Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, I wrote an editorial in Monitoring Times magazine critical of public safety radio system interoperability in the Gulf Coast region. New Orleans, Slidell, and Biloxi/Gulfport/Harrison County were all using the M/A-COM ProVoice EDACS trunk systems and it was only a matter of time before this choice was going to cause a crisis.
First, let me clear the air. I am not against M/A-COM or its trunk systems per se. I am deeply concerned about using a non-standard digital protocol such as Open Sky and ProVoice. If public safety agencies want to use a M/A-COM trunk system -fine, do it! Just don't use one of the proprietary digital protocols.
The M/A-COM Provoice digital standard is not compatible with the APCO P25 digital standard which FEMA, DoD, US federal government agencies, the State of Louisiana and other parish public safety agencies in the Katrina disaster area use. When the system failed in New Orleans it caused major problems for the first responders of the city. They had to resort to 800 MHz Mutual Aid simplex channels, and car to car relay of radio traffic in order to communicate.
New Orleans, Slidell, and PS agencies in Harrison County, MS were all on my P25 Hall of Shame List (shame on them for using a system which is NOT interoperable). You can see these editorials on the Monitoring Times website.
Incorporating lessons learned in the chaotic aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, law enforcement agencies in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes can now communicate with each other using one radio system. On Monday (February 5), the parishes brought online a shared 700-megahertz digital radio system paid for with federal disaster funds and grant money from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
You can read the complete Times Picayune story on this event online at:
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-19/116962458198400.xml&coll=1
There were a lot of lessons learned from the Katrina disaster. But this is one that every Public Safety Agency in this country using a non-P25 digital standard should read and heed. From the Picayune article I quote, "The coordinated system also means that if out-of-state first responders come in as they did after Katrina to aid the locals, they'll be able to communicate as well with a bit of reprogramming of their own equipment."
Unfortunately, there are still major problems on the Gulf Coast. Harrison County, MS (including Biloxi and Gulfport) continue to use their ProVoice system even though most all of their neighbors and a new statewide system will be P25 compatible. This is exactly the same scenario that caused major problems in New Orleans. Hancock County, the county just west of Harrison on the Louisiana border has now installed a new P25 trunk system. Jackson County, the other Gulf Coast county just east of Harrison, is using a mixed mode (analog/P25) trunk system. Hey, Harrison County do you think it is time to wake up! I think it is time for the federal government to NOT sink one more dime of taxpayer money in that county until they become interoperable with the rest of the area.
In the state capital of Mississippi - Jackson, the original plan to upgrade to a ProVoice digital system by M/A-Com has been scrapped after issues were raised by the Hinds County E-911 Commission regarding legal concerns. Plans have now been made to switch Jackson over to the Hinds County Motorola ASTRO System. This will enable true interoperability between Jackson, and the surrounding area. At least someone in Mississippi is using some common sense. Are you listening Harrison County?
The new Mississippi statewide system, known as MWIN, will be a Motorola P-25 700 MHz trunk radio system. This system will be used by ALL state of Mississippi public safety agencies, with county and municipality subscription possible. MWIN will be tied in to the MEMA and Fish & Wildlife satellite radio nets for interoperability.
But Harrsion County, Mississippi, is only a small drop in the non-interop bucket. Another shocking interop issue is found in the state of Florida. And in this case it isn't a county issue, but it is a statewide law enforcement trunk radio system, known as SLERS, that was bought, installed and operated by the state of Florida. Yep, they are using the same system that New Orleans used that caused such a problem during Katrina - a M/A-COM ProVoice trunk system.
Imagine a hurricane hitting Florida and the state law enforcement agencies not being able to talk to any of the feds unless they give the feds a radio to use on their non-interop radio system. Same applies to all the county and municipal agencies who aren't on this system which is 99% of the state's PS agencies. There needs to be some serious questions asked about public safety by the taxpayers of Florida and the media.
But Florida is not alone. In future missives on this blog, I will uncover other shocking agencies that are either using non-standard digital protocols and have plans in the works. When will this government officials learn the hard lessons of New orleans and Katrina?
