This TIA webpage identifies and links to many standards, other technical documents and ongoing activity involving or supporting TIA's role in Public Safety and Homeland Security, Network Security, Critical Infrastructure Protection and Assurance, National Security/Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Communications Services, Emergency Calling and Location Identification Services, and the Needs of First Responders. For the purpose of this webpage, national/international terms relating to public safety and disaster response can be considered synonymous (and interchangeable) with terms relating to public protection and disaster relief.

TIA, accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), progresses work into the International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC), and is recognized under International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Recommendations A.5 and A.6, involving the reference of other organizations in ITU-T work (i.e., draft and mature Recommendations) and in the cooperation and exchange of information between ITU-T and other Standards Development Organizations (SDOs). The ITU-Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) also communicates with TIA and references appropriate TIA work in its recommendations.

Currently, technical work relating to this subject matter is mainly being developed under six Engineering Committees (i.e., TRs). See below for a brief overview:

TR-8 Committee (Mobile and Personal Private Radio Standards)

Activities include public safety/emergency and commercial land mobile radio communications involving voice and narrowband, wideband and broadband data. Their emphasis is on interoperability, compatibility, security and efficient analog to digital migration. Work includes the Project 25 family of standards, the Wideband Data Standards Project, Project 34 and MESA involving broadband data capabilities.

Expanded Description of Activities

TR-8 Committee

TR-30 Committee (Multi-Media Access and Related Protocols and Interfaces)

Activities include technical work related to such devices as modems, standard and IP facsimile, and textphones. Related to this compendium, activities currently being explored involve such topics as Internet/IP facsimile security and emergency accessibility service capabilities for textphones over IP and Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTNs) involving national and international standards activity. The work done in this committee has emergency telecommunications service implications and aspects, including enhanced priority treatment, network security, international connectivity and quality of service.

Expanded Description of Activities

TR-30 Committee

TR-34 Committee (Satellite Equipment and Systems)

Future activities may include coordination and new work initiation for applicable security and emergency service/accessibility related satellite communications standards, if deemed appropriate by members.

Expanded Description of Activities

TR-34 Committee

TR-41 Committee (User Premises Telecommunications Requirements)

Activities involve service and performance criteria, as well as information necessary for proper interworking of wireline-related equipment, systems and networks with each other, the public networks and carrier-provided private line services. Security issues being addressed in the TR-41 committee include IP telephony and related infrastructure assurance, wireline network security and support for emergency calling service. Infrastructure assurance, network security and enhanced emergency telecommunications service are aspects addressed within this committee's work.

Expanded Description of Activities

TR-41 Committee

TR-42 Committee (User Premises Telecommunications Infrastructure)

Activities and documents developed involve commercial, industrial and residential physical cabling infrastructure, pathways and system requirements (copper and optical fiber systems). Such work can be applicable to issues associated with infrastructure assurance, security and emergency telecommunications availability, including guidance for alternate routing of cabling into a building to help prevent loss of communications.

Expanded Description of Activities

TR-42 Committee

TR-45 Committee (Mobile and Personal Communications Systems)

Activities involve performance, compatibility, interoperability and service standards pertaining, but not restricted, to service information, wireless terminal equipment, wireless base station equipment, wireless switching office equipment, ancillary apparatus, auxiliary applications, inter-network and inter-system operations and interfaces. Issues and work applicable to the compendium include wireless emergency calling and priority services, location identification, security, Mobile Equipment Identifiers, lawful interception and related capabilities.

Expanded Description of Activities

TR-45 Committee