Advances in smart-grid utility networks are taking place steadily, with announcements in the United States, China and Europe this month. Notably, Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) said it would support using cellular networks for its smart-grid backbone; Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) is working with a Chinese utility...
The Federal Communications Commission new regulations on pole attachments are designed to get mobile broadband services to market more quickly, but are already meeting resistance from the utility industry.
The agency released details of the order, which among other things sets a maximum timeframes for...
Kenneth Hill covers the advantages of joint-use pole attachment between carriers and utilities and the major trends in infrastructure including the challenges of moving to 4G coverage.
Issues addressed include wireless collocation, expansion
DALLAS, Texas--The nationwide push to expand broadband access is forcing utilities to cooperate with wireless companies on collocating wireless equipment on utility poles. As such, leaders from both groups spent Friday at the Marriott Dallas City Center...
SP AusNet, one of Australia's largest utility companies, is deploying the world's first smart-metering solution using WiMAX technology. SP AusNet said its four-year rollout of smart-metering technology will cover 680,000 smart meters to homes and small businesses in eastern and northeastern Victoria. Of those,...
WASHINGTON-The United Telecom Council is urging members to tell their lawmakers that utilities need a 10-megahertz allocation of spectrum in the 700 MHz band."UTC's position continues to be that true interoperability must include critical infrastructures for better emergency response and recovery and to ensure...
WASHINGTON-The United Telecom Council Thursday urged its members to tell their lawmakers that utilities need a 10-megahertz allocation of spectrum in the 700 MHz band."UTC's position continues to be that true interoperability must include critical infrastructures for better emergency response and recovery and to...
WASHINGTON-The official wireless world was strangely silent last week with everyone from Nextel Communications Inc. to Verizon Wireless refusing to say what happens now that the Federal Communications Commission has released the details of its plan to solve public-safety interference in the 800 MHz...
WASHINGTON-Just as public safety confirmed its support for the Consensus Plan, the United Telecom Council, a major proponent of the Balanced Approach Plan, confirmed that it believes this plan will solve the interference problems in the 800 MHz band. "Nextel's statements about the commercial...
The Federal Communications Commission is trying diligently to come up with its own plan for solving the interference problem at 800 MHz in a way to satisfy public-safety users, private-wireless companies, Nextel Communications Inc. and other mobile-phone carriers and be fair to the American...
The Federal Communications Commission would be wise to continue to explore possible technical solutions to the interference problem to public-safety systems caused in some areas by Nextel Communications Inc.One proposed solution before the FCC, called the Consensus Plan, is controversial and rightly so. Perhaps...
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United Telecom Council's recently released report "What Utilities Buy: Evaluating the Market for Telecom Equipment and Services Sold to Utilities" covers the results of a survey of utility telecom managers and engineers throughout the United States."This report is a breath of fresh...
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United Telecom Council announced Nancy J. Victory, assistant secretary of commerce, will give the keynote address at UTC Telecom 2002 this June in Las Vegas.Victory plays a lead role in the telecommunications industry serving as administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information...
Heinz Corp.Heinz Corp., which provides services to wireless carriers, has promoted Rick Vogt to senior project manager. In his new position he will be responsible for Heinz's projects for Cingular Wireless. Vogt has been with Heinz for about a year, and most recently supervised...
WASHINGTON-The United Telecom Council, a global trade association for utilities, pipelines, other critical infrastructure companies and their technology partners, announced it will expand its spectrum services to incorporate enhanced frequency coordination, communications system design, training and engineering services for its customers.The expansion is facilitated...
WASHINGTON-Refuting rumors of slowing revenue growth and decreasing membership, the American Mobile Telecommunications Association said last week it is taking over the frequency coordination duties of the American Trucking Association."There isn't that much money for frequency coordination. What we are adding to the party...
WASHINGTON-In its last decision impacting the wireless industry for 1999, the Federal Communications Commission lifted the freeze and adopted licensing and service rules for the 3.2 megahertz of spectrum designated for multiple address systems."MAS frequencies continue to grow in importance to private industry. I...
TadiranTadiran Inc. introduced the Pulses Plus battery, a high-energy lithium thionyl chloride battery designed specifically for global positioning system tracking, radio-frequency interference detection and other high pulse applications. The Pulses Plus battery offers 3.6 volts of power, 19Ah of capacity, low self discharge and...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-UTC, The Telecommunications Association, announced the inauguration of Associacao dos Proprietarios de Infra-estrutura e Sistemas Privados de Telecommunicacoes, a sister organization in Brazil.APTEL will represent the owners of infrastructures and private telecommunication systems and will work with UTC to build a global alliance...
WASHINGTON-As the private wireless industry prepares to enter the battle against auctioning spectrum, competing private wireless groups are fighting over how spectrum should be coordinated.At the middle of two disputes is the Personal Communications Industry Association, which has been criticized by some for spending...
WASHINGTON-A petition by three trade associations representing railroads, utilities and the petroleum industry is being criticized soundly by other frequency coordinators, which claim the request for a separate "public service pool" would destroy refarming goals.The petition, filed Aug. 14, asked the Federal Communications Commission...
WASHINGTON-The Utilities Telecommunications Council, has taken issue with a recent technical blueprint regarding pool consolidation floated at the Federal Communications Commission by the Industrial Telecommunications Association, and the group has submitted a plan of its own that it said better protects utilities and public-safety...
WASHINGTON-Utility and energy companies want a federal court to force the Federal Communications Commission to process 50,000 multiple address system applications pending since 1992, a delay regulators say is necessary to consider auctioning the spectrum.UTC, a trade group representing electric, gas and water utilities...
WASHINGTON-Viking Dispatch Services Inc., whose 42 applications to build cooperative, non-profit private radio networks were rejected by the Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau June 7, continues to fight for a review of the decision based on facts it has uncovered since the decision.Following...