begin. Perhaps some of the channelized spectrum could be returned to the FCC for reallocation to others but this process should not, today, be viewed as something that will happen overnight but rather that it could take years to accomplish.
Is voice coming to LTE broadband? Yes, it’s the when that is in question. Is mission-critical voice coming to LTE broadband? I hope so, but in the meantime, not maintaining or building new mission-critical Public Safety voice systems should not be an option considered by any local, state or federal agency!
Andrew M. Seybold

From the FCC

2011-09-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

August 31 and September 1, 2011

Daily Digest Highlights

1. ESTEVAN J. GUTIERREZ. Notified Esteven J. Gutierrez of an AapparentLiability for Forfeiture in the amount of $25,000 for operating on a frequency licensed to the Las Vegas, New Mexico, Police Department without authorization,and other matters. Action by: District Director, San Diego District Office, Western Region, Enforcement Bureau. Adopted: 08/30/2011 by NAL. (DA No. 11-1475). EB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1475A1.doc

2. COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC. Granted the Petition. Action by:Senior Deputy Chief, Policy Division, Media Bureau. Adopted: 08/31/2011 by MO&O. (DA No. 11-1478). MB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1478A1.doc

3. Released: 08/31/2011. FCC EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR MEMBERSHIP NOMINATIONS FOR OPEN INTERNET ADVISORY COMMITTEE BY THIRTY DAYS. (DA No. 11-1485).(Dkt No 09-191 07-52 ) Extended deadline for submitting nominations for the Open Internet Advisory Committee from Sept. 1, 2011 to Oct. 1, 2011.GEN . Contact: Deborah Broderson at (202) 418-0652, email:Deborah.Broderson@fcc.gov

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1485A1.doc

4. Released: 08/31/2011. FCC ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER PUBLIC SAFETY SHOWCASE IN THE FCC TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE CENTER. PSHSB . Contact: Ronald Cunningham at (202) 513-4515 or email: TEC@fcc.gov. News Media Contact: Lauren Kravetz at (202) 418-7944, email: Lauren.Kravetz@fcc.gov

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-309379A1.pdf

5. PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION. Granted blanket authority toPanasonic Avionics Corporation for domestic operation of up to 50 technically identical transmit/receive aircraft earth stations in the Aeronautical Mobile Satellite Service. Action by: Chiefs, International Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology. Adopted: 08/31/2011 by O&A. (DA No. 11-1480). IB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1480A1.doc

6. VALUTEL COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Adopted a Consent Decree in this proceeding. Action by: Chief, Telecommunications Consumers Division, Enforcement Bureau. Adopted: 08/30/2011 by Order/Consent Decree. (DA No. 11-1469). EB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1469A1.doc

Free Webcast from APCO on Narrowbanding

2011-08-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Be sure to listen in on APCO's free webcast, Narrowbanding: Are you Ready?

This is an opportunity for Public Safety professionals to educate themselves on the upcoming narrowbanding deadline. Are you ready?

Andrew Seybold Wireless Dinner Announced

2011-08-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

On the first night of the Consumer Electronics Show, mobile wireless consultant, researcher and analyst Andrew Seybold will be holding his 22nd Annual Wireless Dinner in Las Vegas, NV, to celebrate the most recent advances in the area of broadband communications. This venue provides an exclusive setting for some of the most influential executives from established and emerging companies to enjoy a rare opportunity to meet and share ideas, debate issues off the record, and take the pulse of the wireless mobility market. more

Caught In The Dark

2011-08-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

Unknown Intellectual Property Problem Plagues Rebanding of EFJ Units

By Robert H. Schwaninger, Jr.

As rebanding at 800 MHz drags on, the sources of delay in getting the job done seem to increase every month. Broken loaner equipment, limited personnel, shifting priorities, complicated interoperability issues, software availability and many other challenges face public safety licensees that just want the darn thing to be over.

Now, some public safety licensees are finding out that their rebanding is being put on hold while two manufacturers and Sprint Nextel sort out an intellectual property problem that is affecting thousands of EF Johnson radios. The radios affected are those EFJ units that have Motorola software installed in them to allow the EFJ units to work in association with a Motorola network.

When the units were originally sold to end users, the problem did not exist because the licensed software installed in the radios to allow operation with a Motorola network was part of the package. So, as long as those units transmitted and received within certain bands, the permanently licensed software in the units would allow for access to the Motorola hardware.

A Technical Patch

When rebanding began, EFJ recognized that to reband their units would require a revised software licensing agreement with Motorola to allow the EFJ units to be retuned and still operate in association with the Motorola hardware. EFJ and Motorola entered into a licensing agreement that would allow EFJ units to be retuned for future operation on a rebanded Motorola network, however, for reasons that are not clear the license was given an expiration date of approximately five years.

The license purchased by EFJ from Motorola for the revised software to accommodate rebanding was obviously a kind of technical patch to handle rebanding. Why else would EFJ purchase a license that would only last for five years? And why else would EFJ buy a limited quantity of access codes, enough to presumably only cover EFJ units then in the field operating on Motorola networks?

Sprint Nextel’s involvement becomes clear when you know that sometime before October, 2010, EFJ transferred over 2000 access codes representing the software license to Sprint Nextel, either by sale or otherwise. According to sources, following October, 2010 the Motorola license for the software was to expire and EF Johnson may have transferred those access codes to Sprint Nextel in hopes that Motorola would not block Sprint Nextel’s distribution of access codes to EFJ end users as a part of rebanding.

However, whatever the terms are between Sprint Nextel and Motorola in their master rebanding agreement, Motorola appears to be balking at the idea of Sprint Nextel’s distribution of the access codes formerly owned by EFJ. Motorola is likely looking for additional payment to renew the now expired software license. Meanwhile, thousands of EFJ units that are ready to be rebanded and the public safety agencies that own those radios are being held hostage by this licensing problem, because Sprint Nextel is not releasing the access codes in their possession.