Showing posts with label Interop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interop. Show all posts
Friday, February 09, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
District to link all responders over radio
Courtesy of Alan Henney and the SCAN-DC group:
Original article at:
http://www.examiner.com/a-547737~District_to_link_all_responders_over_radio.html
By Michael Neibauer, The Examiner (Feb 5, 2007 3:00 AM)
WASHINGTON - Two dozen District government agencies outside police and fire still can’t coordinate over the city’s public safety radio network more than five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
But the D.C. Unified Communications Center has prepared an upgrade under a recently awarded one-year, $199,960 contract with D.C.-based consultant Telecommunications Development Corp. The deal calls for the development of an intra-District interoperability plan for 23 agencies within D.C. currently using the 800 MHz Radio Network.
“This effort will permit agencies that would not normally have the ability to communicate with one another the means to do so with the implementation of this project,” UCC spokeswoman Debbie Know said.
The government is pleased with its current emergency radio system, but it does have deficiencies, Knox said. Secondary responders were never linked, she said, leaving those agencies with no direct capability to communicate with members of the perspective communities, dispatch or local support staff via the 800 MHz radio network.
The D.C. Department of Health, for example, a vital agency in the case of a bioterrorism attack or virus outbreak, can communicate with RFK Stadium security, the Emergency Management Agency and the D.C. Department of Transportation. But it can’t talk to police or fire over the existing network, Knox said.
“Communications is one of the biggest issues and problems with emergency response, particularly for something on the magnitude of a 9/11,” said D.C. Council Member Phil Mendelson, chair of the judiciary committee. “So this would be part of a comprehensive effort to improve the ability of all responding agencies to talk to each other.”
The District’s first responders seamlessly communicate with each other and others in the National Capital Region through the Motorola SmartZone 800 MHz network. The NCR was recently given high marks for its interoperable communication technology and operating procedures in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security scorecard.
[email protected]
Original article at:
http://www.examiner.com/a-547737~District_to_link_all_responders_over_radio.html
By Michael Neibauer, The Examiner (Feb 5, 2007 3:00 AM)
WASHINGTON - Two dozen District government agencies outside police and fire still can’t coordinate over the city’s public safety radio network more than five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
But the D.C. Unified Communications Center has prepared an upgrade under a recently awarded one-year, $199,960 contract with D.C.-based consultant Telecommunications Development Corp. The deal calls for the development of an intra-District interoperability plan for 23 agencies within D.C. currently using the 800 MHz Radio Network.
“This effort will permit agencies that would not normally have the ability to communicate with one another the means to do so with the implementation of this project,” UCC spokeswoman Debbie Know said.
The government is pleased with its current emergency radio system, but it does have deficiencies, Knox said. Secondary responders were never linked, she said, leaving those agencies with no direct capability to communicate with members of the perspective communities, dispatch or local support staff via the 800 MHz radio network.
The D.C. Department of Health, for example, a vital agency in the case of a bioterrorism attack or virus outbreak, can communicate with RFK Stadium security, the Emergency Management Agency and the D.C. Department of Transportation. But it can’t talk to police or fire over the existing network, Knox said.
“Communications is one of the biggest issues and problems with emergency response, particularly for something on the magnitude of a 9/11,” said D.C. Council Member Phil Mendelson, chair of the judiciary committee. “So this would be part of a comprehensive effort to improve the ability of all responding agencies to talk to each other.”
The District’s first responders seamlessly communicate with each other and others in the National Capital Region through the Motorola SmartZone 800 MHz network. The NCR was recently given high marks for its interoperable communication technology and operating procedures in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security scorecard.
[email protected]
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Overlay solution may be as close as near space
For many years now I have been a strong advocate for responsible use of the taxpayers money and radio spectrum when addressing the issue of interoperability in public safety communications. But since Congress first authorized the FCC to sell off a precious resource, the radio spectrum, we have had nothing but troubles and major headaches. I've always said follow the money and you will truly understand what is happening within Congress.
But those ill informed and communication illiterates in Congress continue to throw more taxpayer money into policies and systems that are not interoperable (i.e. the Florida Provoice statewide trunk system, uh deathtrap).
