The TCCA is under new leadership and looking toward new initiatives including a mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT) open platform and market adoption of of Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardized equipment.

Other than a few sites that flooded because of unprecedented water levels, the Harris County, Texas, LMR and Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks withstood Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, which included more than 50 inches of rain, county officials said.

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) rejected a request for records from an attorney who specializes in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, saying the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act exempts FirstNet from FOIA requirements.

Industry groups are questioning device interoperability in the AT&T Long Term Evolution (LTE) 700 MHz bands in comments to the FCC regarding First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) interoperability. Commenters continued to promote separate public-safety LTE cores and only one interoperability review, which should be conducted by the FCC, as well.

After an extended deliberative process and pursuant to issuing a request for proposals (RFP), the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) selected AT&T as its partner to build, operate and maintain the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN). The actual terms of the agreement between FirstNet and AT&T remain unavailable to the public for proprietary reasons. However, what has been revealed in public statements and in trade press reports may raise questions about whether the AT&T proposal accepted by FirstNet tracks the vision Congress had when it created FirstNet.

Shenzhen, China-based Hytera Communications filed a lawsuit against Motorola Solutions in a U.S. federal district court in Cleveland, charging that Motorola Solutions is infringing Hytera's U.S. Patent No. 9,183,846, which covers its sound adjustment control technology.

An AT&T official offered more details on priority and pre-emption and the application program for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) during several sessions at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International Conference in Denver Aug. 13-16.

An AT&T executive maintained this week that the definition of public safety grade is not set in stone, and he wants to continue discussions with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) on the topic.

Verizon announced it plans to build and operate a private network core dedicated to public safety and make priority access and pre-emption services available to public safety “when necessary and at no charge.”

Southern Co. subsidiary Southern Linc entered into a partnership with the Huntsville-Madison County’s (Alabama) 9-1-1 Dispatch Center (MadCo 9-1-1) for mission-critical Long Term Evolution (LTE) service. The service is expected to be available in Huntsville and Madison County in the second quarter of 2018.