Public Safety In The Dark

The contracts between the manufacturers and Sprint Nextel during the rebanding process have always been proprietary and all parties to those agreements have gone to great pains to maintain the confidentiality of those agreements. Equipment pricing has been shielded from public view or agency oversight. Labor costs and rebanding methodology have been negotiated without any input from public safety operators.

But while manufacturers and Sprint Nextel have been able to black box their fraternal dealings, the FCC and Sprint Nextel have insisted on increasing levels of transparency from rebanding licensees. The amount of information demanded in a reconciliation of a Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement would be sufficient to withstand a full blown audit. “Tell us more” is the mantra repeated by Sprint Nextel and the Transition Administrator, even if the telling is a recitation of the obvious.

This one-sided demand for information has vexed many a public safety licensee and has created additional administrative costs for licensees that is often never recovered. This is particularly true given the backdrop of “foreseeability,” a weapon of choice for Sprint Nextel in its negotiations. By merely contending that the costs were foreseeable, Sprint Nextel seeks an advantage in attempting to deny reimbursement for those costs if they exceed the original estimates.

But what of the problem of the expiring Motorola license for the EFJ units operating on a Motorola network? The problem did not become known until after the license expired in October 2010 and suddenly thousands of EFJ units are left stranded. Did Motorola or Sprint Nextel or EF Johnson warn anyone? No. Instead, this was only one of many backroom deals cut without public safety’s knowledge or involvement.

The FCC recently reiterated the obligation upon Sprint Nextel and licensees to provide all vital information that might materially affect rebanding time and costs. Yet, this information was not provided to licensees by Sprint Nextel. Therefore, licensees were allowed to negotiate their respective FRAs to their own peril and frustration. And since Sprint Nextel accepted the access codes from EFJ, it had to have known that the problem would arise and yet, it remained mum.

Meanwhile, EF Johnson has not renewed the Motorola license, Sprint Nextel is not distributing the access codes, and Motorola isn’t budging on its rights to that intellectual property. Instead, it appears that all three are waiting for one of the others to make the first move, and rebanding of affected public safety units has come to a halt.

The Future Resolution Is Unknown

Right now, the ultimate outcome of this matter is unknown. Will end user agencies be, somehow, forced to replace EF Johnson radios with a new model, either EFJ or Motorola? If so, will Sprint Nextel accept the cost of replacement as a portion of its rebanding costs? Will the Motorola license be renewed, allowing Sprint Nextel to distribute the access codes? Or will Motorola simply refuse to renew the license? I cannot say.

But what is abundantly clear is that public safety licensees were kept entirely in the dark about this matter and whatever decisions are made to resolve the problem, that resolution cannot include forcing end user agencies to take a product they don’t want. The solution falls on Sprint Nextel to come up with. Maybe this time the negotiations will involve public safety’s participation, but don’t count on it.

Rebanding deals have consistently involved mushroom management of public safety’s reasonable agenda, to cause a safe, efficient, and cost-neutral outcome. Even the facts contained herein may include some errors given the darkness that surrounds these kinds of dealings. For that, I do not apologize given the nature of things. However, I think that affected public safety agencies are entitled to an apology from Sprint Nextel and EF Johnson. Just don’t be surprised if the mea culpas come with a confidentiality clause.

From the FCC

2011-08-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

July 25 - August 22

Daily Digest Highlights

1. Released: 08/19/2011. FCC'S PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU TO HOLD WORKSHOP/WEBINAR ON PROPOSED EXTENSION OF OUTAGE REPORTING TO INTERCONNECTED VOIP AND BROADBAND ISPS AND NETWORK RELIABILITY AND CONTINUITY. (DA No. 11-1433). PSHSB . Contact: Gregory Intoccia at (202) 418-1470, email: Gregory.Intoccia@fcc.gov. News Media Contact: Lauren Kravetz at (202) 418-7944, email: Lauren.Kravetz@fcc.gov DA-11-1433A1.doc DA-11-1433A1.pdf DA-11-1433A1.txt

2. Released: 08/17/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES REGION 20 (DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA) PUBLIC SAFETY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEES TO HOLD 700 MHZ REGIONAL AND 800 MHZ NPSPAC PLANNING MEETINGS. (DA No. 11-1425). (Dkt No 90-7 ). PSHSB DA-11-1425A1.doc DA-11-1425A1.pdf DA-11-1425A1.txt

3. Released: 08/17/2011. FY 2011 REGULATORY FEES DUE NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 14, 2011, EASTERN TIME (ET). (DA No. 11-1420) A notice that FY 2011 Regulatory Fees are due on September 14, 2011.. OMD . News Media Contact: Roland Helvajian at (202) 418-0444 DA-11-1420A1.doc DA-11-1420A1.pdf DA-11-1420A1.txt

4. Report No: CWS-11-84 Released: 08/17/2011. ANTENNA STRUCTURE REGISTRATION SERVICE INFORMATION - ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION. WTB DOC-309104A1.pdf DOC-309104A1.txt

5. Report No: 7075 Released: 08/17/2011. WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU SITE BASED LICENSES TERMINATION PENDING PUBLIC NOTICE. WTB DOC-309090A1.pdf DOC-309090A1.txt

6. Report No: 7071 Released: 08/17/2011. WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU MARKET BASED LICENSES TERMINATION PENDING PUBLIC NOTICE. WTB DOC-309086A1.pdf DOC-309086A1.txt

7. Report No: 7078 Released: 08/17/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU SITE BASED LICENSES TERMINATION PENDING PUBLIC NOTICE. PSHSB DOC-309092A1.pdf DOC-309092A1.txt

8. Report No: 7072 Released: 08/17/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU MARKET BASED LICENSES TERMINATION PENDING PUBLIC NOTICE. PSHSB DOC-309088A1.pdf DOC-309088A1.txt