So maybe it is time for some fresh thinking. Instead of assigning more spectrum space (i.e. the 700 MHz fiasco), and put another radio on the fire truck or in the police car for the overworked firefighter or police officer to worry about, Congress should look at existing systems and see what can be done to improve that current situation. Now that would be the responsible thing to do instead of pushing an agenda that makes their political donors make more money, and adds more wasteful and shameful spending to the federal budget. But then again we are talking about Congress and they have yet to show any sign of being responsible.
So even though there are a few technical blunders in his article below, here is some food for thought by Donny Jackson courtesy of the MRT Bulletin:
By Donny Jackson
January 26, 2007
From a communications perspective, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was a real-life example of Murphy's Law: Everything that could go wrong, did. Not only did the storm's winds knock down a few towers, but even surviving towers were disabled due to the fact that many systems' electronics eventually were under water, lacked the power to operate, or did not have backhaul.
This unfortunate episode has forced everyone to re-evaluate the survivability and operability of communications systems, dealing with the question we all want to avoid: "What happens when nothing on the ground works?"
Probably the first alternative that comes to mind is satellite telephony from companies like Iridium. Certainly the satellite handsets were valuable in the immediate aftermath of Katrina, because the system does not rely on terrestrial infrastructure. When nothing else worked, they literally served as lifelines.
But the downsides of satellite phones are numerous. The service is expensive enough that some agencies won't be able to afford it, and handsets are pricey, so getting them into the hands of everyone who needs them can be difficult. More important, the current generation of satellite phones requires the user to hold the handset in a manner that maintains a link with the satellite.
For those working in a communications center, this isn't a big deal; for those out in the field trying to rescue people in far-from-ideal environments, it's a problem -- in fact, some first responders at Katrina chose to turn in their satellite phones rather than be frustrated by them.
It may be that the satellite phones are not as limited as some of the users indicated, because it's doubtful that there was a lot of time dedicated to training after the handsets were distributed. But there can be little argument on two points: first responders (and people, in general) prefer to communicate with the device they use on a daily basis, and the satellite phone technology available today is a decade old.
These points continue to nag me as we see various proposals to introduce broadband and interoperable communications systems nationwide. While most of them cite Hurricane Katrina as a reason for existing, only a few of these plans really address the need for non-terrestrial redundancy that will ensure communications exist when conditions bring even the most hardened terrestrial networks to their knees.
Where such redundancy is addressed, the typical solution is to overlay the terrestrial systems with satellite communications. On the surface, the strategy makes sense, but there are some practical problems.
Satellite phones require much larger antennas than those found on typical LMR or cellular handsets. That means first responders would need to carry an additional handset or a single handset that could communicate with both a terrestrial network and the satellite overlay network. Either way, we're talking about buying new handsets for everyone, which would get outrageously expensive.
Furthermore, the large investment associated with launching satellites dictates that they need to remain in use for at least 10-15 years to make economic sense. Proposals such as the one from Cyren Call recommend keeping this important communications system technologically "evergreen," but being tied to a single satellite technology for a decade would not seem to fit this vision.
An alternative to a satellite overlay is a system developed by Space Data, which uses weather balloons to suspend base stations in near space, 75,000 to 100,000 feet above sea level. Used for commercial vehicle tracking and in testing connected with U.S. Air Force communications, these balloon-supported base stations move very predictably at this altitude and can provide as much as 600 square miles of coverage, says Space Data CEO Gerald Knoblach.
Not only does the Space Data solution let users continue to use their existing handsets with no modifications, the base stations are brought back to earth when they reach the end of the coverage range and are launched again every few days.
"If you launch a satellite, you're stuck for 15 years with the technology that's in there the day you launched it -- and that's typically obsolete from the first day, because it took you two or three years to build a satellite and launch it," Knoblach says. "With ours, you can upgrade it every single day, so you can keep up with that Moore's Law path with consumer cell phones and electronics shrinking every day."
Space Data's solution is "typically 10 times lower cost" than satellite in a rural area and can be used to provide interoperability between disparate systems. In addition, the Space Data base stations are easy enough to deploy that additional balloons can be launched to provide extra capacity in a given area when it is needed.
Given these characteristics -- lower costs, no need to change existing handsets, interoperability capability, the ability to add capacity, and the flexibility to upgrade to new technologies in an ever-changing wireless marketplace -- the powers that be should give strong consideration to the weather-balloon solution when contemplating the best way to provide survivable communications redundancy.
