The World According to Fletch™: Recent Episodes
Mark J. Fletcher, ENP
As technology for the Enterprise and Public Safety services evolve into the next generation of 911, this podcast will dissect the technology involved, as well as the operational challenges that will ultimately emerge for commercial and Public Safety use. As NG911 technology permeates the networks, not only will we see multi-modal and multi-media communications, like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and other emerging technologies.
Today’s Public Safety Industry has become a highly complex and technological maze that takes expertise, experience, and compassion to navigate. Technology aside, it will always be the people within Public Safety that make the difference. For decades, many in the Public Safety Industry have been praised for saving lives, as should be the case. The people who rescue and give emergency treatment or protection have and will always be commended for saving lives. However, there is a sector of this industry that has been saving lives since 1968 that is hardly ever recognized.
The 911 Telecommunicator answers calls daily concerning life-threatening situations that can only be dealt with in a moment’s time. Having the knowledge to listen and comprehend, type on a keyboard, know their next move, or make the decision to find the information to deal with the situation at hand, continue to try and calm the caller down and do all of this while suppressing emotions that are all too human is an ability only a professional can display. Today, those very people, those that can save lives by instructing someone how to give CPR, to stop bleeding, move someone to fresh air because they recognize the symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning, AND take the rare 911 call that lets them help a 5-year-old with a math problem, today, those people have a voice.
For the past nine years, I have known a man that has worked feverishly for 911 and those very people I described above. When he has a passion for something, he researches, lays out a plan, and then employs that plan with vigor. His experience in 911 started as a Dispatcher and has culminated in a career in Public Safety that covers the technological side but, more importantly, the human side. I have seen him fight for others firsthand, people he didn’t know, and seeing that inspired me to fight for what is right.
Some in the industry have known him for many years, but I’ve only known him for nine ,and I recognize his ability and dedication. His loyalty is commendable, and his professionalism is unmatched. The most important thing about this man, to me, is his friendship.
He authored a Federal Law bearing my daughter’s name and worked tirelessly for 4 ½ years to witness himself, my family, and others stand with the President of the United States when he signed that very legislation into law. Because of his abilities and experience, untold thousands will be saved because of Kari’s Law.
If I could vote in the upcoming NENA Northeastern Regional Directors election, there would be no question in my mind about who the best person is for that role.
That person Is Mark J Fletcher, ENP, and he is my friend.
I ask that you give him your full support.
Hank Hunt – Kari’s Dad
Founder and President of the Kari Hunt Foundation
Too Little - Too Late??
The House subcommittee has proposed desperately needed Next Generation 911 funding of up to $10 billion from the upcoming spectrum auction proceeds. But the FCC still lacks the authority to hold that auction. . .
Urgent Communications Donny Jackson provides his view on the subject
DISH is currently building its own network to replace Sprint, which is being purchased by T-Mobile. And taking a unique approach by using new Open Radio Access Network gear, which promises to be much less expensive to operate while being much more flexible - and more importantly, avoiding any “vendor lock-in” of the past. Also promises of Web 3.0 and a new mobile experience are in the air.
Story #2 by this week's highlighted author, Ryan Daws @Gadget_RY, tells us about Southwest Airlines and their recent announcement about their plans to provide connectivity from satellite firm Viasat for their in-flight WiFi services for passengers later this year, promising t20Mbs broadband plans being delivered starting this fall. In addition to internet service they expect real-time TV, Video, and social media.
This week we are featuring a story by @Gadget_Ry reporting on mobile network performance specialist RootMetrics that is claiming the UK will be all set to say farewell to their copper landlines and upgrade to a fully IP-based network by 2025.
ALSO, we have the answer to a telecom trivia question about UK's emergency number 999, guaranteed to win a bar bet. All of that is right here on this episode of Telecom NewsBytes and sponsored by @911inform.
While some might feel a bit of anguish and angst about trusting critical life safety services to the cloud, it is likely that the diversity that can be built into a cloud architecture, as well as the resiliency and reliability, is more stable and secure there than anywhere else. With primary, secondary, and tertiary connections, critical data can exist in multiplicity at various spots within the Netwerk that for the most part guarantee availability of critical services. Modern systems are here to stay, and properly managed can provide a level of protection that has been unheard of in the past.
Ransomware incidents are on the rise and businesses are worried, with the discovery of a Linux-based ransomware family called Cheerscrypt targeting VMware servers. Verizon report says email phishing and desktop-sharing software were the most common ransomware attack points.
Diana Goovarets at Fierce Telecom tells us that the need for speed continues as Altice zooms past Verizon in New York, launching their new symmetrical 2-gig service, matching VZ’s current top tier.
Then - adding insult to injury - they'll soon launch a new 5-gig option to gain the upper hand. At least for now. Hey @Altice! I have dark Optimum fiber hanging in front of my house! Send the trucks to Ringwood, NJ!! ;-)
TelecomNewsBytes is sponsored by @911inform - Providing Kari's Law and RAY BAUM'Ss Act MLTS compliance for enterprises TODAY, and making every second count when it matters most. Visit http://911inform.com for a demo of NG911 functionality
Telecom NewsBytes is back after some Spring cleaning and fresh clothes. Today, we deliver to you a continuation of a story we published just before our hiatus. Today, David Moscrop, a writer and political commentator for Jacobs covers what he calls: The Canadian Telecom Oligopoly: Can it survive?
Well, we got out the dictionary, found out just what the heck that means, and now bring you David's rundown coming up next on today's episode of TELECOM Newsbytes, brought to you by @911inform
According to Bloomberg - Rogers Communications is claiming that Canada’s antitrust agency is opposing its $16 billion takeover of rival Shaw Communications, which is casting significant doubt on whether the companies will be able to close one of the country’s biggest-ever deals.
The companies have extended the deadline for the merger to July 31, from June 13, and said they remain committed to it.
The Pew Research Center issued their survey results that will likely cheer all of the video hardware and software players in the enterprise communications market: Video fatigue may not be as common as you think. No Jitter's Eric Krapf shares his insights.
The size and scale of this project by Rocketman Musk flusters some astronomers. They fear that the bright, orbiting objects may interfere with their currently unobstructed observations of deep space. Others claim concerns from spaceflight safety experts, who see Starlink as the number one source of potential collision hazards while in orbit. Yet, others claim that is as ironic as saying, "most automobile deaths involve cars", in an attempt to stop roads from being built.
According to an article by Fierce Telecom's Diana Goovarets, while LUMEN CEO Jeff Storey and other executives have talked up Lumen’s expansive transformation strategy, the details of what exactly it’s been doing have been unclear at best. But, Lumen VP of Core Network Solutions Miriana Martinova, spills the beans, and says the answer to that question is, simply, A LOT!! Find out what's new and how fast HERE.
Large telecom companies want the CRTC (Canada's equivalent to the FCC) to find another way to pay for Next-Generation 9-1-1 in Canada, as the CRTC is looking to dip into the National Contribution Fund to help companies partially pay for the service.
Most Governments were hacked in the past year, and reports reveal ransomware continues to disrupt — BUT even paying up doesn’t spare victims from data loss. While one report predicts turning the corner on ransomware soon, another report says that experts aren’t seeing strong evidence of that turn just yet.
Graham Hope recently wrote in an article in IoT World, that Tesla has increasingly been put under the microscope over the effectiveness of its self-driving technology, and some recent accidents. Additionally, an American billionaire is running for a Senate position, with seemingly the sole intention of getting the automaker’s Full Self Driving beta software permanently banned.
