COVER STORY

Sleeping Giants

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mary Rose Roberts

Cristina Ramos puts on rugged hiking boots before she drives into Quito, Ecuador's capital. The city rests on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active...

FEATURES

Ride and seek

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Donny Jackson

With an accurate incident location, the correct number and type of emergency-response resources can be dispatched to a site quickly...

Better days ahead

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jim Barthold

There have been a variety of reasons why the public-safety space has yet to widely adopt the 4.9 GHz licensed wireless spectrum...

So far, so good

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Doug Mohney

Can new frequency coordination procedures established by an independent council of 19 disparate associations be so painless and uncontroversial that the Federal Communications Commission can't even muster a Public Notice over the results?...

Designing simulcast networks

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jay M. Jacobsmeyer, P.E.

Simulcast is an abbreviation for simultaneous broadcast, and in the context of land mobile radio, it means simultaneous transmission from two or more repeater sites on the same radio frequency and with the same modulation....

FIRST WORD

A head start always helps

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Glenn Bischoff, glenn.bischoff@penton.com

Some natural disasters are more problematic than others, in terms of getting people out of harm's way....

DISPATCHES

FCC drafts, public safety worries

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Donny Jackson

FCC commissioners unanimously adopted new draft rules for the reauction of the 10 MHz D Block in the 700 MHz band...

Cognitive radio heads for finish

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Donny Jackson

Testing of a radio design that is expected to result in affordable cognitive handsets will begin before the end of the year...

M/A-COM: New York Technical Issues Resolved

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Tyco Electronics M/A-COM announced that the first phase of New York's $2 billion Statewide Wireless Network is ready for testing by the state's Office for Technology (OFT)....

Tait Chosen for P25 System for Police, Fire

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM

The City of Augusta, Maine, has chosen Tait Radio Communications to deploy a Project 25 VHF simulcast radio system...

FCC Names Chief Technologist

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM

On Oct. 1, the FCC named Jon Peha as the agency's chief technologist....

911 centers begin to make the IP move

Oct 22, 2008 3:27 PM, By Lynnette Luna

PlantCML is seeing PSAPs beginning to make the move to all IP networks. ...

Spectrum Bridge announces almost-nationwide listing of VHF spectrum

Oct 8, 2008 10:20 AM, By Donny Jackson

Spectrum marketplace firm Spectrum Bridge this week announced that Maritime Communications/Land Mobile (MCLM) is listing its entire VHF spectrum -- covering 85 of the top 100 U.S. markets...

EF Johnson installs system to support video surveillance

Oct 21, 2008 3:00 PM, By Mary Rose Roberts

The city of Norfolk, Va., chose EF Johnson Technologies as the system integrator for a citywide video surveillance system, the company announced....

MSV announces ninth regional talkgroup to blanket the U.S.

Oct 2, 2008 10:30 AM, By Donny Jackson

Mobile Satellite Ventures today announced the launch of the Northeast Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talkgroup...

Sprint Nextel: 265 NPSPAC licensees have finished 800 MHz retunes

Oct 3, 2008 11:05 AM, By Donny Jackson

Almost 30% of the non-border NPSPAC licensees have completed reconfiguring their 800 MHz networks as part of the massive rebanding effort...

VIEW FROM THE TOP

Divided we fail

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Charles Werner

The D Block spectrum will be combined with 10 MHz of public-safety spectrum to create a nationwide wireless broadband network for first responders....

GEAR

Sensor nodes handle harsh environments

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mary Rose Roberts

Arch Rock unveiled a series of outdoor-ready, IP-based wireless sensor network devices developed to resist dust, water, corrosion and other elements...

McDowell Research launches digital repeater system

Oct 2, 2008 3:45 PM, By Mary Rose Roberts

McDowell Research, an Ultralife company, introduced the MRC-200A and MRC-200H digital tactical repeater systems designed for use with military multiband handheld radios...

ArrowSpan unveils 900 MHz wireless access point

Oct 6, 2008 1:55 PM, By Mary Rose Roberts

ArrowSpan, a provider of mesh network switching solutions, launched the MeshAP 3800-A wireless access point....

DuraComm unveils hardened power supplies

Oct 9, 2008 10:17 AM, By Mary Rose Roberts

DuraComm unveiled a new line of environmentally hardened power supply products, dubbed the EH Series....

Tiburon mobile data platform offers hands-free use

Oct 15, 2008 2:10 PM, By Lynnette Luna

Tiburon released a new version of its mobile data system, MobileCOM that allows first responders to receive dispatch, state and national database queries, and location mapping data, from their vehicles hands free....

Hypres says cryocooler design should bolster its RF solution

Oct 20, 2008 4:09 PM, By Donny Jackson

Superconducting microelectronics developer Hypres today announced it has successfully demonstrated the operation of high-performance circuits...

FINAL WORD

Get out your running shoes

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Alan Tilles

The FCC originally had on its Oct. 15 agenda a vote on how to make available to public-safety applicants the interleaved (854-860 MHz) spectrum that Sprint Nextel is giving up in rebanding....