E-mail me at [email protected]
But those ill informed and communication illiterates in Congress continue to throw more taxpayer money into policies and systems that are not interoperable (i.e. the Florida Provoice statewide trunk system, uh deathtrap).
So maybe it is time for some fresh thinking. Instead of assigning more spectrum space (i.e. the 700 MHz fiasco), and put another radio on the fire truck or in the police car for the overworked firefighter or police officer to worry about, Congress should look at existing systems and see what can be done to improve that current situation. Now that would be the responsible thing to do instead of pushing an agenda that makes their political donors make more money, and adds more wasteful and shameful spending to the federal budget. But then again we are talking about Congress and they have yet to show any sign of being responsible.
So even though there are a few technical blunders in his article below, here is some food for thought by Donny Jackson courtesy of the MRT Bulletin:
By Donny Jackson
January 26, 2007
From a communications perspective, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was a real-life example of Murphy's Law: Everything that could go wrong, did. Not only did the storm's winds knock down a few towers, but even surviving towers were disabled due to the fact that many systems' electronics eventually were under water, lacked the power to operate, or did not have backhaul.
This unfortunate episode has forced everyone to re-evaluate the survivability and operability of communications systems, dealing with the question we all want to avoid: "What happens when nothing on the ground works?"
Probably the first alternative that comes to mind is satellite telephony from companies like Iridium. Certainly the satellite handsets were valuable in the immediate aftermath of Katrina, because the system does not rely on terrestrial infrastructure. When nothing else worked, they literally served as lifelines.
But the downsides of satellite phones are numerous. The service is expensive enough that some agencies won't be able to afford it, and handsets are pricey, so getting them into the hands of everyone who needs them can be difficult. More important, the current generation of satellite phones requires the user to hold the handset in a manner that maintains a link with the satellite.
For those working in a communications center, this isn't a big deal; for those out in the field trying to rescue people in far-from-ideal environments, it's a problem -- in fact, some first responders at Katrina chose to turn in their satellite phones rather than be frustrated by them.
It may be that the satellite phones are not as limited as some of the users indicated, because it's doubtful that there was a lot of time dedicated to training after the handsets were distributed. But there can be little argument on two points: first responders (and people, in general) prefer to communicate with the device they use on a daily basis, and the satellite phone technology available today is a decade old.
These points continue to nag me as we see various proposals to introduce broadband and interoperable communications systems nationwide. While most of them cite Hurricane Katrina as a reason for existing, only a few of these plans really address the need for non-terrestrial redundancy that will ensure communications exist when conditions bring even the most hardened terrestrial networks to their knees.
Where such redundancy is addressed, the typical solution is to overlay the terrestrial systems with satellite communications. On the surface, the strategy makes sense, but there are some practical problems.
Satellite phones require much larger antennas than those found on typical LMR or cellular handsets. That means first responders would need to carry an additional handset or a single handset that could communicate with both a terrestrial network and the satellite overlay network. Either way, we're talking about buying new handsets for everyone, which would get outrageously expensive.
Furthermore, the large investment associated with launching satellites dictates that they need to remain in use for at least 10-15 years to make economic sense. Proposals such as the one from Cyren Call recommend keeping this important communications system technologically "evergreen," but being tied to a single satellite technology for a decade would not seem to fit this vision.
An alternative to a satellite overlay is a system developed by Space Data, which uses weather balloons to suspend base stations in near space, 75,000 to 100,000 feet above sea level. Used for commercial vehicle tracking and in testing connected with U.S. Air Force communications, these balloon-supported base stations move very predictably at this altitude and can provide as much as 600 square miles of coverage, says Space Data CEO Gerald Knoblach.
Not only does the Space Data solution let users continue to use their existing handsets with no modifications, the base stations are brought back to earth when they reach the end of the coverage range and are launched again every few days.
"If you launch a satellite, you're stuck for 15 years with the technology that's in there the day you launched it -- and that's typically obsolete from the first day, because it took you two or three years to build a satellite and launch it," Knoblach says. "With ours, you can upgrade it every single day, so you can keep up with that Moore's Law path with consumer cell phones and electronics shrinking every day."
