Public Safety Advocate: A Tale of Three States
There is only one vetted and approved FirstNet public-safety broadband network and it was created as a private/public partnership by Congress. It is NOT a commercial broadband network even though it is…
Public Safety Advocate
Public Safety Advocate: Another MCPTT Vendor? FirstNet Coverage, Drive Tests
Southern Linc, which replaced its Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) with an LTE network built by Ericsson, originally chose Motorola’s Wave for its Push-To-Talk (PTT) solution. Now Southern Linc has…
Public Safety Advocate: GAO FirstNet Report, Needed from Congress NOW!
Many of you may have read the headlines about the Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of the status of FirstNet. On the whole, the GAO gave FirstNet (Built with AT&T)…
Public Safety Advocate: An Honor, A Correction, DHS Shared Communications Report
Let me start this last Advocate of January by saying I am honored to be nominated as the IWCE Critical Communications Leader of the Year. The other nominees are all people I respect…
Public Safety Advocate: FirstNet, Land Mobile Radio
Public safety has been using Land Mobile Radio (LMR) communications since the 1930s, broadband data is the new kid on the block, and FirstNet is even newer but has grown…
Public Safety Advocate: Radio Interference and the Network Below Other Networks
This week’s Advocate is a little late due to an out-of-office work commitment. Meanwhile, many activities that will impact public-safety communications in 2020 continue. One issue we must increasingly deal with is…
Public Safety Advocate: Looking Forward to 2020
Happy New Year to all, especially those who worked through the holidays so the rest of us could enjoy our celebrations! Looking ahead to what 2020 will bring for public-safety…
Public Safety Advocate: The Year in Review
In this last Advocate of the year, we will look back at 2019 to see what has been accomplished in the world of public-safety communications as well as what has been left…
Public Safety Advocate: 5 “GEE”, More on Location Services, FirstNet Authority Rumors
First, I want to comment on the FCC’s recent decision to roll out a $9 billion fund for rural 5G connectivity. This fund will replace the $4.5 billion Mobility fund…
Public Safety Advocate: FirstNet Buildout, Interoperability, FCC Supports T-Band Repeal
December is upon us, which means 2019 is drawing to a close. In a recent Mission Critical Communications web post, it was reported that as of November 13, 2019, FirstNet (Built with…
Public Safety Advocate: FirstNet Managed Services, FCC’s Location Blunder, 5G Czar?
With this being Thanksgiving week and many people taking time off from their work, this issue of the Advocate is being published early. Of course, some will work the holiday so the…
Public Safety Advocate: Looking Back, Looking Forward, and Firstnet Devices
As I comb through my Advocates since the middle of 2010, I continue to find more to add to the book that is underway. I also find topics that are still applicable…
Public Safety Advocate: T-Band, FirstNet Updates, Laptops and Tablets
First and vitally important to eleven major cities and their metro areas, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have introduced bills cancelling the T-band (470-512) giveback. House bill H.R….
Public Safety Advocate: Public-Safety Grade, Batteries and Generators
In May of 2014, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) published a report entitled, “Defining Public Safety Grade Systems and Facilities.” I was fortunate to be part of the…
Public Safety Advocate: IACP Conference and Show Floor
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference was held in Chicago this year and it was, I believe, better attended by both the public and vendors than in…