9. Report No: NCD-2022 Released: 08/16/2011. WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU SHORT TERM NETWORK CHANGE NOTIFICATION FILED BY VERIZON NORTH LLC. WCB . Contact: Carmell Weathers at (202) 418-2325, email: Carmell.Weathers@fcc.gov, TTY: (202) 418-0484 DOC-309067A1.doc DOC-309067A1.pdf DOC-309067A1.txt

10. Report No: NCD-2020 Released: 08/16/2011. WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU SHORT TERM NETWORK CHANGE NOTIFICATION FILED BY QWEST. WCB . Contact: Carmell Weathers at (202) 418-2325, email: Carmell.Weathers@fcc.gov, TTY: (202) 418-0484 DOC-309063A1.doc DOC-309063A1.pdf DOC-309063A1.txt

11. Report No: NCD-2021 Released: 08/16/2011. WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU SHORT TERM NETWORK CHANGE NOTIFICATION FILED BY VERIZON NORTH LLC. WCB . Contact: Carmell Weathers at (202) 418-2325, email: Carmell.Weathers@fcc.gov, TTY: (202) 418-0484 DOC-309066A1.doc DOC-309066A1.pdf DOC-309066A1.txt

12. FCC CHAIRMAN GENACHOWSKI ANNOUNCES FIVE-STEP ACTION PLAN TO IMPROVE THE DEPLOYMENT OF NEXT GENERATION 9-1-1. Genachowski unveils FCC strategy to harness the power of new technologies to save lives, enable the public to send emergency text, data and video to 9-1-1 and build a 21st century emergency communications system. News Release. News Media Contact: Neil Grace at (202) 418-0506, email: Neil.Grace@fcc.gov OCHJG DOC-309003A1.doc DOC-309003A1.pdf DOC-309003A1.txt

13. Released:08/10/2011.PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES REGION 49 (CENTRAL TEXAS) PLANNING COMMITTEES TO HOLD 700 MHZ REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING AND 800 MHZ (NPSPAC) REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING MEETINGS. (DA No.11-1381). (Dkt No 92-190 ).PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1381A1.doc

14. Report No: 7063 Released: 08/10/2011. WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU MARKET BASED LICENSES TERMINATION PENDING PUBLIC NOTICE. WTB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308974A1.pdf

15. Report No: 7066 Released: 08/10/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU SITE BASED LICENSES TERMINATION PENDING NOTICE. PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308975A1.pdf

16. Released: 08/05/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES REGION 55 (NEW YORK - BUFFALO) PUBLIC SAFETY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEES TO HOLD 700 MHZ REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING AND 800 MHZ NPSPAC REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING MEETINGS. (DA No. 11-1361). (Dkt No 92-287 ). PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1361A1.doc

17. Released: 08/04/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU APPROVES REGION 15 (IOWA) 700 MHZ REGIONAL PLAN. (DA No. 11-1355). (Dkt No 02-378 ). PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1355A1.doc

18. Report No: 7051 Released: 08/03/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU MARKET-BASED LICENSES TERMINATION PENDING PUBLIC NOTICE. PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308854A1.pdf

19. APPLICATIONS FOR CONSENT TO TRANSFER CONTROL OF LICENSEE, XM SATELLITE RADIO HOLDINGS INC., TRANSFEROR TO SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO INC., TRANSFEREE. The Commission declines to extend the three-year price cap condition beyond its expiration date contained in the order approving the merger of Sirius and XM. (Dkt No. 07-57 ). Action by: Chief, Media Bureau. Adopted: 07/27/2011 by MO&O. (DA No. 11-1273). MB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1273A1.doc

20. Report No: 7029 Released: 07/27/2011. WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU MARKET BASED LICENSES TERMINATION PENDING PUBLIC NOTICE. WTB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308618A1.pdf

Google Buys Motorola Mobility

2011-08-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Google started its week off with the announcement of a big ticket purchase this morning. Motorola Mobility (which has focused all of its new cellular device models on the Android OS) was acquired by the company for $12.5 billion.

Google executives will host a conference call later today to give official comment. Executives from other Android manufacturers (HTC, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson) have already made their thoughts public. All are supportive and welcoming of the buyout, praising Google's commitment to "defending" Android, its partners, and the mobile ecosystem.

Motorola Solutions remains in tact as a Public Safety communications vendor.

LTE Procurement: It's not pretty.

2011-08-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

Just like most public safety communications projects, LTE networks are proving difficult for entities to procure. The challenges are greater with LTE projects because they blaze the trail of broadband- these networks are the first of their kind for public safety.
The obstacles can usually be divided up into two categories: spectrum and funding.

The FCC granted 700 MHz waivers to 21 governmental agencies last May, so the spectrum is available- and becoming more accessible to agencies. The funding is also available, with a few of the agencies accessing grants associated with the economic-stimulus package.

Although the procurement process is expected to take some time, negotiations with vendors have been moving like molasses or not at all. Only one of the agencies that were granted waivers, Adams County, Colorado, has reached an agreement with a vendor and began the installation process.

The BayWeb project in San Francisco, Cal. has had its fair share of complications, and they are not alone. In fact, the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) decided last week to restart its bidding process for its massive P25 and LTE project, after attorneys deemed that the long procurement process did not meet state guidelines. This news may be disheartening to those who once called LA-RICS the model for all future public safety LTE projects.

Some say the state buckled under the possibility of legal action from Motorola, who has been outspoken about perceived flaws the LA-RICS procurement process. Internal attorneys at the state seem to have folded under the pressure, and decided that the process was indeed flawed. Raytheon, chosen by LA-RICS to work on the project, has been wondering where these voices have been for the past three years they have been working on the project.

Now, not only does the agency have to go back to the drawing board, but they must return to Washington seeking a waiver for an extension on its $154 million of grant funding (something the federal government has never granted to public safety broadband projects to date).

