The FirstNet Authority has made "significant progress" toward fulfilling its mandate to oversee and manage the build-out and operations of a nationwide cellular network for first responders, according to the authority's latest annual report to Congress.
The FirstNet Authority is an independent entity that...
In-building wireless technology provider Advanced RF Technologies (ADRF) has announced the commercial availability of a new public safety repeater for first responder communication in small to mid-sized buildings.
The company noted that its new PSR-78-8527 0.5W Public Safety 700/800 MHz digital repeater is "ideal" for...
AT&T says it added nearly 100,000 square miles to FirstNet's coverage footprint in 2020
FirstNet-AT&T says that the network is supporting more than 2 million connections across the country, with more than 15,000 agencies and organizations as its customers. AT&T said that it has surpassed...
AT&T-FirstNet is now offering first responders vertical location capabilities in more than 100 markets, ahead of an April 2021 FCC deadline for having the technology in place to support 911 callers on mobile devices.
The z-axis location information is one of several new technology...
Here's a timely reminder from your friendly neighborhood FCC: Don't use ham or CB radios to communicate while you're planning or committing a crime. Crimes like, say, violent insurrection.
The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau issued the unusual warning on Sunday, 11 days after a...
As both Verizon and FirstNet-AT&T compete for public safety customers, FirstNet-AT&T has landed a $92 million communications contract with the Federal Bureau of Investigations that expands the bureau's use of FirstNet to cover day-to-day communications as well as emergency operations.
AT&T says is the...
The global pandemic, severe wildfire and one of the most active hurricane seasons on record have meant that 2020 "has proved to be an exceptional test year" for the FirstNet network, according to the most recent iteration of Ericsson's Mobility Report (pdf). The report...
Solving complexity, performance and economics challenges helps cover more buildings more quickly
In an emergency situation, first responders need to have access to robust, reliable in-building communications systems--you won’t find any disagreement among public safety leaders and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) as well as...
The U.S. Army's public safety personnel will use AT&T-FirstNet services at 72 bases around the lower 48 states, plus Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
AT&T-FirstNet said it will be delivering delivering nearly 3,200 FirstNet service lines for the Army's firefighters, military police and security personnel,...
It's important to think about the drone applications you can build on top of 5G, says NI
The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) program earlier this week announced the first contributing equipment partners to the Aerial Experimentation and Research Platform for Advanced Wireless (AERPAW) testbed, which explores the...
The landscape for public safety technology is changing almost every day, both in terms of major regulatory changes and technology advances that impact public safety, and in new product announcements.
So where is it all headed? Here are three new and three emerging technology advances...
Network equipment company Comba Telecom has added an annunciator panel to the firm?s portfolio of in-building public safety communications equipment.
The CriticalPoint Annunciator Panel provides eight visual and audible notifications on the status of the ERRC (Emergency Responder Radio Communications) system installed in a building...
Motorola Solutions has acquired law enforcement application company Callyo for an undisclosed sum, adding cloud-based apps to its mobile public safety tech portfolio.
Callyo has two application suites: 10-21, focused on communications between first responders and citizens, and Callyo, which offers tools for digital evidence...
Public safety users “have had a hunger for data for a very long time, all the way back to our 1G and 2G days,” said Nick Nilan, director of product development for the public sector at Verizon. That use has evolved over time, and...
FirstNet-AT&T has helped connect ambulances providing mutual aid for areas hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, provided connectivity for coronavirus testing facilities and is being creatively integrated into telehealth solutions, according to Ed Parkinson, CEO of the FirstNet Authority.
Parkinson, speaking at this week's IWCE Virtual...
Nextivity announced that its?Cel-Fi QUATRA RED?in-building public safety Emergency Responder Radio Communication System (ERRCS) solution is now available for partners in the U.S. market.
Cel-Fi QUATRA RED delivers in-building coverage to Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems and FirstNet-ready devices.
Nextivity said that the solution will be...
The public safety community is relying more frequently on advanced technology that requires a network connection. Unmanned aerial and terrestrial vehicles, IoT devices, and smart cameras are just a few of the potentially life-saving use cases, according to Victor Mejia, product manager at Nextivity....
The First Responders Network Authority board has a new chair: Robert Tipton "Tip" Osterthaler was nominated to the position today by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
Osterthaler is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general and former CEO of satellite services provider SES Government Solutions. He...
As public safety users rely more and more often on mobile technology, what are the common issues they encounter with smartphones and tablets that are almost always designed for consumer use?
At the recent virtual incarnation of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Public...
Emergency responders are increasingly incorporating the use of mobile broadband into their daily operations, from apps that allow them to complete paperwork without returning to the station, to wearable cameras and incorporating security video surveillance.
What are some of the innovative uses for mobile broadband...
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) helped lay the foundation for autonomous ground vehicles with a 300-mile challenge race. DARPA also pushed AI-powered, software-defined radios to their limits in the three-year Spectrum Collaboration Challenge that culminated at last year's Mobile World Congress Los...
For resilient networks and "tech to protect", PSCR looks to collaboration
Amid a rapidly evolving technology landscape, how do public safety agencies find out about the latest and greatest options, and best practices on how to implement them? How do tech companies which want to...
The Federal Communications Commission has moved forward with and expanded requirements that mobile network operators provide vertical location information for wireless callers when they call 911, so that first responders can locate their position in multi-story buildings.
The FCC has been working on requirements around...
Fiplex Communications, which specializes in mission-critical solutions for indoor public-safety communications, announced the launch and general availability of Fiplex FLEX, a flexible and scalable in-building wireless platform.
The firm said that FLEX addresses performance and complexity challenges inherent to complying with stringent critical communications code...