COMCAST is reporting 10Gbps and 400Gbps speeds over a new fiber technology that allows the light to travel over a conduit of air instead of glass. This allows a 50% speed increase while lowering the latency allowing these super-fast speeds. Although not the first to attempt this in the world (Bt started playing last summer) they are the first in the United States and have accomplished testing a 40km (25-mile) test run; the longest test in the world.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in Hawaii quietly let on that they had successfully thwarted a targeted attack against the network of a company that is responsible for managing the undersea cable connecting Hawaii with the Pacific region. The telecommunication cable hosts internet, cable, and mobile phone services.
The great Gold Rush was started when gold was found in California. With NG911 services now deployed across The Golden State, will the next Gold Rush spring forward from there as well? Each year the Illinois Institute of Technology holds its Real-Time Communications conference in the fall, and for nearly the past decade I have had the privilege to be the Track Chair for the Next Generation Emergency Services Track. Watch http://rtc-conference.com/2022/ as details become available and follow them on Twitter @RTC_Conf.
@911inform
When you look at almost any article on the pandemic and working from home, most of the information is anecdotal at best. According to Bryan Robinson, Ph.D., the debate over remote and hybrid work continues to grow, and everyone has a seemingly expert opinion But - What does the scientific data show? We'll tell you that right here.
Bill Gates and Elon Musk have been believers in the promise of low-earth orbit satellite internet as a key to global connectivity. With the private space industry now booming – the battle is on to lead the new space race.
Fierce Telecom’s Diana Goovarets is reporting that the Dell’Oro Group’s Jeff Heynen has forecasted that by 2026 - there will still be 400,000 DSL Customer Premise Equipment Units and around 130,000 new ports still being shipped in North America when 2026 rolls around. Although the carrier giants like AT&T and Verizon both talked up current copper retirement plans at their respective investor day events last month analysts have indicated that the technology is likely to stick around in the U.S. at least until the end of the decade in 2030.
FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworsel has once again reminded the OMB that Public Safety telecommunicators SOC classification needs to be changed from administrative/secretarial to one more representative to what they do and should be considered as protective and emergency services, similar to those they dispatch for.
Deutsch Telecom has made a bold move this week taking back enough shares in T-Mobile US (TMUS) to leverage their position as a majority stakeholder in the company. With such a large stake in 5G Network deployments, it will be interesting to see how commercial businesses respond as the 5G network interweaves itself with enterprise networks. Does this open the door for additional offshore attacks?
Michał Medrala, the Head of OSS Consulting, writes that as the Internet of Things expands and 5G is rolled out globally, it’s no longer feasible for telcos to rely on manual efforts to manage and maintain their networks. But automation may nit be enough. It is going to take a unique combination of artificial intelligence as well as machine learning to absorb all of the data points, digest them intelligently, and then react or recommend a reaction BEFORE the network falls on its face from a disruption, innocent or one with malintentions.
Ryan Daws from TechForge Media reports that Toronto Ontario’s Rogers Communications, Canadia’s communications and media giant that operates in the wireless, CATV, telephony, and Internet markets, along with additional mass media assets, has partnered with Ericsson to launch the first commercially available 5G standalone network in Canada delivering advanced services to businesses and users. Beauty. . . eh?
US security agencies have disrupted a large Russian BotNet before it was able to be weaponized and used against US resources. The BotNet was reportedly operated by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, according to US Attorney General Merrick Garland. While this particular thread has been suppressed, businesses and citizens are urged to maintain a level of diligence in securing their cyber activities and watch for additional attacks against US assets.
ETSI has announced that, as of March 17, all smartphones sold in Europe are required to comply with Advanced Mobile Location (AML) for emergency communications. AML enables the handset to automatically send user location information when contacting emergency services. It was originally standardized by the ETSI technical committee on emergency communications (EMTEL) in 2019. A spokesperson for the ETSI said: “AML meets the requirements of the Delegated Regulation 2019/320. The legislation specifically requires that smartphones process data from global navigation systems, compatible and interoperable with at least the Galileo system, and Wi-Fi data, to establish the caller's position."
This new capability opens the door for additional data into EU PSAPs, similar to the RapidSOS model in the US.
The FCC announced that they and the DOJ have reached a $13.4 million settlement with Tracfone wireless in connection with violations of FCC Lifeline program rules.
Specifically, the settlement resolves allegations that TracFone violated the false claims act by signing up more than 175,000 ineligible customers for the lifeline program from 2012 to 2015 and that the false claims resulted from TracFone's lax oversight and monitoring of its lifeline program.
AT&T is mapping out its plans to decommission the legacy copper network, but one consumer group is afraid that the carrier's plans to use Fixed Wireless Access in areas not planned for fiber are bringing up concerns on speed.
How many stars does YOUR broadband provider have? The FCC will be releasing new Broadband speed and availability maps this fall, and the public will have the ability to rate and comment on the accuracy!
The SEC has released information today about Elon Musk making a big play for @Twitter ownership by purchasing over 70 Million shares.
Technology moves faster and faster, and after realizing that they would have to touch more than a million elements in the network to upgrade it to the Cable DOCSIS 4.0 architecture, but only had to touch a few thousand elements to move to fiber, the decision was a 'no-brainer' and plans have been made to go GLASS end-to-end that will ultimately save 10's of millions overall.
Publishing a 911 Naughty List. That's what one state is doing to spark action on an issue that now has Federal Legislative backing in addition to pulling out an old rule for 911 ECCs to report any discrepancy in 911 dispatch address received that does not match the location. Will more States follow suit and play the 'embarrassment card'? What defense does a company have if they are breaking the law? More importantly, who's on the current list?!
@911inform
“I’m not going to buy the refrigerator that can call 911, but what about a fire alarm?” asked Jay English during a conference kickoff session Monday for the IWCE 2022 event in Las Vegas. With the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) and other emerging technologies, emergency managers are rightfully considering the ability for their 911 systems to connect effectively with disparate operating systems owned by the general public and other stakeholder entities, according to English, who is the next-generation 911 (NG911) technical advisor for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Office of Public Safety Communications.
The Bandwidth Infrastructure Group is looking to solve a specific set of problems for customers in three key data center markets, they will offer a freshly built set of assets designed to deliver lower latency and less loss than the legacy networks can provide.
Once again, the FCC has added Chinese equipment manufacturers to the National Security Threat list banning any USF funding from being spent on them, but this time around the FCC has added Russia's Kaspersky to the list.
U.S. officials have long said that running Kaspersky software could open American networks to malign activity from Moscow and banned Kaspersky's flagship antivirus product from federal networks in 2017, Moscow-based Kaspersky has consistently denied being a tool of the Russian government, and the Chinese Embassy considers this attack by the FCC to be 'malicious".
911inform is a company that is solving the age-old 911 problems with today’s technology, as well as having a BOLD focus on the future and influencing it with innovation in what’s to come.
If you are going to Enterprise Connect in Orlando, I ask you to join me in Sun B on Monday, March 21 at 11:15 am, where we’ll discuss this issue and all of its complexities with my friends and colleagues, Martha Buyer (Attorney, Law Offices of Martha Buyer, PLLC), Robin Erkkila (911 Sales Engineer, Bandwidth), and Joshua Burch (Director of Product, Intrado) as we participate on a panel moderated by Irwin Lazar (President & Principal Analyst, Metrigy).
Trust me, if you thought our previous year's sessions were informative and a little disruptive, wait until you see what we have to show you this year. TRAVEL SAFELY!
BROADBAND NOW! Maybe it's not quite as calming as "Serenity Now!" but always being connected just may have a calming effect for anyone that needs to be online ALWAYS, like critical life safety IoT solutions and Public Safet First Responders. Lynk is another satellite-based internet company that believes they have the secret formula to making this connectivity a reality by putting 5000 space cellular towers into Low Earth Orbit reachable by standard cellular phones without any modifications or special satellite antennas. It's a matter of funding, but this could be a reality and operational by 2025 according to Lynk's CEO Miller.