Public safety entities are already tightening their belts under economic pressure, and they don't have the time for wasted money and resources. We are living in an age of innovation, and forward motion is necessary to manifest the amazing technology that has come from our generation.

Our public safety agencies should not be spending their time arguing with lawyers, stumbling over bureaucracy, and battling with politics. They have a much more important task at hand: protecting the public.

If your agency has faced negotiation or funding issues, contact EMR Consulting today to gain an ally and powerful tool to help your communications system see success. We are here to help.

Good morning from APCO 2011!

2011-08-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

EMR Consulting and Schwaninger & Associates have been at APCO this week. We have really enjoyed reconnecting with our fellow public safety communications professionals and seeing some new faces as well!

Jenny Adkins, EMR President Sandra Black, and Robert Schwaninger at our booth.

Throughout this week, EMR has had the opportunity to hear about the triumphs and struggles of your agencies' communications systems- and we're still listening. Stop by to talk to one of our consultants, and let us help give you the tools you need to be successful.

If you carry a badge, stop by to get your free EMR t-shirt to show your support for public safety.

Come by and chat with us!

Analyst Claims Key Staff Excluded from FCC's LightSquared Proceedings

2011-08-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Patrick Comack, an analyst from an investment research company in Florida says that FCC staffers he spoke to directly were "very upset" about the waiver granted to billionaire Phillip Falcone's satellite broadband company LightSquared to test its planned nationwide network.

The Commission strongly denies the claim, stating the allegations are based on personal motives.

The January 2011 waiver in question granted LightSquared conditional authority to proceed with construction for their network, despite warnings from the GPS industry that the network as planned would cause harmful interference with key aviation, aerospace, and other GPS technologies. The conditions of the waiver prohibited the network's activation until "harmful" interference issues with GPS were resolved. Their warnings have turned out to be accurate based on multiple reports from third party agencies. LightSquared's recent proposed solution was met with criticism from various GPS and Public Safety advocates, due to its ineffective nature.

Comack has stood by his allegations in subsequent interviews. He says he does not have any personal investments in telecommunications, satellite, or GPS companies. His company does not invest in them either. His primary job is to make recommendations to other clients about which stocks to buy or sell. He currently has a "buy" recommendation on Clearwire, because he believes it will compete well with LightSquared. In the past he has projected that Sprint Nextel will ultimately buy Clearwire, which would be a big win for his investors.

According to the Washington Post article, the FCC's spokeswoman Tammy Sun said, "These are patently false allegations from an individual whose interests are clearly compromised. The FCC's expert staff will continue to run an open, transparent and inclusive process to address interference issues around LightSquared's proposal, which has the potential to create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in economic investment."

Sun said that there were three departments that jointly drafted the waiver that set LightSquared on the development fast-track. Comack's claim does not deny that these departments were consulted, but says that the review process that normally takes place on a decision of this nature was not followed, and there are key expert staffers in the International Bureau who are upset that they were not consulted, as is normal protocol.

Comack says his recommendation to invest in Clearwire does not point to a compromise of his credibility. In his response to the counter-allegations, he says, "Why would I lie? I'm putting myself out there."

The most recent solution LightSquared has proposed calls for GPS technology providers themselves to use filtering technology to avoid interference.

Congress has recently stepped into the process and passed a ruling that prohibits the FCC from spending any resources even considering the network while reports are still showing the possibility (and likelihood) of harmful interference.

From the FCC

2011-07-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

July 15-24
Daily Digest Highlights
1. Released: 07/19/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES REGION 51 (TEXAS-HOUSTON) PUBLIC SAFETY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEES TO HOLD 700 MHZ AND 800 MHZ NPSPAC PLANNING MEETINGS. (DA No. 11-1211). (Dkt No 91-199 ). PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1211A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1211A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1211A1.txt

2. FCC ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR AUGUST 9TH OPEN MEETING. News Release. News Media Contact: David Fiske at (202) 418-0513, email: David.Fiske@fcc.gov OCHJG
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308484A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308484A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308484A1.txt

3. PETITION OF INTRADO COMMUNICATIONS OF VIRGINIA, INC. Granted the parties' Joint Motion for Approval of Agreement. (Dkt No. 08-33 ). Action by: Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau. Adopted: 07/18/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1199). WCB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1199A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1199A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1199A1.txt

4. CLEARWIRE CORPORATION. Granted the Extension Request and extended the deadline for completing the transition in those BTAs to October 15, 2011. (Dkt No. 06-136 ). Action by: Deputy Chief, Broadband Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau by LETTER. (DA No. 11-1215). WTB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1215A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1215A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1215A1.txt

5. Released: 07/21/2011. EMERGENCY ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT OF AUGUST 12, 2011 MEETING. (DA No. 11-1221) Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. CGB . Contact: Cheryl King at (202) 418-2284, email: Cheryl.King@fcc.gov or Patrick Donovan at (202) 418-2413, email: Patrick.Donovan@fcc.gov, TTY: (202) 418-0416 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1221A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1221A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1221A1.txt

6. COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS REMARKS TO THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, DC. OCMJC http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308525A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308525A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308525A1.txt

7. SERVICE RULES FOR THE 698-746, 747-762 AND 777-792 MHZ BANDS/IMPLEMENTING A NATIONWIDE, BROADBAND, INTEROPERABLE PUBLIC SAFETY NETWORK IN THE 700 MHZ BAND/AMENDMENT OF PART 90 OF THE COMMISSON'S RULES. Denied the Request for Declaratory Ruling filed by the City of Charlotte, North Carolina. by 4th R&O. (Dkt No. 06-229 07-100 06-150 ). Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 07/20/2011 by R&O. (FCC No. 11-113). PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-113A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-113A2.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-113A2.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-113A1.txt
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-113A2.txt

8. ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION OF REGULATORY FEES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011. Established regulatory fee rates for FY 2011 Regulatory Fees. (Dkt No. 11-76 ). Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 07/21/2011 by R&O. (FCC No. 11-114). OMD http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-114A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-114A2.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-114A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-114A2.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-114A1.txt
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-11-114A2.txt

European Commission Concerned About Light Squared

2011-07-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

In a letter addressed to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, a European Commission (EC) official outlined concerns about the LightSquared nationwide LTE network, which has been under fire for reported GPS interference and frozen at the FCC by Congress.

