A new report indicated that despite ongoing challenges regarding the standardization of mission-critical voice services and other features, private Long Term Evolution (LTE) deployments are on the rise. In fact, global spending on public-safety LTE infrastructure will account for $2 billion annually by the end of 2020, according to a report by Signals and Systems (SNS) Telecom.

According to Frost & Sullivan, smart cities are anticipated to create huge business opportunities across different industries with a total market value of $1.565 trillion by 2020.

The National 9-1-1 Program released its most recent update of the report “Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) Standards Identification and Review: A Compilation of Existing and Planned Standards for NG 9-11- Systems.”

A new survey found that system downtime continues to be a significant issue for public-safety answering points (PSAPs), potentially resulting in anywhere from 2 to 57 dropped 9-1-1 calls per hour depending on the size and call volume of the PSAP.

A report analyzes the impact of different spectrum sharing schemes and proposed implementing a spectrum-based fee that would incentivize federal users to adjust their use to more efficiently.

Black & Veatch announced the availability of “Strategic Directions: Utility Automation & Integration” report. The inaugural report highlights many of the common issues that utilities of all types face with regard to adding greater levels of intelligence to their network operations.

The IJIS Institute developed a report on procurement reform. The report is an essential read for those involved in the procurement process within state and local government, the authors said.

Presidential Partners Consulting released a white paper on the perceived impact of broadband to telecommunicators and 9-1-1 centers.

The term “first responder” has no federal definition, although it is commonly used to refer to law enforcement, fire and emergency medical personnel, a report found after examining federal law, regulation and other federal executive branch documents. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Special Committee on Transportation Security & Emergency Management and the Special Committee on Wireless Communications Technology sponsored the report.

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) joined with the Latin American Association of Research Centers and Telecommunication Enterprises (AHCIET) in signing an honorary and friendship agreement to promote further growth and development of the telecommunications industries of the United States and the world at large.