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REGULATORY AND POLICY
- Spectrum
Policy Initiative
President
Bush established the Spectrum Policy Initiative in May 2003 to
promote the development and implementation of a United States
spectrum policy for the 21st century that will foster economic
growth; promote our national and homeland security; maintain U.S.
global leadership in communications technology; and satisfy other
vital U.S. needs in areas such as public safety, scientific research,
federal transportation infrastructure, and law enforcement. As
directed by the President, the Department of Commerce formed a
multi-agency advisory Task Force of Assistant Secretaries from
agencies selected by the President under the leadership of the
Deputy Secretary of Commerce and sought the views of the private
sector via an outreach effort, involving open, public meetings.
The Secretary of Commerce provided two reports in June 2004, under
the title Spectrum Policy for the 21st Century - The Presidents
Spectrum Policy Initiative (Report 1 & 2), which contained
the 24 recommendations. The President directed the federal agencies,
in a November 30, 2004 Executive Memorandum to plan the implementation
of the 24 recommendations contained in the Reports.
Point
of Contact:
Richard Orsulak
- Federal
Wireless Users' Forum Steering Committee
The
Emergency Planning & Public Safety Division (EPPSD) Co-Chairs
and is a Steering Committee member of the Federal
Wireless Users' Forum (FWUF). FWUF represents Federal
Government wireless telecommunications users. Membership
is open to all Federal Government employees who are current or
potential wireless telecommunications users. The FWUF holds
two workshops a year to educate and inform members of current
and emerging telecommunications technologies and policies.
The steering committee focuses on organizing the workshops.
You can visit FWUF's homepage at www.fwuf.gov.
In 2005, the FWUF became an outreach division of the Federal Partnership
for Interoperable Communications (FPIC) an effort under the Wireless
Management Office of the Department of Homeland Security.
Point
of Contact:
Jeng Mao
- All
Hazard Warning Projects
The
EPPSD is a member and participates in both the All Hazard Warning
Systems Inter-Agency Working Group (AHWS-IAWG) and the Partnership
for Public Warning (PPW). The AHWS-IAWG is an informal
working group to expand the Weather Radio coverage to 100% of
the continental United States. The group also explores ways
to disseminate hazard warnings over telecommunications devices.
EPPSD is a board member of PPW. PPW brings
together representatives of all the many and diverse stakeholders
to work toward a resolution of national standards, protocols and
priorities that will assure the right information is delivered
in a timely manner to people at risk from disaster so that they
are enabled to act knowledgeably to save lives, reduce losses
and speed recovery.
Point
of Contact:
Jeng Mao
EPPSD
is involved in Wireless Priority Access (WPA) administered by
the National Communications System.
WPA provides a means for National Security and Emergency
Preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications users to obtain priority
access to available wireless radio channels when necessary to
initiate emergency calls. NS/EP telecommunications services
are critical to the maintenance of a state of readiness or the
response to and management of any event or crisis that causes
or could cause harm to the population, damage property, or threaten
the security of the United States.
Point
of Contact:
Jeng Mao
- 800
MHz Realignment - "The Nextel Proposal"
On
November 21, 2001, Nextel Communications Inc. submitted to the
FCC a "White Paper" in which it proposed a solution
to interference caused by at least one commercial mobile radio
service operator to public safety, business, industrial/land transportation
and specialized mobile radio systems users of the 800
MHZ band below 860 MHZ. The Nextel proposal would affect
the 700 MHZ, 800 MHZ, and 900 MHZ frequencies by organizing public
safety , private, and commercial mobile radio service frequencies
into adjacent blocks, reducing the fragmentation of spectrum,
particularly in the 800 MHZ band. Public safety would be
assigned channels 1-400 (806.125 - 815.9875 MHZ paired with 851.0125-860.9875
MHZ), and commercial digital wireless services would be assigned
channels 401-720 (816.0125-822.5875 paired with 861.0125-867.5875
MHZ). The FCC is expected to issue a proceeding regarding
the proposal submitted by Nextel. NTIA/EPPSD will review
the FCC proceeding when released and submit comments if appropriate.