Europe's satellite system, Galileo, is planned to launch by 2015. In the letter the EC explained that a terrestrial network in mobile satellite service (MSS) spectrum would alter the nature of transmissions in that band. The neighboring MSS signals are currently operating at similar receive power levels. If LightSquared launches their network as planned, these transmissions would increase in magnitude- which could severely disrupt the reception of the Galileo system as well as GPS operations. Galileo receivers in place in the United States will likely be affected by harmful interference from LightSquared base stations, according to the European Space Agency analysis.

In June, LightSquared submitted a report to the FCC outlining the interference issues, and a three- part solution to the problem. The report was met with much criticism by authorities across the industry, including the Coalition to Save Our GPS.

LTE Used for Video Backhaul Over D-Block Waves

2011-07-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

The federal park police utilized Alcatel-Lucent's LTE system operating on 700 MHz D-Block spectrum during the Washington, D.C. July 4 celebration this year on the National Mall. Their video-surveillance system is the first to operate on these waves, which the FCC currently has reserved for commercial auction.

The video backhaul system they have in place allows fixed surveillance equipment in the area to send high-definition video and thermal-imaging feeds to officials in a remote location. Their video-based technology, which included analytic capability, requires robust bandwidth.

Using 700 MHz frequencies allowed the base station to receive signal despite being out of the line of sight, something that would be impossible over a cellular connection because of the caliber of the cameras used. The FCC granted temporary authority for the federal park police to operate on the D-block spectrum for the event.

The technology services commander for the U.S. Park Police attributes the success of the network to having dedicated spectrum that did not have to be shared with commercial users.

FCC Releases Narrowbanding Deadline Reminder, FAQs

2011-07-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Part 90 VHF and UHF licensees within the 150-174 and 421-512 MHz bands must comply with the January 1, 2013 narrowbanding deadline, or face admonisments, license revocation, and/or monetary forfeitures of up to $16,000 for each day of operation in violation− up to $112,500.

The Public Notice issued yesterday included detailed information about waiver procedure and Frequently Asked Questions regarding narrowbanding.

Read the notice here.

If your agency is in need of assistance through the narrowbanding process, contact EMR Consulting today to find out how we can help.

D-Block Companion Bill Generates Public Safety Forecasts

2011-07-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Just in time for a committee hearing scheduled for this Friday, Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Gene Green (D-Texas) introduced H.R. 2482 to the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill to support the D-Block legislation (S. 911).

S. 911 recently passed the Senate Commerce Committee with a 21-4 vote, which gives public safety advocates hope that first responders will get the 700 MHz network they have been working towards. A spokesperson for the Public Safety Alliance says the next step is to get it through the hearing and to gain support from the House Energy and Commerce Commitee.

President Obama and the executive branch have expressed support for the bill, but this could hinder its progress just as much as it helps. The high-profile support has turned the bill into a "political football" in a currently divided government, with Democrats and Republicans using whatever tools they can to stay ahead of one another. This common problem of politics being brought into Public Safety has slowed and even halted many projects in the past. Now more than ever, the effort must be a bipartisan one, and focus must stay on lawmakers' responsibility to do what is best for first responders, and in turn all of us.

Some analysts are getting nervous about the ticking clock; the goal was to have D-Block legislation on the President's desk by the tenth anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks. Some hypothesize that if it is not signed by then, it might be forgotten and not signed at all.

A writer from Urgent Communications, is more optimistic, saying the decision will ultimately come to a matter of money; can Congress find $11 million to build a Public Safety network? And even if they do, who will foot the bill if (and when) the nationwide network ends up costing more than anyone currently thinks?

We want to hear your thoughts. Comment in the box below or email kmilfort@emrconsults.com to tell us your opinion.

From the FCC

2011-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Commission Moves Toward Improved 911 Location-Accuracy

2011-07-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

The FCC voted Tuesday to revise its location-accuracy requirements for wireless 911 callers, seeking comments to improve location-accuracy of VoIP emergency communications.

The new rules would require all wireless carriers to comply with more stringent GPS-based E-911 accuracy requirements by 2019. This includes coverage at the county level or PSAP-territory level. Mandatory reports on tests of accuracy will be required as well.

Reliable location data is invaluable for first reponders, especially under circumstances where a 911 caller is unable to communicate their location. The FCC also plans to explore the ability to locate callers within buildings, since a only street address is insufficient if a call comes from a large building.

This is a step in the right direction for Public Safety, after the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) published Project LOCATE, a study which found discrepancies of wireless 911 call location-accuracy, based on the technology used by carriers.

Releases from the FCC

2011-07-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

From the July 6 - 10, 2011 Daily Digests

1. FCC TO HOLD OPEN COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2011 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308248A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308248A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308248A1.txt

2. STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, HEARING ON "FCC PROCESS REFORM", BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES by Statement. OCHJG http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308284A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308284A1.txt

3. Released: 07/06/2011. AUCTION OF 700 MHZ BAND LICENSES; 19 BIDDERS QUALIFIED TO PARTICIPATE IN AUCTION 92. (DA No. 11-1131). (Dkt No 10-248 ) The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau identifies 19 applicants found to be qualified to bid in the upcoming auction of 700 MHz band licenses - Auction 92. WTB AU http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1131A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1131A2.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1131A3.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1131A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1131A1.txt
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1131A2.txt
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1131A3.txt

4. STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER ROBERT M. MCDOWELL, "THE VIEWS OF THE INDEPENDENT AGENCIES ON REGULATORY REFORM", BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & COMMERCE, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES by Statement. OCRMM http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308297A1.pdf

Andrew Seybold: LightSquared System is a Potential Disaster

2011-07-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

This post was used with Andrew Seybold's permission, from Andrewseybold.com.

