In April, Rogers acquired the Canadian operations of BAI Communications, which had owned the rights to provide wireless service on the Toronto subway
Canadian operator Rogers Communications announced it has deployed its 5G technology in tunnels and stations in the busiest sections of Toronto’s subway.
Rogers...
Rogers expects its acquisition of BAI Canada to close in the next two weeks
Canadian carrier Rogers Communications announced a plan to provide full 5G connectivity services to Toronto’s entire subway system, including access to 911 for all riders.
Rogers has entered into an agreement to...
The current state of 911 emergency communications services, operator and directory assistance is changing. Today, we use a variety of new technologies like wireless smartphones and smart watches. So, traditional telephone companies are curtailing these needed services. What we don’t hear as much about...
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...
Network operators CenturyLink and West Safety Communications have settled with the Federal Communications Commission over violations of FCC rules due to a 911 service outage.
The two companies agreed to pay $575,000 in fines and put in place a three-year compliance and reporting plan to...
The Federal Communications Commission is moving forward with a proposal that mobile network operators must aim to provide the location of wireless 911 callers within three meters of the handset, for 80% of wireless 911 calls in the top 25 markets by April 2021...
Nearly 80 percent of all 911 calls originate from a wireless device. This is not surprising, given that over half of households in the U.S. have given up landline phones and rely solely on wireless devices. This is a rapid increase from 15 percent...
The evolution of the public safety sector is set to impact smart city initiatives, though partnerships could ease the transition.
Editor’s Note: In an attempt to broaden our interaction with our readers we have created this Reader Forum for those with something...
Alaska’s GCI joins Sprint, T-Mobile and others paying a fine to the FCC tied to 911 service outages
The Federal Communications Commission continues to ding telecom operators for 911 service issues, with the latest involving Alaska-based carrier General Communications.
The FCC levied a $2.4 million fine...
AT&T said the ESInet NG911 platform will support text messages, eventually pictures and video
In a move to facilitate the upgrade of legacy 911 systems to an IP architecture, AT&T launched its ESInet “next-generation” 911 service the carrier can support text messages, and eventually pictures...
Fatal fire call to 911 delayed, blamed on cell towers
This week a fatal fire broke out in Forestdale, Ala. While deadly fires aren't a unique phenomenon, unfortunately, blaming the fatality on the cell tower is somewhat less common. According to Forestdale Fire Chief Don...
Federal regulators have fined operators $40M for outages in last four months
WASHINGTON – Tom Wheeler, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is not happy with the progress toward deploying America’s next-generation 911 system.
In a speech to the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials conference last...
Pair of 2014 outages lasted 3 hours, impacted T-Mobile US’ nationwide network
The Federal Communications Commission said it has reached a record $17.5 million settlement with T-Mobile US connected to a pair of 911 service outages last year. In addition to the fine, T-Mobile US...
Verizon Wireless indicated cell, 911 service restored this afternoon after storm, fiber cut; landline services still impacted
Violent storms appear to have caused wireless network outages along parts of the Eastern seaboard, with most of the damage centered on southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
The...
FCC has gained ground in text-to-911 and improving location accuracy for vital public safety system
WASHINGTON – The 911 system is responsible for providing emergency dispatch for 300 million people. If it goes down for even a few hours, as happened in April 2014, millions...
The Federal Communications Commission has been examining the possibility of doing away with its call-forwarding requirements for non-service-initialized (NSI) phones as part of its on going efforts to modernize national emergency telecom infrastructure.
The regulatory agency is soliciting comment. From the notice: “We seek comment...
Hello! And welcome to our Friday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCRWireless.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
911 outage drew a $17.4M fine for operators responsible
WASHINGTON – Following the steepest fines ever levied for 911 outages, federal regulators are taking steps to expand the database of public safety operators equipped to handle text-to-911.
The Federal Communications Commission issued a public notice on...
Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Can T-Mobile USA...
FCC: Domestic violence, overdose among failed calls
WASHINGTON – Imagine a loved one seizing up with a heart attack or waking up in the middle of the night from the sound of an intruder in your home. Most people would likely reach for their phone to...
Uber’s locating technology cited by FCC commissioner
The Federal Communications Commission this week adopted new rules to help first responders better locate people who dialed 911 from indoor locations using a wireless device.
The FCC ruling is in response to an increase in 911 calls from...