The Texas A&M Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center (ITEC) run by Director Walt Magnussen provides critical information to the industry around important issues such as NG911, and the underlying network required to enable it. URGENT COMMUNICATIONS editor Donny Jackson recently sat down with Walt for this interview (https://urgentcomm.com/2022/03/11/itec-walt-magnussen-highlights-organizations-research-initiatives/) that was to be the source for our story, but due to a tech failure on OUR side, we are just providing a link to the interview.
AT&T was contracted by the FirstNet Authority to build the nationwide public-safety broadband network and is expected to complete its initial deployment this year.
This massive effort has initially been focused on expanding FirstNet coverage in outdoor areas, but public-safety representatives repeatedly have cited the need for coverage inside buildings, where many emergencies happen.
Is Russia just flexing its muscle when it says it will 'crash the ISS into Earth' if economic sanctions are imposed? Or is this just political bolstering to see how fr it can go to scare civilian satellite operators into putting pressure on the US over the Ukrainian conflict? In any case, this just may be the first conflict to include some of the components of our global communication ability or even cause a partial failure.
Grounds for war? What do YOU think?
In a dramatic global move, food giant Mondelez has stated that it will drop all of its PBXs across all of its locations worldwide and deploy the Teams environment with business partner Orange. As part of this move, Mondelez will utilize the Orange SIP network, except in Russia and China where they will use local PSTN gateways due to regulatory restrictions.
Telus announced the successful roll-out of the first phase of their migration initiative to Next-Generation 9-1-1 services in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.
The company has noted that Canada was the very first country in the world to begin the rollout of an NG9-1-1 Emergency Services IP Network, called an ESINet on a national level.
Telecom.com’s Andrew wooden reported that Laurent Leboucher, SVP of European carrier Orange Innovation, revealed plans to shut off their legacy networks and the deal with Ericsson and Nokia to build out its 5G core.
Nokia’s CTO for Europe - Azfar Aslam, recently explained Nokia’s vision of the future at the Mobile World Congress. That vision included human augmentation and new technologies that won’t be based on smartphones. He said he believes that the smartphone won’t be central to brand new technologies like the metaverse in the future, and we might all benefit from some ‘wet wear’ memory upgrades to our puny human brains before long.
Broadband cable provider Cable One has unveiled its plan to ditch its 100 Mbps service plan at the end of Q1 and then make a new 200 Mbps tier its new entry-level offering. The provider cites the strong demand for higher-speed services from its current and potential customer base and is gambling on larger pipes enticing customers away from competitors.
Urgent Communications Editor, Donny Jackson reported last week, NG911 funding has always been problematic. Migration will require an enormous sum of capital that must come from somewhere. Current estimates call for between $9B and $15B to fund the migration of the 6000 PSAP / ECCs in existence today from their legacy environment to a modern one that is digital and IP-based, and most importantly capable of transporting modern communications and modalities. "Here she comes to save the day!" FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has an idea to do just that however, Congress must reauthorize the agency in September, and allow it to continue to hold spectrum auctions for airwaves. Revenues from those auctions would then be earmarked to fund the construction and interconnectivity of 1st responders to the NG911 network; getting away from "curly cords and wall jacks", referring to the legacy analog networks in use today for E911.
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the March Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
Details at http://fcc.gov/openmeeting
One of the goals of 6G internet will be to support one microsecond-latency communication. This is 1,000 times faster -- or 1/1000th the latency -- than one millisecond throughput. The 6G technology market is expected to facilitate large improvements in imaging, presence technology and location awareness. But hang on - 7G is right behind it!
The "Global Artificial Intelligence Market in the Telecommunication Industry 2022-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global AI market in the telecommunication industry is projected to grow by $8.63 billion during 2022-2026, progressing at a compound annual growth rate of 47.33% during the forecast period.
Although Ericsson could not identify that any of its employees were directly involved in financing terror organizations, that doesn't rule out indirect payments after acknowledging potential money laundering as well as cash payments to intermediaries. The company says that several employees were terminated following the investigation, and several third-party relationships have now been terminated.
Fierce telecom’ Dianna Goovarets reports that Verizon bucked an industry trend when it decided to go with NG-PON2 rather than XGS-PON for its next-generation fiber upgrade, and an executive explained that call will make its life easier for years to come with NG-POPN2 by simplifying the network and easing its upgrade path.
Numeracle™ Inc. , the pioneer of Verified Identity™ for communications,
announced the release of its third STIR/SHAKEN Implementation Report the report summarized voice service provider progress implementing the STIR/SHAKEN Caller ID Authentication Framework and Robocall Mitigation implementation count milestones since the September 28, 2021 deadline. Service providers have continued to comply with FCC mandates to implement STIR/SHAKEN by filing within the Robocall Mitigation Database,
It's not new that major solar events such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can produce large geomagnetically induced currents on the earth's surface that will threaten terrestrial installations like the power grid and, in extreme cases, damage the electronics that power long haul fiber cables. But researcher Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi from the University of California Irvine states that the subsea cable industry underestimates the threat and is unprepared for it saying, "the networking community has largely overlooked this risk during the design of the network topology and geo-distributed systems such as DNS and data centers."
A 21-count indictment was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against Hytera for conspiring to steal DMR trade secrets from Motorola Solutions. Plus, as a result of a series of separate but related judgments, Hytera owes Motorola Solutions in excess of $670 million for royalties, attorney fees, and court costs. Although separate from the criminal and civil actions, then news has cast a question on the viability of operation of Hytera US, the new corporate entity after the recent bankruptcy of the company's US operations.
Of any major city in the U.S. Cleveland has the highest percentage of households without broadband internet accounts. Almost 53,000 Cleveland households — or 31% of the city's total — lack broadband subscriptions of any kind at any speed, including mobile data plans. Here is their solution to the problem.
First Net CEO Edward Parkinson celebrates a full decade of work on what is today FirstNet.
FirstNet, of course, is the First Responder Network Authority, an independent agency within the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Their mission is to oversee the FirstNet network, which is specifically dedicated to US emergency responders and the public safety community.
Last year, the new 3-digit shortcode of 9-8-8 was designated as the new dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Normally reachable at 1-800-273-talk (8255).
While some areas may already be able to connect to the Lifeline by dialing 988, the new dialing code is scheduled to be available to everyone across the United States starting on July 16, 2022. You should enable this on your MLTS PBX as well.
1 Week after launching 49 new satellites for low earth orbit to supply the new SpaceX broadband Internet service, 40 of the units were unable to survive despite going into "safe mode", reentering the earth's atmosphere where they completely disintegrated. SpaceX confirmed that no other satellites were at risk of a collision, nor was any of the debris going to make it to the surface.
Cable and fiber executives have largely downplayed the potential competitive threat fixed wireless access broadband poses to their businesses, but there could be a reason to worry if comments from T-Mobile executives are true claiming to have added 224,000 fixed wireless broadband subscribers ending the year with a total of 646,000 home internet customers.
Although Cable operators have talked a big game about their faster broadband speeds - AT&T EVP of Technology Operations Chris Sambar says that he is not even remotely worried that they will pose any kind of competitive threat to its fiber offerings, noting that they will have to spend a small fortune just to get their network to DOCSIS 4.
In order to make room for new 5G services, liberty mobile formally AT&T wireless in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands will be shutting down their 2G and 3G cellular networks very shortly. For the few users that remain on the technology, liberty is offering new 5G devices either free or at a significant discount.
