The first remote mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT) Plugtests event begins Dec. 3 and runs through end-January.

A private bank catering to the rural economy said rural wireless providers will likely see short-term benefits from the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) but could see long-term competitive challenges from FirstNet partner, AT&T, along with Verizon and Motorola Solutions.

CeComunica, a professional mobile radio (PMR) operator in Panama, will launch a Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Tier 3 trunked network supplied by Hytera in December. This new nationwide network will provide mission- and business-critical communications services to a large number of users from sectors such as ports, airports, ground transportations, hospitality, retailing and security companies in Panama.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted topics for the DHS Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 19.1 Pre-Solicitation including several specific to public-safety communications.

ALERTWildfire, a consortium of three universities — the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR); University of California, San Diego (UCSD); and the University of Oregon (OU) — partnered with California-based GeoLinks, a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), to deploy wildfire detection, prevention and situational awareness systems across the state of California.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ?Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) dedicated a multiyear program to address GPS vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, with a multipronged approach to conduct vulnerability and impact assessments, develop mitigations, explore complementary timing technologies and engage with industry through outreach meetings and events.

The 72nd European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) elected new governance officials including a new chair and vice chair at its general assembly.

Airbus and Samsung partnered to establish next-generation terminal and collaboration platforms for professional users in Germany. The solution is intended to facilitate German public safety’s future multimedia communications. The companies will create secure end-to-end solutions based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology.

The French Ministry of Interior (MoI) selected Gemalto to deliver connectivity and security in next-generation cellular networks used by officers from law enforcement and national security units for critical communications.

Motorola Solutions plans mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT) trials on commercial networks in Australia early in 2019.