Sprint Nextel plans to upgrade CDMA push-to-talk function  

By: By Donny Jackson

Sprint Nextel today announced an agreement to use Qualcomm’s QChat solution to deliver a CDMA push-to-talk solution in 2008 that will offer similar performance to its legacy Nextel DirectConnect and can interoperate with the push-to-talk users on the former Nextel’s iDEN network...

Motorola: Proposed 700 MHz reallocation cost neutral to public safety 

By: By Donny Jackson

Proposals to reallocate public-safety spectrum in the upper 700 MHz band would involve minimal costs to public-safety agencies, which should make them easier to consider, a Motorola official said this week....

FCC makes first decisions on TV ‘white spaces’ spectrum  

Vacant spectrum between television channels—often described as “white spaces”—can be used to deliver low-power, fixed wireless services after the digital television (DTV) transition is completed, the FCC tentatively concluded today....

M/A-COM deploys IP-based P25 system in National Capitol Region 

By: By Donny Jackson

Mission-critical wireless vendor M/A-COM yesterday announced that it has deployed the first fully operational, IP-based, P25 system for the Department of Defense (DoD) in the National Capitol Region...

Donahue to leave Sprint Nextel  

By: By Donny Jackson

Sprint Nextel Executive Chairman Tim Donahue will retire effective Dec. 31, and former Liberty Media President and CEO Robert Bennett has been appointed to the Sprint Nextel board, the wireless carrier announced today....

ARRL to file BPL suit against the FCC  

By: By Donny Jackson

ARRL, the national association representing amateur-radio licensees, tomorrow is expected to ratify a court appeal of the FCC’s latest order regarding permissible emissions levels from broadband-over-power line (BPL) providers....

Intrado next-gen 911 testing program gains participants  

By: By Donny Jackson

Leading 911 systems provider Intrado this week announced that several technology companies are participating in Intrado’s Intelligent Emergency Network (IEN) Connect program, which lets providers test their products to ensure that they interoperate within the next-generation 911 environment....

Intrado makes Los Angeles County ready for VoIP E-911 

By: By Donny Jackson

Los Angeles County public-safety answering points (PSAPs) can accept voice-over-IP (VoIP) E-911 calls and transfer calls with the push of a button after 911 vendor Intrado deployed its V911 solution in the county, the company announced recently....

Motorola to buy Symbol Technologies 

By: By Donny Jackson

Motorola has agreed to pay $3.9 billion in cash to purchase enterprise mobility solutions vendor Symbol Technologies, the companies announced yesterday....

Dallas airport unveils CoCo Communications interoperability system 

By: By Donny Jackson

Federal, state and local officials yesterday applauded the use of an interoperable communications service at Dallas Love Field airport supplied by mesh-networking software vendor CoCo Communications....

Intrado conducts VoIP 911 location trial in New York  

By: By Donny Jackson

Leading 911 systems vendor Intrado this week announced the successful completion of a trial in New York City to automatically locate 911 callers using a mobile voice-over-IP (VoIP) device and deliver the information to a public-safety answer point (PSAP)....

Air Force inks contract with Space Data 

By: By Donny Jackson

Near-space wireless firm Space Data today announced it was awarded a five-year, $49 million U.S. Air Force contract to provide communications via base stations attached to the company’s balloons, which ascend to 65,000 to 135,000 feet above the earth....

APCO announces location-technology project 

By: By Donny Jackson

Fueled by the emergence of voice over IP (VoIP) and other communications technologies that are not integrated easily into the current 911 system, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) today announced a new project to address the location-awareness problems...

EADS unveils ISSI-based P25 solution 

By: By Glenn Bischoff

EADS North America introduced last week at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials conference in Orlando a solution that leverages the recently approved inter-RF subsystem interface, or ISSI, protocol to establish interoperable communications between disparate Project 25 devices...

JPS to distribute Etherstack P25 converter 

By: By Glenn Bischoff

Raytheon JPS has agreed to distribute a solution engineered and manufactured by U.K.-based Etherstack that can convert an analog base station into a Project 25-compliant digital base station...