The FCC has announced the OpenMeeting Agenda for the February Open Meeting, February 18, 2022. You can watch the event live on the FCC YouTube page or on http://www.fcc.gov/live.
Telenor Research in its latest Tech Trends report claims Green clouds, a battle for optimization, and climate enlightenment through digital micro degrees and green-fluencers are some of the trends that will deliver a more sustainable future.
These underline the challenges the enterprise comes face-to-face with, in a changing climate.
The Federal Communications Commission announced Friday that it is ready to authorize more than $1.2 billion through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to fund new broadband deployments in 32 states. In the largest funding round to date, 23 broadband providers will bring broadband service to over 1 million locations. The Commission also has created the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan, a new effort to monitor and ensure compliance for universal service high-cost programs including the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.
China Unicom said in a statement that it “has a good record of complying with relevant laws and regulations and providing telecommunication services and solutions as a reliable partner of its customers in the past two decades.” But, all four commissioners voted unanimously to revoke the license for the American subsidiary of China Unicom. They asserted that the company could access or reroute American communications as well as engage in spycraft.
The commission also accused China Unicom, one of China’s largest mobile service providers, of misleading the agency and Congress. All of the companies have been delisted by the NYSE.
The Federal Communications Commission has put into place programs to help close the digital divide by providing rebates for Internet connectivity to citizens who may not be able to afford it. The ACP or affordable connectivity program can provide a $30 monthly rebate to eligible households as well as a one time rebate of $100 for the purchase of a laptop, desktop or tablet device. Listen for important details on this program available to many!
Telcos are facing a growing number of pressures as they look to provide increasing levels of coverage for customers hungry to consume content. In the consumer market, and with the introduction of digital transformation and Industry 4.0 paradigms in the enterprise space, a huge strain has been put on networks leading to an acceleration in demand for 5G infrastructures.
While AI still has a long way to go before anything like human-level intelligence is achieved, it hasn’t stopped the likes of Google, Facebook, and Amazon from investing billions of dollars in it. According to Sam Shead at CNBC, machines are getting smarter and smarter every year, but artificial intelligence is yet to live up to the hype that’s been generated by some of the world’s largest technology companies.
The shift to remote work has meant tools once pitched as “reasonable accommodations” for people with disabilities - are now mainstream. That opens up a previously underutilized hiring group for state and local government. The closing of buildings forced large-scale telework, and most employers, even governments, had to admit that remote work was a potential option.
Airline industry executives have ramped up their warnings that an upcoming type of 5G service will interfere with radio altimeters.
Radio altimeters measure the altitude above the terrain beneath an aircraft by timing how long it takes a beam of radio waves to travel to ground, reflect, and return to the craft. They are, of course, a key safety feature.
In February, the FCC completed a “C-band” (3.7–3.98 GHz) auction and issued licenses to several wireless network providers to deploy 5G services. Radio altimeters operate between 4.2-4.4 GHz.
There’s no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly modified the mind share around how communication services are delivered to employees that have been forced into a work-at-home environment. More and more we’ve moved our workforce to a hybrid environment that can provide some significant safety challenges with new legislation that has been recently mandated at the federal level.
The UK government has announced a new initiative to develop global standards for artificial intelligence (AI). The Alan Turing Institute, supported by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), will pilot the AI Standards Hub, which is designed to improve AI governance as the use of these technologies increases in society. The hub will be backed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Office for AI (OAI).
Cox Communications has announced the company will make significant broadband network enhancements in Hampton Roads. As part of a multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment to build a 10 Gigabit-capable, fiber-optic network, these enhancements will enable Cox to deliver multi-Gigabit speeds to its customers in the next few years, both downstream and upstream, to support a host of bandwidth-hungry applications.
Cox has invested $55 million over the last 5 years in Hampton Roads and was the first to make Gigabit service available to all customers in the market. Cox now plans to invest an additional $100+ million over the next 3 years to deliver multi-Gigabit symmetrical speeds over high-speed broadband connections, starting in Norfolk.
The Federal Communications Commission has officially replaced the Emergency Broadband Benefit with the Affordable Connectivity Program, launching a new subsidy program that is set to dish out more than $14 billion in support for broadband users.
The EBB was launched in May 2021 and offered eligible households up to $50 per month off their broadband bill or $75 per month if the household was on Tribal land.
Under the ACP, the maximum household benefit will be reduced to $30 per month for most homes, though the benefit for those on Tribal lands will remain the same. FOR MORE DETAILS: GOTO https://www.fcc.gov/acp
While NG911 public safety networks are very unique and purpose-built, that does NOT mean that they can't learn lessons from other industries. The CES show took place in Las Vegas recently, an automotive technology reporter Steve Tengler wrote a story for Forbes that has tremendous relevance to the public safety industry, in a very interesting message on the evolution of any new technology, as it defines the marketplace where it will live. It's not just a lesson in Automotive technology, it's an excellent observation of the message about technology evolution, and the platform that it gets built upon. Enjoy the weekend! Thanks to Jeremy DeMar for bringing this article to my attention, and making the Friday edition of Telecom Newsbytes a simple choice to extend to all of you. Follow Steve on Twitter or LinkedIn.
AP and Reuters have reported that both AT&T and Verizon cellular have decided and agreed to hold off on their current 5G rollout amid some recent concerns regarding the potential interference issues posed for aircraft instruments as raised by the FAA.
This move marks a dramatic and sudden change of heart just one day after the companies formally rejected a request by the government to do so.
New Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) deployments will be widespread in 2022 and are a technology that you NEED TO UNDERSTAND in order to avoid any potential pitfalls. FWA is the ability to provide high-speed wireless broadband to homes and businesses but to do so over radio waves or RF. This can eliminate the reliance on physical phone lines, cable, or fiber connections providing resiliency from infrastructure outages like fallen trees and broken wires.
In its new whitepaper, 70 Technology Trends That Will—and Will Not—Shape 2022, ABI Research analysts identify 35 trends that will shape the technology market and 35 others that, although attracting huge amounts of speculation and commentary, are less likely to move the needle over the next twelve months. "The fallout from COVID-19 prevention measures, the process of transitioning from pandemic to endemic disease, and global political tensions weigh heavily on the coming year's fortunes. This whitepaper is a tool for our readers to help shape their understanding of the key critical trends that look set to materialize in 2022 as the world begins to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19. It also highlights those much-vaunted trends that are less likely to have meaningful impact in 2022," says Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research.
With more than 7,000 satellites currently in orbit around the earth, the current SpaceX plans to add 30,000 more low earth orbit satellites to provide broadband Internet begs the question; Are we creating a layer of space junk around our planet? While outer space may be infinite, low earth orbit just might get a bit crowded, but who manages the space in space?
This PODCAST is an Audio Version of my Latest BLOG
Compassion. Consideration. Empathy. Any public safety official should strive to achieve and maintain these three traits when dealing with the public they serve. They are also traits that are likely impossible to embed in any automated process used despite their ability to improve the efficiency of citizen services.
I first met Steve when he was a trainer in Hamilton County Tennessee, and just about to sit for his ENP certification exam. Shortly after that, he then moved on to the Director of emergency communications for Brentwood, and now runs the Metro Nashville Emergency Communication Center. After giving my family a 1st class behind-the-scenes tour of the facility, we discussed the recent changes in technology, the challenges of hiring good new people, as well as the value and ENP certification rings to the job, as well as the challenges of hiring and keeping good staff on site as a team to be groomed for the future. This was recorded live, in the center on December 23 exactly one year after the Nashville RV bombing just last year.
This episode was done on-site in the ECC, so audion only.
