FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 06, 2010

TIA Advises FCC on Technical Aspects of Allowing Regional Interoperable Broadband Public Safety Networks

Commission Should Grant Waivers for Build Out of Local and Regional Networks, Endorsing NPSTC Broadband Task Force's Recommendations for Interoperability Requirements as a Set of Voluntary Best Practices

Arlington, Va. – The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) today submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with recommendations for technical requirements that will allow local and regional public safety entities to build out interoperable broadband public safety networks.

TIA urged the Commission to endorse the interoperability recommendations of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) and National Public Safety Telecommunications Council's (NPSTC) Broadband Task Force (BBTF) as a set of voluntary best practices that local and regional public safety entities may adopt in deploying interoperable broadband public safety networks.

"As the National Broadband Plan makes clear," said TIA Vice President for Government Affairs Danielle Coffey, "the United States simply has not seized the opportunity to protect the lives of first responders and all Americans through the deployment of a nationwide interoperable public safety wireless broadband communications network As the Commission continues its tireless effort to deploy a nationwide public safety network, regional entities can protect lives and inform the Commission as to best methods to ensure interoperability through early buildout.

"However, the Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC), the entity that will ensure that public safety broadband applications, devices, and networks work seamlessly on a nationwide basis, must be certain that all interoperability requirements it sets are ubiquitously adopted. Thus, waiver grantees must augment or alter technology-neutral interoperability practices to comply with requirements ERIC determines are necessary for the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network," Coffey concluded.

Additionally, as ERIC considers roaming requirements, TIA suggested that the BBTF Report's multiple roaming definitions be evaluated in the context of technical feasibility.

TIA urged the Commission to ensure that both the public safety community and industry have a major voice in the determinations ERIC makes.

Read the comments (PDF, 33KB) filed today with the FCC on TIA's FCC filings page.

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About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. Since 1924, TIA has been enhancing the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.

TIA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Openwave, Inc., Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Powerwave Technologies, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., and Wirefree. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, Orca Systems and Telcordia Technologies.

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