Drone pilots who have Part 107 remote pilot certification can now take their required training courses online. The training ensures that they have the knowledge necessary to operate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s operations over people rule when it becomes effective on April 21.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is expanding pilot testing of a technology to improve the cybersecurity defenses of the nation’s emergency communications infrastructure.

Everbridge and xMatters signed a definitive agreement for Everbridge to acquire xMatters for a purchase price of approximately $240 million in cash and stock, pending regulatory review and other customary closing conditions.

Public-safety networks such as FirstNet are being rolled out so first responders have reliable, resilient, optimized broadband communications when carrying out their respective missions. Such networks are designed to deliver instantaneous, uninterrupted communications, as well as to give government agencies the ability to collect and analyze streaming information for better response.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and collaborators demonstrated an atom-based sensor that can determine the direction of an incoming radio signal, another key part for a potential atomic communications system that could be smaller and work better in noisy environments than conventional technology.

That tragedy, along with hundreds in the years since, served as the catalyst for groundbreaking new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) tracking and location technology. Precision Outdoor and Indoor Navigation and Tracking for Emergency Responders (POINTER) will soon allow agencies to pinpoint their firefighters to within centimeters, helping to navigate them quickly and safely out of potentially disorienting emergency scenarios.

GeoComm announced that its public-safety geographic information system (GIS) software and services have been accepted onto the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association’s (NCSA) purchasing contract.

The Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA) in Marin County, California, retained the services of Federal Engineering to provide project management and technical support during implementation of its new Project 25 (P25) Phase 2 trunked radio system.

The FCC is conducting an inquiry into several wireless providers’ compliance with the FCC rules that require them to start delivering 9-1-1 callers’ vertical location information by April 3.

AT&T said that it will launch 5G service for FirstNet subscribers in parts of 38 cities and more than 20 venues in April.