In this inaugural edition of Off the Cuff: Avaya Engage Edition; we sit down with Chuck Vondra, past president of SCTC and president of communication strategies and his colleague John Paul Merlot to discuss trends that they are hearing and seeing around implementing UC in the industry, and the relevance of attending the AVAYA show for the first time after COVID put activities on hold for two years.
The Build Back Better Bill currently in front of the Senate, was originally slated for $12 billion. The version passed out of the house reduce that figure to just $475 million. What will Public Safety get? And why they will get it is explained in this episode.
The last meeting of the federal communications commission for 2021 will wrap up some important issues clearing the calendar for 2022.
The Inteliquent web page now has a modified logo that proudly boasts “Inteliquent – A Synch company.” On their news page, a blog is now present, stating, “It’s official — Inteliquent is now part of Sinch! We’re so pleased our customers now have greater access to a diverse portfolio of communications solutions designed specifically for exceptional customer experience.
AT&T CEO John Stankey (pictured) forecast a banner year for infrastructure investment in 2022 and that private 5G services to enterprises sounded like an appropriate solution for business customers who do not need to support mobile devices beyond their own sites.
A recent FCC Office of Inspector General report has flagged fraud in the FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit program. The Commission said it plans to investigate and seek to recoup any funds which were distributed to unqualified households. The Commission also vowed to refer violators to its Enforcement Bureau for action. The EBV and its replacement ACP programs are designated to provide broadband subsidies in an effort to close the homework gap created from the lack of public Wi-Fi.
For the first time in history, the Federal Communications Commission officially gets its first woman chairperson, as Jessica Rosenworcel is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Rosenworcel has been presiding as Acting Chairwoman, but her commission was expiring triggering the need for the Senate confirmation by the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Maryland State Sen. Kagan, leading a group of public safety experts, has released a fourth and final report last Thursday detailing what an NG911 deployment in the state must include to effectively deliver services to constituents. Not just from a technology side, but from a people resource perspective, reclassifying dispatchers as 1st Responders.
Consolidated Communications executives consider 2021 a “transformative year” for the company thanks to its partnership with Searchlight Capital Partners and its infusion of capital into the company. Another nail in the TDM coffin.
Artificial intelligence is destined to be one of the most disruptive innovations that the public safety industry is likely to see. It is quickly becoming an essential component in many industries, and that includes public safety. However, these are still the nascent stages of AI adoption, and with that, come challenges. One is the so-called “black box,” problem, where human operators overseeing a system do not fully understand why the algorithms are recommending a particular action.
Wireless carrier T-Mobile has been fined over $19M for failure to connect 23,000 Emergency 911 calls during a recent network outage. In addition to leased fiber failures, software routing misconfiguration are supposedly to blame.
While the bulk of the funding ($42.45 billion) allocated by the bill will go to the states for broadband grant programs, $14.2 billion has been dedicated to making an existing broadband subsidy program run by the Federal Communications Commission permanent.
In the late 1960s, rock 'n' roll invaded the UK skirting regulators by broadcasting from a ship in international waters. In the US with high-powered Pirate Radio stations sent FM signals across the border from Mexico, frustrating government officials. India is now targeting Elon Musk's #Starlink program from sending signals into the country. #AirWaveWars
With technology moving forward at lightning speed, following the relevant trends may become a blurry streak of news and information flooding your inbox. Here are 10 significant trends that we feel are important, and will have the biggest impact on IT technology in the immediate future. Many you will already know about, and have heard before, but others will be new. In either case their significance will be noted, and you can make a decision on their relevance to your line of work.
No Jitter Contributing Editor, Industry analyst, and TalkingPointz creator Dave Michaels provide his assessment on the recently announced Ericson acquisition of Vonage that will join the company's 5G offerings with Enterprise CPaaS. The question now in front of us is: As an industry, have we wandered back into the "valley of the giants"? Dave thinks that we just may have.
All my friends in the US, have a wonderful day giving thanks to our friends and families, on this Thanksgiving Day 2021.
More infrastructure investment to connect the unconnected on wired and wireless. Last week, investment firm Apollo Global Management unveiled a plan to deploy fiber to 3 million locations across the 20-state ILEC footprint that it acquired from Lumen Technologies earlier this year.
In last week's Open Meeting, the FCC approved a Second Report and Order to expand access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by establishing the ability to text 988 to directly reach the Lifeline to better support at-risk communities in crisis, including youth and individuals with disabilities.
As the Federal Budget Bill bill goes through edits on the Senate side, funding for NG911 across the US hangs in the balance. What was once $12 billion has been whittled down to a token payment on Public Safety's future of $500 million. iCERT, the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technology, plays an important role in educating Congress on public safety needs and funding requests. George Keleman is iCERT's new Executive Director and sat down with me this weekend giving me his take on the subject.
After a couple of decades spent lost in space, satellites appear to be exciting investments once again – thanks in no small part to Elon Musk and the Starlink project he hopes will somehow pay for the colonization of Mars.
Even celestial old-timers like Viasat and Inmarsat are maintaining their valuable real estate far above the planet.
DID YOU KNOW - Americans lost $29.8 billion in phone fraud over the past year? Over 59 million Americans said they lost money as a result of phone scams in the past 12 months. AI fraud detection CAN change this, but it requires a bit more. Find out what in today's TeleCom NewsByte.
The FCC has officially designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats, and not allowing any Universal Service Fund monies to be spent on any equipment or services from these Chinese firms. Huawei revenues are off by 30% and the company has gone into 'survival mode' according to the new Rotating Chair Eric Xu.
Canadian PSTN operator Telus has moved one step closer to a full-fiber future when it announced that only a mere 12% of it’s customers residing inside its footprint are still served by copper. Telus expects all existing copper lines to be retired by late 2022 or early 2023, which require 35% fewer repairs in the legacy infrastructure.
Another player enters the space satellite race. Boeing gets approval to launch a series of low-level Earth Orbit Satellites targeted at delivering Internet services to remote areas. With this latest addition, the skies around the planet are destined to become a bit of a parking lot for space junk.
RingCentral is again shaking up the UCaaS competitive landscape, this time with Mitel.
A new strategic partnership will provide Mitel’s global customer base with a migration path to RingCentral’s Message Video Phone (MVP). That’s RingCentral’s cloud phone system.
A new machine-learning system from MIT is able to assist robots to understand and performing certain social interactions. Researchers have developed a control framework that enables robots to understand what it means to help or hinder one another and incorporate social reasoning into the tasks they are accomplishing.
Fierce Telecoms Diana Gooveret reports that Lumen Technologies has finally unveiled their plan to expand its residential Quantum Fiber service, to 12 million locations over the coming years. CEO Jeff Storey said the company already passes 2.5 million locations with fiber and the company plans to ramp the pace of new builds going forward to reach 1 million additional passings in 2021 and a range of 1.5 million to 2 million each year after that.
The next phase in MLTS 911 Federal legislation goes into effect in less than 60 days as Phase II of the RAY BAUM'S Act §506 will require additional action by MLTS Operators on January 6, 2022. Currently, those requirements apply to WIRED devices that are analog, digital, or IP telephony-based, and located within the business premises. In less than 60 days, those requirements will be extended to cover wireless devices within the premise, as well as provide a dispatchable location for remote users, such as work at home deployments of telephony on laptops, or IP telephones. Guidance on remediation can be downloaded from the 911.gov website, and current information on new Next Generation 911 Technology and solutions that lower OPEX, as well as CAPEX, compared to legacy E911 systems is available from http://911inform.com.
With all of the technology coming out every day, it's difficult to decipher which particular trends and topics are important, and why. Here's our list of top 10 trending technologies, as well as their impact on innovation. While some are obvious, others are more obscure but certainly relevant as the modern ecosystem evolves itself.