Okay, I admit it. I don’t believe LightSquared should be permitted to use what was supposed to be satellite spectrum for a terrestrial broadband network. Not only that, I don’t believe LightSquared has a sound business plan. Building more than 40,000 cell sites, maintaining them, and reselling the bandwidth to others who want to sell it to their customers does not pencil out in my book. The margins will be too slim, especially given the fact that prices for both voice and broadband services keep falling in the United States so margins will continue to be squeezed. But apart from a faulty business plan, the main reason I am opposed to LightSquared’s plan to build this network is that if there is the slightest chance it will interfere with GPS receivers, it simply should not be permitted to be built.

"...if LightSquared is permitted to build out its system it can only result in a potential disaster that will take years and cost billions of dollars to resolve if it can be resolved at all."

The history of wireless is littered with examples where the FCC acted on a request by a vendor, approved the deployment of a system, and later learned that the new system created interference to other services. The most notable of these mistakes by the FCC is the ongoing saga of the Nextel service. Nextel started out providing Specialized Mobile Radio services (SMR) for two-way radio systems as Fleet Call and then was re-invented to become a full cellular service but not in a cellular band. In fact, as Nextel went around the country and bought up other SMR operators’ systems (each one covering a specific local area), it amassed channels that were intermingled with other SMR operators, as well as fire and police radio systems.

Nextel’s founders worked hard to convince both Congress and the FCC that this type of system would be compatible with the existing users in the 800-MHz frequency band. Since there were only two cellular operators for a city at that point in time, both the FCC and Congress approved the concept in order to bring more competition into the cellular market. During the discussions, fire, police, and many SMR operators pointed out that Nextel’s cell towers would cause interference to these other services but their warnings fell on deaf ears.

If you were the FCC Chairman, would you permit LightSquared to continue? I, for one, would not.

The system was rolled out and, in fact, it caused significant interference to others in the same band including public safety. The reason was simple: SMR and public safety systems made use of tall towers or mountain top sites and only a few of them per city. The radios were high power and the systems worked well. Then Nextel began building towers using the cellular model, which is lots of towers at low locations in order to provide service over wide areas. The result was that when an SMR or public safety radio was within sight of a Nextel cell site, or even close to one, the cell site put out so much power 24/7 that the Nextel signals interfered with public safety and SMR radios and in many cases put public safety personnel in danger.

The solution, which is still ongoing today, was to re-band this portion of the spectrum moving Nextel’s frequencies to a contiguous block of spectrum instead of permitting Nextel to be intermingled with the other services. A lot of this re-banding, as it is called, has been completed but not without Nextel and now Sprint/Nextel having to spend billions of dollars and huge logistical issues for both public safety and SMR systems. Some areas of the country have not completed the re-banding process, including along both our borders where the process must also include coordination with either Mexico or Canada, and then there are many areas where there are disputes about the cost of re-banding or radio replacement.

Nextel got its way based on the belief in Washington at the time that we needed more than two cellular operators in order to create more competition and therefore lower prices. After Nextel was approved, the PCS spectrum (1900 MHz) was auctioned again to ensure more competitors in every market. Fortunately, the 1900-MHz users were relocated by the auction winners so there were no further interference issues.

Fast forward to 2011. The FCC’s broadband report says that we need more commercial and unlicensed broadband spectrum. The FCC’s OBI (Omnibus Broadband Initiative) has cited that in the United States we will be more than 200 MHz of broadband spectrum short to meet the demand by 2013, and the FCC says it will “find” 300 MHz of spectrum within five years and another 200 MHz within another five years. Further, there are two other attitudes in DC that influence the decision-making process. The first is the belief (which I disagree with) that broadband services will replace all wireless services going forward and therefore broadband is the most important form of wireless communications going forward. The other belief is the more competition there is in every market in the United States the lower the pricing will be for all customers. Neither of these beliefs is grounded in reality or can be proven but that does not matter. What matters is perception.

When LightSquared went to the FCC, as you can see, the FCC was already predisposed to approve both more broadband spectrum availability and more competition, especially since LightSquared is to be a wholesaler of broadband services. This will permit smaller competitors to compete against the larger nationwide network operators, at least on a local basis. It is no wonder that the FCC issued LightSquared its waiver to convert satellite spectrum into a full-blown terrestrial network as opposed to a previous ruling that would permit LightSquared to augment its satellite coverage with a few terrestrial sites. The warnings from the experts, once again, went unanswered, and the FCC issued the waiver.

Now, after the fact, the FCC and LightSquared are facing opposition from Congress, a collation of GPS companies, the aircraft industry, the Department of Justice, the Public Safety community and even the farmers who use precision GPS in growing their crops. Perhaps the good news is that the network has not been built yet and the hue and cry is growing louder by the day. The results of the first set of tests proved, beyond a doubt, that the first portion of the spectrum LightSquared intended to use for terrestrial broadband would have wiped out GPS reception within a few miles of each cell site and in the air as well.

Now LightSquared has filed its report, all 1200+ pages of it, and working my way through it is a challenge. It has said it will move to a different portion of its spectrum that is further away from the GPS band, and claims that in this portion of the band it will not interfere with 99.5% of the GPS devices. The fact that it WILL interfere with even, as they state, 0.5% of the devices should be reason enough not to grant permits to build the network. The other item of interest to me is that LightSquared now claims that it is the fault of the GPS vendors for building GPS receivers without the proper type of filtering in them.