Space Data's solution is "typically 10 times lower cost" than satellite in a rural area and can be used to provide interoperability between disparate systems. In addition, the Space Data base stations are easy enough to deploy that additional balloons can be launched to provide extra capacity in a given area when it is needed.
Given these characteristics -- lower costs, no need to change existing handsets, interoperability capability, the ability to add capacity, and the flexibility to upgrade to new technologies in an ever-changing wireless marketplace -- the powers that be should give strong consideration to the weather-balloon solution when contemplating the best way to provide survivable communications redundancy.
E-mail me at [email protected]
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
DHS Releases Nationwide Interoperable Communications Assessment
Below is what your $2.9 billion in taxpayer money has bought - not much. Maybe we need to quit funding terrorist protection for Kentucky Bingo Parlors. And now on Jan 5 DHS has thrown another $1.7 billion for funding state and local counterterrorism efforts. This spending is spiraling way out of control and the GAO watchdogs need to get this department and Congress to cleaup their acts-Larry.
Washington — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released scorecard assessments of interoperable communications capabilities in 75 urban and metropolitan areas nationwide. Interoperable communications involve policies, technology and training that enable law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services from multiple jurisdictions in a common community to effectively communicate within one hour of an incident.
“The 9/11 Commission identified interoperable communications as a major challenge and many communities listened by taking the sometimes difficult steps necessary to close communication gaps among first responders,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Their experience proves that basic interoperability at the command level is achievable. We’re committed to making this a priority in every major urban area, and we’ll continue to push for closing these gaps by the end of 2008.”
Since 2003, DHS has awarded $2.9 billion in funding to enhance state and local interoperable communications efforts. While scorecard findings will not directly impact homeland security grant funding, it is expected that eligible communities will use the scorecard to target their investment justifications and improve interoperable communications capabilities.
The reviews focused on three main areas: Governance (leadership and strategic planning); Standard Operating Procedures (plans and procedures); and Usage (use of equipment). The evaluation criteria was derived directly from the SAFECOM Interoperability Continuum and Interoperability Maturity Assessment Model that depicts the key components of interoperability — governance, standard operating procedures, usage, technology, and training and exercises.
The findings identify gaps and areas for improvement. Key findings include:
Policies for interoperable communications are now in place in all 75 urban and metropolitan areas. Regular testing and exercises are needed to effectively link disparate systems and facilitate communications between multi-jurisdictional responders (including state and federal). Cooperation among first responders in the field is strong, but formalized governance (leadership and strategic planning) across regions is not as advanced. The scorecards illustrate the current capability for each area and provide recommendations for improvement. The reviews were conducted by five panels of subject matter experts composed of state and local public safety and communications technology experts, in addition to representatives from the department's Wireless Management Office and SAFECOM, a communications program within the Office for Interoperability and Compatibility.
Washington — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released scorecard assessments of interoperable communications capabilities in 75 urban and metropolitan areas nationwide. Interoperable communications involve policies, technology and training that enable law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services from multiple jurisdictions in a common community to effectively communicate within one hour of an incident.
“The 9/11 Commission identified interoperable communications as a major challenge and many communities listened by taking the sometimes difficult steps necessary to close communication gaps among first responders,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Their experience proves that basic interoperability at the command level is achievable. We’re committed to making this a priority in every major urban area, and we’ll continue to push for closing these gaps by the end of 2008.”
Since 2003, DHS has awarded $2.9 billion in funding to enhance state and local interoperable communications efforts. While scorecard findings will not directly impact homeland security grant funding, it is expected that eligible communities will use the scorecard to target their investment justifications and improve interoperable communications capabilities.
The reviews focused on three main areas: Governance (leadership and strategic planning); Standard Operating Procedures (plans and procedures); and Usage (use of equipment). The evaluation criteria was derived directly from the SAFECOM Interoperability Continuum and Interoperability Maturity Assessment Model that depicts the key components of interoperability — governance, standard operating procedures, usage, technology, and training and exercises.