Huawei's quarterly revenue shrank for the first time on record, reflecting the devastating impact of U.S. sanctions that forced China’s largest technology company out of smartphones and into other technology arenas.
The disappointing results underscore the depth of the damage Washington has wrought on a company that once vied with Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. to lead the global smartphone market. It reported revenue fell 11% to 220.1 billion yuan ($33.5 billion) in 2020’s final quarter. That’s down from 3.7% growth in the September quarter and 23% in the second quarter, according to Bloomberg calculations based off previously reported figures.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the November Open Commission Meeting:
- Enabling Text-to-988
- Enhanced Competition Incentive Program for Wireless Radio Services
- Updating FM Radio Directional Antenna Verification
- Kinéis Low-Earth Orbit Satellites Market Access
what are the main issues with 5G deployments, is the ability to penetrate buildings and building materials with the signal. With high frequencies, line-of-sight between the transmitter and receiver becomes more and more critical. Penetration is achieved at lower frequencies, however, the ability to deliver high-speed data becomes problematic. UK carrier EE is using a combination of high frequency 5G on the back hall, and then lower powered 700 MHz to penetrate the last mile. The only other option would be for building owners to install 5G DAS solutions to bring the signal inside, and inside signals outside. "Can you hear me now?"
Vodafone probably isn’t the first name that jumps to mind in the U.S. when considering carriers. Regardless, one executive says Vodaphone has a plan to achieve double-digit revenue growth in the country by 'picking up the pieces. Uh-huh . . . picking up the pieces . . . That's right††
††Audio courtesy Phil Collins and his Big Band live @ Montreux 1998 Cover of "Avg White Band - Pick up the Pieces" Feat. Gerald Albrigth - Sadao Watanabe - Klaus Doldinger - PW Ellis - Geoge Duke and James Carter
The $10 billion budget request came back with a drastic cut in funding made available, however the program is still alive with a portion of that funding there. While only a fraction of what was requested, it was not cut completely from the budget as what had been done in years past.
Citing several concerns of national security, the FCC has barred several Chinese telecommunications companies from doing business in the United States, citing concerns that Chinese government influence may expose critical data that would pose a risk to the stability of the US telecommunications infrastructure.
Here's an audio version of my latest blog, "Why 911inform Became a RapidSOS Ready Data Integration Partner". Current legacy E911 networks significantly handicap the ability for a smart device to efficiently communicate any location information or, situational awareness data they may contain, to Public Safety ECC's. The RapidSOS Ready Data Integration API provides immediate access to the 911 routing databases and allows 911inform to deliver critical information to first responders, Making Every Second Count.
The White House announced on Tuesday that President Biden's pick for the federal communications commission chairperson is Jessica Rosenworcel, the existing FCC acting chairwoman. While the acting chair role has previously been filled by a woman, i.e. Mignon Clyburn several years ago, Clyburn was never nominated for the permanent position. Rosenworcel has led an all out attack on Robocalls in some recent actions that may cause carriers to be blocked completely and is a champion for closing the digital divide, especially when it comes to access to free Wi-Fi enabling children to get online at no cost.
in an early test for 5G connectivity and speed, T-Mobile takes the lead with nearly double data speeds over AT&T and Verizon, at least for now, but needs to watch his rearview mirror closely.
the FCC is issued cease and desist letters to three additional carriers charged with generating Robo calls spam traffic from overseas.
The FCC has released its agenda for the October open meeting which will include a virtual field meeting on disaster communications, stemming from hurricane Ida.
Nokia is reporting that they may have cracked the code on making mmWave for 5G Fixed Wireless Access usable. One of the propagation issues troubling 5G deployment is the inability to penetrate walls and buildings. Nokia engineers tinkering with the problem may have come up with a workaround. This is a critical advancement, that will make 5G more of a reality and significantly improve indoor reception and transmission.
Eight 911 service providers will be paying steep FCC penalties for failure to file service reliability certifications by last year’s deadline. For this year, the filing deadline was last Friday, October 15. Did they learn their lesson? Or will we have a new list you've gotten their hands slapped again? What we do know, is that the FCC is taking it seriously with financial penalties.
More Internet from Space. Two major European operators have detailed plans to use satellite connectivity to cover difficult-to-reach customers. These deployments are becoming more and more popular and might be signaling a new trend in broadband deployment.
Fierce Telecom’s Diane Goverets reports, thanks in part to Covid-19, there’s been a massive influx of funding for broadband deployments. But keeping track has become a challenge. Here is a list of funds available and to whom.
Just in time for Winter, NENA The National Emergency Number Association has announced ICE 10: Testing NG9-1-1 Interoperability with NENA i3 Version 3. What's new and what will be tested? Find out here.
Today’s Podcast is from a recent Blog by RADM(ret.) David G. Simpson. Simpson shares his concerns that in the absence of a 'Buy American' requirement in the proposed NG911 Infrastructure Bill, that is currently in front of the Senate, will create a backdoor and allow our adversaries an opportunity to sneak in nefarious software code hidden in critical infrastructure that could expose confidential and sensitive law enforcement data. This kind of leak would put public safety and the NG911 network at risk from cyber-attack. It also could expose sensitive personal information about citizens. Worried? You should be. It's actually a very valid concern but is easily remediated with the proper language and NIST requirements placed in the Bill providing oversight on government spending.
For a successful cloud migration, technology leaders must adopt new approaches to IT management. Existing rules and roles will change, management and security responsibilities will migrate, and if the “people aspect” is ignored the entire project could be jeopardized. This has happened before with the move of telephony to VoIP. This time we can learn from our past mistakes.
Inquiring minds want to know. Since the beginning of time, we've searched for immortality. Other than in some early Frankenstein movies, that was not a possibility. But with some help from AI, ML, and the cloud, we just might be closer than you would think. In fact, some will argue that the technology needed . . . Already exists.
Comcast has announced their additional investment of over $15 million to the existing $10 million investment in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and communities in New Jersey to further support gigabit ethernet for business. Residential and small businesses will now see 1 GBps service available, and larger enterprises up to 100 GBps.
The FCC announced last week that $164 million will be made available for broadband build-out in underserved areas. This comes on the heels of a July letter asking 197 winning providers to "double-check" and confirm the facts in their bids. As a result, many have withdrawn leaving funding for those remaining 42 providers.
So when a single company screws up so badly that it denies the use of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp,
the broader societal consequences that surface is profound. What happened and why?
Chip shortage wars may continue to play havoc on the industry. This time core switches and WLAN products may be affected. Availability may double from today's 4 to 8 weeks delivery window.
BREAKING NEWS Here is an abbreviated synopsis of Zeus Karvella's post in NoJitter.com this week, and his thoughts on the Zoom Five9 merger that filed to reach voter agreement in. special session.
It looks like all of the cool kids are building out fiber, even in the US Heartlands. Acquisition, consolidation seems to be a popular move for fiber investments and connectivity. Will this follow the same model as the phone network, where consolidation will continue until there is a monopoly? Disvestiture2 - The Glass Wars.
Meet Amazon's home-monitoring robot, dubbed "Astro." In what may remind some people of the 1960s television cartoon "The Jetsons," the device puts a new spin on Alexa, giving Amazon's cloud-based voice service wheels, navigation technology and even a periscope. Not supposedly cheap, the new gadget to set up reminders, turn on TV shows, or control smart devices at home. The robot's safety and security features also let it alert homeowners who are away about possible break-ins or fires. BUT, can it fetch your slippers?
A critical part of 5G is the Open RAN. Computing giant IBM has partnered with Florida-based Airspan Networks to accelerate the adoption of 5G-enabled Open RAN technologies in Europe. This new architecture provides greater choice and lowers costs while preventing vendor lock-in and enabling innovative new players to break the market hold of the handful of established players.