I take issue with this point because the GPS band is in the satellite band and the GPS system was never intended to have to worry about interference from terrestrial transmitters. Because the GPS band is 20 MHz wide and uses spread spectrum technology, filtering these devices will take a lot of engineering if it is even possible. Meanwhile, if LightSquared is permitted to build out on this spectrum there is no guarantee there will not be interference to more than the 0.5% of devices it claims. The statistics it cites are not based on extensive testing, nor is this number substantiated properly in anything I can find.

The bottom line, to me, is that when non-technical people make decisions about wireless technology, which they do not understand or comprehend, and for the reasons stated above, if LightSquared is permitted to build out its system it can only result in a potential disaster that will take years and cost billions of dollars to resolve if it can be resolved at all.

There is no doubt that we need additional broadband spectrum to meet the growing demand for broadband services. However, endangering GPS, which is used for many different things including locating us when we call 911, is not the right way to go about this. We must take all the time needed to make 100% sure that there is no potential of interference, not 99.5%. I believe the best option is to deny LightSquared’s waiver, withdraw it, and let it find or purchase other spectrum that might be available at auction.

Clearwire is trying to raise money and has expressed a willingness to sell some of its spectrum holdings. I suggest that LightSquared make a deal with Clearwire and see if it can make its business model work on spectrum that does not have the potential to disrupt so many things we do each day, including saving lives. If you were the FCC Chairman, would you permit LightSquared to continue? I, for one, would not.

Andrew M. Seybold

Comments Requested on Aircraft Voice in the 700 MHz Band

2011-07-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) filed a petition for rulemaking last March, to permit Public Safety aircraft voice on secondary trunking channels in the 700 MHz band. Last week a Public Notice was issued requesting comment on this proposed rule.

The petition stems from the State of Maryland's request to deploy air-to-ground voice on 700 MHz narrowband channels. Because it is expected to be only "lightly used," and sharing agreements can be implemented by Statewide Interoperability Executive Committees, NPSTC calls this solution the "most appropriate" for Public Safety.

Comments can be submittede via ECFS at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs.

Releases from the FCC

2011-07-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

From the July 1 - 5, 2011 Daily Digests

1. Released: 06/30/2011. COMMENT DEADLINES ESTABLISHED REGARDING THE GPS-LIGHTSQUARED TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP REPORT. (DA No. 11-1133). (Dkt No 11-109 ). Comments Due: 07/30/2011. Reply Comments Due: 08/15/2011. IB . Contact: karl.kensinger@fcc.gov
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1133A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1133A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1133A1.txt

2. Released: 06/30/2011. WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON PETITION FROM SPRINT NEXTEL TO ALLOW WIDEBAND OPERATIONS IN 800 MHZ ENHANCED SPECIALIZED MOBILE RADIO SERVICE BANDS. (DA No. 11-1152). (Dkt No 11-110 ). Comments Due: 08/01/2011. Reply Comments
Due: 08/16/2011. WTB . Contact: Mr. Thomas Derenge at (202) 418-2451,
email: thomas.derenge@fcc.gov, TTY: (202) 418-7233 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1152A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1152A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1152A1.txt

3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES AND SPEECH-TO-SPEECH SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING AND SPEECH DISABILITIES; E911 REQUIREMENTS FOR IP-ENABLED SERVICE PROVIDERS. Extended the waivers of certain TRS mandatory minimum standards for VRS and IP Relay Service that will expire on July 1, 2011. (Dkt No. 05-196 03-123 ). Action by: Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, and Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau. Adopted: 06/30/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1159).
CGB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1159A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1159A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1159A1.txt

4. YUBA SUTTER DOMESTIC ANIMAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE. Granted the petition. Action by: Chief, Policy Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau by LETTER. (DA No. 11-1163). PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1163A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1163A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1163A1.txt

Narrowbanding: The Countdown

2011-06-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

Wondering how much time you have left to complete narrowbanding compliance? Take a look below.

The clock is ticking! If your agency has yet to fully comply with the FCC's narrowbanding mandate, avoid losing your license and facing fines by contacting EMR to find out how we can help.

Releases from the FCC

2011-06-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

From the June 28 - 30, 2011 Daily Digests

1. Released: 06/28/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU APPROVES REGION 31 (NORTH CAROLINA) 700 MHZ REGIONAL PLAN. (DA No.
11-1126). (Dkt No 02-378 ). PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1126A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1126A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1126A1.txt

2. WIRELESS E911 LOCATION ACCURACY REQUIREMENTS. Clarified certain
issues regarding the content of Exclusion Reports and extending the 90-day period for filing Exclusion Reports by 30 days, until July 28, 2011. (Dkt No. 07-114 ). Action by: Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted: 06/28/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1125). PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1125A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1125A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1125A1.txt

3. Report No: 6966 Released: 06/29/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ASSIGNMENT OF LICENSE AUTHORIZATION APPLICATIONS, TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF LICENSEE APPLICATIONS, DE FACTO TRANSFER LEASE APPLICATIONS AND SPECTRUM MANAGER LEASE NOTIFICATIONS, DESIGNATED ENTITY REPORTABLE ELIGIBILITY EVENT APPLICATIONS, AND DESIGNATED ENTITY ANNUAL REPORTS ACTION. PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308086A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-308086A1.txt

4.

Released: 06/30/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU EXTENDS 800 MHZ REBANDING NEGOTIATION PERIOD FOR WAVE 4 BORDER AREA NPSPAC AND NON-NPSPAC LICENSEES ALONG THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER. (DA No.
11-1147). (Dkt No 02-55 ). PSHSB . Contact: Brian Marenco at (202) 418-0838, email: Brian.Marenco@fcc.gov http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1147A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1147A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1147A1.txt

5. Released: 06/30/2011. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON NPSTC'S PETITION FOR RULEMAKING TO ALLOW AIRCRAFT VOICE OPERATIONS ON SECONDARY TRUNKING CHANNELS IN THE 700 MHZ BAND. (DA No.
11-1146). (Dkt No RM-11433 ). Comments Due: 07/15/2011. Reply Comments
Due: 07/25/2011. PSHSB . Contact: Brian Marenco at (202) 418-0838,
email: Brian.Marenco@fcc.gov
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1146A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1146A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1146A1.txt

6. Released: 06/30/2011. FCC REQUESTS NOMINATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ON OPEN INTERNET ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (DA No. 11-1149). (Dkt No 09-191 07-52 ). CGB . Contact: Ellen Satterwhite at (202) 418-3626, email: Ellen.Satterwhite@fcc.gov
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1149A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1149A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1149A1.txt

House Committee Blocks FCC's LightSqured Spending

2011-06-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations voted to block the FCC's approval of LightSquared's LTE plan, until the GPS interference issues are resolved.

