FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 28, 2009

TIA Lauds Congress for Extending Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program Funding

Extension Enables States and Municipalities to Equip and Train Public Safety Personnel and Deploy Planned Projects to Improve Emergency Communications

Washington, D.C. – The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading trade association for the information and communications technology industry, applauds both houses of Congress for voting to extend the funding for the Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) grant program through 2012.

The program, originally established by the "Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005," provides funding for state and local projects with the purpose of providing public safety personnel with interoperable communications equipment and the necessary training for system users.

"The passage of this legislation was essential for grantees who needed an extension of the program in order to deploy planned communications projects that will improve the operations and response of public safety personnel in the event of an emergency," said TIA Vice President for Government Affairs Danielle Coffey.

"It is our hope that Congress will now turn to the task of ensuring that the expenditure of the grants is as efficient as possible to ensure that the needs of public safety personnel can be met with the resources already appropriated for this purpose," Coffey continued. "While there continues to be significant challenges in the effort to create a fully interoperable nationwide public safety communications system, the PSIC program is a critical program and must operate effectively in order to maximize the impact of these resources."

For more information about TIA's advocacy on behalf of public safety communications, please contact Danielle Coffey at dcoffey@tiaonline.org.

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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. With roots dating back to 1924, TIA enhances 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 co-owns the SUPERCOMM^® tradeshow  and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

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

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