This is critical as 5G-enabled Open RANs are required for businesses to bring the signal indoors.
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington argued that wireline technology might not be the best broadband solution for every use case. Simington tackled the question of whether fiber should be rolled out to every American, explaining some have argued that the U.S. should pursue universal fiber deployments in the same way the country went about electrification.
Can AI be the inventor of a patent?
The big question at stake is whether a law that was obviously written for human inventors can also be applied to machines with artificial intelligence? Historically courts have said no, but now, some are reversing that decision and saying yes.
getting back to work in September seems to be a busy month for the monthly open meeting at the FCC. Mark your calendar's for September 30, and watch online!
Virgin media O2 has used a tethered Fotokite Sigma System drone to receive 5G signals from a base station on the ground and to transfer real-time data between first responders on scene and local hospital teams.
Both Google and Facebook are invested in dozens of subsea internet cable projects around the world.
But laying these cables across ocean floors can take months of preparation, as well as highly specialized vessels that can take them across the ocean.
While some may be spoiled by fat-pipe broadband that can reach speeds over 500 Mb per second, Elon Musk is planning low earth orbit satellite connectivity at speeds reaching 100Mbs downlink and 20Mbs uplink. Certainly not the fastest, but likely faster than many DSL connections, and certainly throws dial-up way under the bus. Plus, it's available in the most remote areas without a wired infrastructure backbone in place. Not for everyone, but for those who need it, a lifesaver.
Last week, the organizers of the Enterprise Connect event 2021, will go on, but this year the event be all virtual.
But don’t fear! FREE virtual passes will be available to attendees. Listen for details.
New kids on the block are proving that you don’t need to be an incumbent LEC to provide infrastructure. Especially when you can avoid pole attachments and fees, and bury fiber in the ground.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, along with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada have introduced legislation to modernize the nation’s 9-1-1 systems (S.2754).
After a two-day exhaustive mark-up session, a bill earmarking $10 billion for the deployment of NG911 in the US, has passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is now headed 'up the hill' for full House approval and inclusion in the full $3.5 trillion budget package. The next step is to pass muster with the US Senate before final inclusion.
Original Story Credit: Donny Jackson, Urgent Communications
With the signal limitations of 5G entering buildings, an open RAN architecture will be a critical element marrying internal enterprise networks with the outside world.
AT&T will use the OneWeb satellite service to provide new satellite-based connectivity to business customers in the most remote parts of the US through this new technology.
Altice USA abruptly shuffled its top-tier leadership, announcing COO and president of telecommunications Hakim Boubazine has resigned, effective immediately.
NG911 funding is expected to be passed by the US House Energy and Commerce Committee providing $10 billion for the build-out of NG911 networks by States and other entities. This is being seen by industry experts as more proof that NG911 he's here today.
As technology advanced, higher frequencies were required to allow faster data connections. The negative side effect was that the higher the frequency, the shorter the range of the ran.
Inteliquent has announced the successful deployment of NG911 call aggregation services in states and counties that span across the country.
Arista Networks has announced an expansion of its cloud-grade routing solutions that extends its product line to the edge.
5G connectivity will be critical for Enterprises to take advantage of the %G data network.
Known for its clean streets, successful welfare, and brand recognition like IKEA, ABBA, and Minecraft, you may be surprised to hear Sweden is at the front of a political battle with China. Find out what's up and the impact this will have right here.
@911inform
WARNING!! WARNING!! 5G AND ENTERPRISE NETWORKS ARE HEADED FOR A MASSIVE COLLISION! WHAT DO WE DO? AND DO WE EVEN NEED TO?
@911inform
This week, the FCC issued a Scam Alert warning of an Imposter Website out to scam citizens of cash under a new federal program look-a-like website.
@911inform
Qualcomm’s recent success with the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars adds serious credibility to its new autonomous drone platform, Flight RB5 5G, the “world’s first” autonomous drone platform with 5G and AI capabilities, now available on pre-order.
@911inform
Before 5G can become the holy grail for communications connectivity, specific areas need investment and development. Demands for this are coming from Governments and Commercial businesses. What are they?
@911inform
Tech Forge Media Editor Brian Daws reported that Carrier T-Mobile had been ordered to prove it didn’t lie to government regulators reporting intentions to shut down its 3G network to obtain approval for the merger with Sprint.T-Mobil may face fines of over $100,000 per incidence.
The FCC has adopted a Report and Order Implementing Section 13(d) of the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act) assigning the current US Telecom’s Industry Traceback Group, to continue as the registered consortium.
EXPANDED FRIDAY EDITION
Is AI the next new tool in Public Safety’s virtual toolbelt? Can it help combat crime and make communities safer? ANSWER: YES, but only if agencies maintain control, and don’t misuse it.
@911inform
In its quest to build out broadband connectivity from low earth orbital space, OneWeb launches 34 satellites into the dark abyss, along with a pile of cash.
@911inform
Artificial Intelligence is conquering every sector, providing new dimensions across industries, and accelerating digital transformation. Within telecoms, the rise of 5G has opened the flood gates to a new world of opportunities and possibilities with the implementation of AI.
@911inform
Verizon and AWS deploy Mobile Edge Computing to 3 new cities - now covering a total of 13 metropolitan areas.
@911inform
Robots vs. People delivering your package. It's soon a reality, but are we reducing the carbon footprint impact?
Listen up; You just might be surprised.
@911inform
Chinese media reports are hinting at a substantial change in the provider of mobile cellular chips.
Supply chain issues may cause a swing and a miss for AT&Ts fiber deployment target for 2021.
The @FCC releases a new Mobile LTE Broadband map showing AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon voice and data coverage – now available to the public.
Lumen announces plans to sell off their ILEC business in 20 states. The new heir apparent is Apollo who has bid 7.9 Billion to acquire Lumen’s CenturyLink footprint in the Midwest and the southeastern U.S. (with the exception of Florida).
This episode of Telecom NewsBytes includes two important whitepapers from TelecomsTechNews.com. The first is on new 5G cellular rollouts vs. terrestrial-based broadband, and the second covers the business commercialization of 5G and IOT, and what IT leaders need to know about the impact on their Enterprise network architectures.
3G cellular networks, the latest technology on the chopping block and the verge of extinction. Who is affected? Do you need to swap out the device? What happens to your investment in the old device? This will affect nearly everyone on ALL major carriers in the next 24 months. This is an audio version of a story published in CONNECTED REAL ESTATE by Joe Dyton joed@fifthgenmedia.com
This past year, working from home has become the new 'norm' for a greater number of users. During the pandemic, businesses had to quickly readjust their networks to allow this new environment at a wider scale with new services. Now, with the pandemic receding, many are discussing the continuation and preservation of their work from home/work from anywhere policies. But doing so will require a thorough assessment and understanding of these new network demands.
Results from a recent survey on 5G wireless deployment globally, and expected speeds. Where in the world is the fastest mobile data?
The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on Thursday, August 5, 2021, which is scheduled to commence at 10:30 a.m.
This podcast covers the six agenda items currently active for the meeting as of July 30, 2021. Source information was obtained from: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-374516A1.pdf
A new phenomenon is beginning to emerge as alternative services to traditional communications have become more predominant. The many options for subscribers, both personal and business users, have significantly increased. In the home consumer subscriber market, it has been given the moniker of 'cutting the cord,' signifying the release from the local telephone companies' stranglehold on local subscribers. Now in its formidable teenage years, this new mode of communications option is wandering into business services.