The findings identify gaps and areas for improvement. Key findings include:
Policies for interoperable communications are now in place in all 75 urban and metropolitan areas. Regular testing and exercises are needed to effectively link disparate systems and facilitate communications between multi-jurisdictional responders (including state and federal). Cooperation among first responders in the field is strong, but formalized governance (leadership and strategic planning) across regions is not as advanced. The scorecards illustrate the current capability for each area and provide recommendations for improvement. The reviews were conducted by five panels of subject matter experts composed of state and local public safety and communications technology experts, in addition to representatives from the department's Wireless Management Office and SAFECOM, a communications program within the Office for Interoperability and Compatibility.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Congress accelerates $1 billion in interop funds
Blog Editor Note: Congress continues its fleecing of the American taxpayer by allocating another $1 Billion of taxpayer money into this 700 MHz interop system fiasco. See the Monitoring Times website for more I have written on this golden fleece of the American taxpayer called, "700 MHz Interop."
Appears on the MRT website at http://mrtmag.com/news/policy/congress-interoperability-funds-121106/ (Dec 11, 2006 3:48 PM)
Written By Donny Jackson
Just hours before adjourning for the year, Congress approved a measure that calls for $1 billion in interoperability funds to be made available to public-safety agencies in 2007—probably a year earlier than the money would have been disbursed otherwise.
Introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) as an amendment to the Call Home Act passed Friday night, the measure means public-safety entities can apply for the $1 billion in interoperability funds soon instead of waiting until after the 700 MHz auction—the funding source—is completed. Currently, that auction is scheduled is scheduled to begin by January 2008, according to digital-television transition legislation passed early this year.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will continue to oversee allocation of these funds, but many questions remain, said Yucel Ors, legislative director for the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO).
“From the way I read the bill, they have to parcel it out by Sept. 30 [of 2007],” he said. “It has to be allocated, but who they allocate it to—and how it gets allocated—is still to be determined.”
Indeed, public-safety officials have suggested that the interoperability funds be allocated using existing Department of Homeland Security criteria and procedures. One condition attached to the funding measure is that the money be used to deploy systems that interoperate with the 700 MHz band that will be available nationwide after TV broadcasters vacate the airwaves in February 2009, Ors said.
“It has to be interoperable with 700 MHz,” Ors said. “It can be patched in, but it has to be interoperable with a 700 MHz system.”
While the Call Home Act—legislation designed primarily to ensure that U.S. troops deployed overseas can call home at reduced phone rates—was passed before Congress adjourned, many other legislative efforts pursued during the last year were not, including comprehensive telecom-reform legislation. A new Congress featuring a Democratic majority will convene in January.
Appears on the MRT website at http://mrtmag.com/news/policy/congress-interoperability-funds-121106/ (Dec 11, 2006 3:48 PM)
Written By Donny Jackson
Just hours before adjourning for the year, Congress approved a measure that calls for $1 billion in interoperability funds to be made available to public-safety agencies in 2007—probably a year earlier than the money would have been disbursed otherwise.
Introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) as an amendment to the Call Home Act passed Friday night, the measure means public-safety entities can apply for the $1 billion in interoperability funds soon instead of waiting until after the 700 MHz auction—the funding source—is completed. Currently, that auction is scheduled is scheduled to begin by January 2008, according to digital-television transition legislation passed early this year.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will continue to oversee allocation of these funds, but many questions remain, said Yucel Ors, legislative director for the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO).
“From the way I read the bill, they have to parcel it out by Sept. 30 [of 2007],” he said. “It has to be allocated, but who they allocate it to—and how it gets allocated—is still to be determined.”
Indeed, public-safety officials have suggested that the interoperability funds be allocated using existing Department of Homeland Security criteria and procedures. One condition attached to the funding measure is that the money be used to deploy systems that interoperate with the 700 MHz band that will be available nationwide after TV broadcasters vacate the airwaves in February 2009, Ors said.
“It has to be interoperable with 700 MHz,” Ors said. “It can be patched in, but it has to be interoperable with a 700 MHz system.”
While the Call Home Act—legislation designed primarily to ensure that U.S. troops deployed overseas can call home at reduced phone rates—was passed before Congress adjourned, many other legislative efforts pursued during the last year were not, including comprehensive telecom-reform legislation. A new Congress featuring a Democratic majority will convene in January.
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