Addressing nonstandard encryption and its negative effects on public-safety interoperability is a top task for the Project 25 (P25) Compliance Assessment Program (CAP), according to the chairman of the CAP advisory panel (AP) and a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official.

Rolling out a nationwide public-safety broadband network is difficult and uncharted territory. The three countries that are likely the furthest along in developing Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks for public-safety agencies have one thing in common — they are delayed.

Public-safety communications planning for Super Bowl LI began a year before the National Football League’s (NFL) 2017 championship game and went almost as smoothly as the New England Patriots’ second-half comeback, according to city of Houston and Harris County officials.

In December, the FCC issued an order on reconsideration and a memorandum opinion and order that contemplates assigning Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS) spectrum held by Maritime Communications/Land Mobile (MCLM) to Choctaw Holdings. This is welcome news for the critical infrastructure industries (CII) entities that have been attempting in good faith to acquire MCLM’s spectrum for years.

The market for proximity services (ProSe) in public-safety Long Term Evolution (LTE) devices — called direct mode or off network in LMR systems — is uncertain because of a lack of public-safety standards and commitments from chipmakers for the technology.

The U.K. Home Office received information that Vodafone plans to switch off Airwave from 31 March, 2020, spurring a U.K. Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting on the topic with Home Office officials.

Cheryl J. Greathouse, president of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, offers details on Project 43, FirstNet’s opt-out option, 9-1-1 indoor location accuracy, 4.9 GHz and more.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) invited applications to participate in the April auction of 700 MHz spectrum licenses, which means Australian public-safety agencies will likely not get access to 700 MHz dedicated spectrum for Long Term Evolution (LTE) services.

Jan. 19 marked the third of a series of five deadlines in Rivada’s pre-award protest of the contract award for the First Responder Network Authority’s (FirstNet) nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN). Several motions and other documents have been filed but are sealed under a protection order.

Despite filings from numerous mission-critical communications organizations in opposition, the FCC granted Higher Ground’s application, with conditions, for a nationwide license to operate mobile ES transmitters in the fixed service 6 GHz band.