Similar to the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. Their Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG). This group, which is composed of Telecommunication Service Providers, Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs and ECCs), as well as 9-1-1 Industry specialists, works to address issues relating to 9-1-1 services, as well as the technical and operational implementation of these services, including NG911.
There is no denying that COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way we live, work, and communicate. As businesses were forced into lockdown, the pandemic caused a massive surge in remote-enabled unified communications. Fortunately, to maintain some sense of business survivability, workers at nearly every level were forced into daily video communications sessions.
While this trend had emerged slightly in previous years, primarily in a customer support model, the evolution of personal communications and the availability of high-powered, camera-enabled mobile devices flourished. The pandemic triggered a shift in private communications that gradually added pictures, then animations, video snippets, and finally full-motion live streaming video.
In my blog last week, I reported on the FCC initiative requiring carriers to provide what is called the Z-axis on cellular calls to 911. For those of you who don't know, the z-axis reports altitude. Knowing this elevation, calculating the floor that a person is on in a multi-story building is possible and delivered to first responders. This blog sparked many questions, with several people wondering why this has been such a problem? Let me ex[lain . . .
prompting 9-1-1 call takers to question
"How high are you?"
Under the leadership of acting chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the Federal Communications Commission recently flexed its federal muscle reasserting the wireless location accuracy rules established in 2015. The Commission settled on a new effective date of April 3, 2022, and the network certifications due June 2, 2022. As a penalty for missing this year's deadlines, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon committed to paying a fine of $100,000.00 each.
The level of awareness that our nation's ECCs will have access to is about to get much better. According to Bureau Chief Lisa Fowlkes of the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, new policies and procedures will be in place soon that will provide that agency better access to information about network outages as well as the incidents that cause them.
Here is an AUDIO Version of my latest BLOG. 988 has been adopted as the new National Lifeline for Suicide Prevention. Carriers are activating it in the PSTN networks, and MLTS administrators can be proactive by enabling this 3-digit code in their systems TODAY, forwarding calls to 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
Congress has tried once again to pass a bill that reclassifies 911 communicators nationwide as emergency first responders. Can we get it done in this Congress?
AUDIO BLOG: CyberCast Podcast with Cyber Expert Michael Echolls, MBA, CISSP. Fletch and Mike talk about the impact of cybersecurity on the nation's Next-Generation 911 net ork and the threats that we need to be aware of.
Join Fletch and his cohost, Cyber Security Expert Michael Echols, as they discuss the implications of cybersecurity and the Next Generation 911 network services being deployed today.
AUDIO ONLY VERSION: Sending remote users home and giving them a telecommunications device to work with requires you to address a 911 from that device. Done without planning, this can be a very expensive proposition. Here's where NG911 can provide some economies of scale that dramatically reduce monthly OPEX while increasing functionality.
The National Law Review has posted these predictions for 2021 regarding telecom related issues and the Federal Communications Commission. These provide an interesting take on these relevant and top of mind issues affecting the telecommunications industry as a whole, and the pending administrative changes in the industry. Visit http://natlawreview.com for the full story.
Not only is NG911 functionality available today, it's incredibly robust and available quite widely, In fact, I'll submit that we're likely spending more money maintaining the legacy E911 Network than would be required to build out a new NG911 network. We will talk about this transitional phase, and introduce you to details on a webinar series coming up with experts that can explain the entire architecture from end to end. Don't get left in the dark . . . NG911 services are here and available right now.
The most critical question for a 911 call taker is, "Where is your emergency?" The post office can deal with street addresses to deliver your mail; 911 call takers can use that to get the proper resources to a residence, but what about locating you in a large, multi-story enterprise building? ANI/ALI is inefficient and ineffective. NG911 is now here and available to the Enterprise. Watch how 911inform is delivering this TODAY.
Public safety 911 centers (PSAPs) have been are typically contained within well protected physical environments, and have never had the need to support remote connectivity workers. The pandemic has changed that industries thinking, and they are quickly playing catch-up. Fortunately technologies are capable of providing the required infrastructure, however policy and procedures still need to be vetted at the local agency level.
Smarter phones and smarter networks are solving the location challenges for 911 call takers with the bulk of calls coming from cellular-based devices.The next hurdle is to determine the nature and severity of a particular incident, and that will come only after we can share additional context from the callers device, such as pictures, video,and other information that is relevant.
Public safety call takers and dispatchers need a wide variety of tools in their proverbial toolbox to assist them in completing their job. After dealing, almost daily, with location challenges a Scotland based center manager gpt tired of waiting and created his own solution, called emergency locate. Listen to how this innovative utility can help save lives worldwide.
Some 911 solutions provide call recording as a feature. Good idea? Or bad? In this podcast will dive into a few facts about the topic that just may change your mind. HIPPA and Privacy are two concerns that immediately come to mind/
For at least the last decade we’ve been discussing next generation 911 services and the additional value they bring with the increase in the number data points that they will carry. Despite this fundamental value, the uptake has been less than inspiring. While there may exist several root causes for the delays, they are far from being unknown or misunderstood, as is often common with new technology deployments.
Can you guess who these 'Single Namers' are in the 911 industry? Once you get really good at what you do for a living, there comes a day when you get to drop your last name. Everyone knows who you are, and everyone knows what you do.
911 Fee Diversion is the scourge of the public safety industry. It is an issue that the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has been tracking for more than a decade. Initially, just getting the data was problematic, with 20% of the states diverting funds in the earliest years.
In just a short time, on January 6th 2021, the RAY BAUM’S Act §506 will go into effect nationwide for MLTS PBX systems. This legislation, which added additional language to Kari’s Law and promulgated over 2 years ago, adds in the requirement for what is called a “dispatchable location” to be provided to on-site personnel as well as public safety 911 call takers, when an emergency call takes place. While Kari was undoubtedly the icon behind the legislation, the issue has been boiling for over 30 years.
Abandoned Calls, Disconnected Calls, and Non-Responsive Calls to 911 create a problem for call takers and utilize critical resources needed for real emergencies. MLTS PBX Systems also generate their share of this traffic and administrators can be proactive about it. Find out how and where to get help in this Podcast by Fletch, 911inform's VP of Public Safety Solutions.
Just as with any other technology, 911 has evolved from its initial mission of routing calls to your local 911 center, to providing discreet location information. But as access technology has advanced with personal mobility, the core network has stagnated to a halt. How do we get around this technological façade that is keeping critical information away from public safety officials? The answer is NG 911, however the reason why it's not widely deployed is certainly a financial one, but not one that you would expect. Why do many put profits ahead of safety?
NG911 is still a new concept, and many have yet to make the transition, or even understand this evolution in the network. Just as other innovations have disrupted the legacy environments, NG911 significantly rocks the boat, upsetting the financial stability of current providers. Unable to make the transition, they spread fear in administrators, when the transition is one that is not complex, but economical while delivering an improved safety response.
The Public Switched Telephone Network has always been an enigma to many. In the past, only a select few were chosen and imparted with the knowledge and secret information about the inner workings, which remained protected with Masonic-like “security through obscurity“.
In an active shooter environment, minimizing or illuminating the shooters access to targets is an effective practice that can help minimize casualties. Sometimes, getting the word out can be difficult, but NG 911 and connected buildings are about to change the game.
In today's world, 2-Meters is not proper social distancing, it refers to my Amateur radio that is tuned to the ‘2-Meter Band‘ for a very special purpose. During disasters, normal communications typically fails, but Amateur radio can stay up with minimal infrastructure to provide a communications path for both Public Safety and citizens alike.
While the technology used by citizens, and to some degree in the 9-1-1 centers themselves, has slowly evolved with the evolution of the Internet and our increasingly connected world, the core functionality of the 9-1-1 network itself has remained somewhat stagnant.