LightSquared has been in headlines in recent months for reports of GPS interference and rumors of a long-term network sharing deal with Sprint. The decision was made July 24h to insert language into an upcoming spending bill that would prevent the FCC from spending any money approving or even considering any LightSquared network until all GPS interference issues have been resolved.

The Committee on Appropriations, which holds a great deal of power along with the authority over the national Treasury, holds that even time spent considering the LightSquared network while reports are still showing blatant interference issues would be futile. This is quite a victory for GPS advocates, such as the Coalition to Save Our GPS, who have been working to prevent GPS interference to preserve this critical first responder tool.

Releases from the FCC

2011-06-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

From the June 21-27, 2011 Daily Digest

1. FCC CONSUMER TIP SHEET, LIFELINE PROGRAM & NEW REFORMS. Consumer Advisory. News Media Contact: Mark Wigfield at (202) 418-0253, email: Mark.Wigfield@fcc.gov WCB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307786A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307786A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307786A1.txt

2. DEADLINE FOR FILING COMMENTS AND REPLY COMMENTS EXTENDED TO AUGUST 24TH FOR SIGNAL BOOSTER PROPOSED RULING AMENDMENT OF PARTS 1, 2, 22, 24, 27, 90 AND 95 OF THE COMMISSION'S RULES TO IMPROVE WIRELESS COVERAGE THROUGH THE USE OF SIGNAL BOOSTERS.
Extended the deadlines for filing comments and reply comments concerning the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to adopt rules that facilitate the development and deployment of well-designed signal boosters. (Dkt No. 10-4 ). Action by: Deputy Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Comments Due: 07/25/2011. Reply Comments
Due: 08/24/2011. Adopted: 06/20/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1078). WTB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1078A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1078A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1078A1.txt

3. FCC WAIVER ALLOWS MISSOURI DISASTER VICTIMS TO KEEP THEIR PHONE NUMBERS WHILE REBUILDING; NORMAL RULES WOULD HAVE FORCED DISCONNECTION OF PHONE NUMBERS AFTER 90 DAYS. Carriers Also Encouraged to Waive Call Forwarding, Voicemail Charges for Disaster Victims. Advisory. News Media Contact: Mark Wigfield at (202) 418-0253, email: Mark.Wigfield@fcc.gov WCB . Contact Ben Childers at (202) 418-1418 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307845A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307845A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307845A1.txt

4. Released: 06/22/2011. EMERGENCY ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT OF JULY 8, 2011 MEETING. (DA No. 11-1092). CGB . Contact:
Cheryl King at (202) 418-2284, email: Cheryl.King@fcc.gov or Patrick Donovan at (202) 418-2413, email: Patrick.Donovan@fcc.gov, TTY: (202)418-0416
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1092A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1092A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1092A1.txt

5. FCC ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR JULY 12TH OPEN MEETING. News Release. News Media Contact: Neil Grace at (202) 418-0506, email:
Neil.Grace@fcc.gov OCHJG
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307812A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307812A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307812A1.txt

6. CONSUMERS GAIN NEW PROTECTIONS AGAINST FRAUDULENT CALLER ID "SPOOFING". Violators Face Substantial Fines. News Release. News Media Contact:
Mark Wigfield at (202) 418-0253, email: Mark.Wigfield@fcc.gov CGB WCB .
Contact Lisa Hone at (202) 418-0869
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307891A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307891A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307891A1.txt

7. Released: 06/22/2011. CHAIRMAN GENACHOWSKI RELEASES UPDATE TO 2009 RURAL BROADBAND REPORT. (DA No. 11-1095). (Dkt No 11-16 ). WCB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1095A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1095A2.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1095A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1095A2.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1095A1.txt
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1095A2.txt

8. Released: 06/27/2011. FCC FURTHER EXTENDS DEADLINE AN ADDITIONAL THIRTY DAYS FOR MEMBERSHIP NOMINATIONS FOR THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTE. (DA No. 11-1114). CGB . Contact: Gregory Vadas at
(202) 418-1798, email: Gregory.Vadas@fcc.gov or Steve Klitzman at (202) 418-1763, email: Steve.Klitzman@fcc.gov http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1114A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1114A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1114A1.txt

9. BROADBAND FOR ALL: A NETWORKED AND PROSPEROUS SOCIETY, GRUNEWLADSALEN CONCERT HALL, KUNGSGATAN 43, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. OCRMM . Keynote on Technology and Democracy, The Honorable Robert M. McDowell, Federal Communications Commission, Technology and the Sovereignty of the Individual http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307998A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307998A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-307998A1.txt

10. IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS IN THE 800 MHZ BAND. Dismissed
the Petition for Partial Reconsideration. (Dkt No. 02-55 ). Action by:
Deputy Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted:
06/27/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1112). PSHSB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1112A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1112A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1112A1.txt

11. Released: 06/24/2011. PSHSB ANNOUNCES REGION 28 (DELAWARE, EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AREA) PUBLIC SAFETY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEES TO HOLD 700 MHZ AND 800 MHZ NPSPAC MEETINGS. (DA No. 11-1110). (Dkt No 92-287 ). PSHSB
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1110A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1110A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1110A1.txt