Points
of Contact:
Marshall Ross and Gary Patrick(SEAD)
- Intelligent
Transportation Society of America (ITSA), Public Safety Advisory
Group
The
EPPSD is serving as a government representative on the ITSA
Public Safety Advisory Group. This group reports directly
to the Secretary of Transportation with recommendations on how
Intelligent Transportation Systems such as Dedicated Short Range
Communications (DSRC), Telematics, Collision Avoidance Systems,
and Automatic Vehicle Location Systems, can be used by public
safety organizations. This is a forward-thinking group of
public safety and transportation experts that are studying all
of the potential benefits that this new and rapidly expanding
technology can bring to public safety.
Point
of Contact:
Charles Hoffman
- Project
Mobility for Emergency and Safety Applications (Project MESA)
Project
MESA is a partnership between the European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (ETSI) and the Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA), established in May 2000. The goal is to develop
advanced mobile broadband technical specifications that can be
used to support the communications requirements of the Public
Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) community. Project MESA
supports the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in its
worldwide effort to harmonize PPDR communications as documented
in ITU-R Report M.2033. Project
MESA membership comprises over 100 representatives from national
public safety organizations, communications equipment users research
organizations, and the telecommunications industry; and EPPSD
represents NTIA. Members meet every six months (alternating
between European and North American venues) to coordinate program
activities and to review project documents for approval. Between
these meetings, members rely primarily on email to coordinate
specification development and other activities.
Points
of Contact:
Charles Hoffman and Jeng Mao
PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT
- Federal
to State and Local Interoperability Networks
The
NTIA Emergency Planning & Public Safety Division (EPPSD) remains
involved in tracking the status of existing State and local public
safety communications networks and those being planned or under
development. With the renewed focus on a nationwide public
safety communications interoperability network, the EPPSD is monitoring
public safety efforts to bridge the communications gap between
all public safety agencies. With over five different diverse
bands of radio spectrum used by public safety agencies, there
exists a need to bridge all users together. The utilization
of dispatch console-to-console patching, use of fixed, mobile
and portable audio switching solutions and the exchange of radios
has moved over to emerging Voice Over Internet Protocol network
based solutions. Software Defined Radios are entering the
market that offer multiple algorithms in a single package and
the Cognitive Radio is under development and will someday replace
outdated interoperability methods and will expand available modes
to all public safety users. In addition, the EPPSD has identified
federal radio spectrum that is available to public safety agencies
for short duration interoperability on a limited basis to non-federal
agencies that have Federal sponsors.
Point
of Contact:
Charles Hoffman
- Federal
to Federal Interoperability
EPPSD
continues to follow ongoing Federal initiatives involving Federal
to Federal, interoperability and network consolidation. EPPSD
works closely with the Department
of Homeland Security, Project
SAFECOM and the Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications
(FPIC) a continuation of previous initiatives of the Federal Law
Enforcement Wireless Users Group (FLEWUG). SAFECOM recently assumed
the leading role of continued efforts of the former Public
Safety Wireless Network (PSWN) and the NTIA Public Safety
Division continues to provide support for all initiatives.
Point
of Contact:
Richard Orsulak
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
- SAFECOM
Maritime Integrated Program Team (IPT)
NTIA
works closely with SAFECOM
as a technical advisor on federal spectrum matters. SAFECOM
is a federal initiative operating on behalf of all local, state,
and federal public safety agencies. The Department of Justice
and the Department of the Treasury are jointly leading the PSWN
Program's efforts to plan and foster interoperability among public
safety wireless networks.
A
major part of the PSWN program focuses on completing a number
of diverse case studies designed to better understand how public
safety agencies plan, fund, procure, install, operate, and maintain
their private wireless communications systems.
Point
of Contact:
Marshall Ross
- Project
25/TIA 102 Standards Initiative
EPPSD
has been involved in the APCO Project
25 initiative since it’s inception in 1990 and continues to
follow the ongoing efforts to finalize the process of establishing
a non-proprietary standard. EPPSD works closely with all
Federal users in the identification of user needs. These
efforts, a partnership with users and industry will eventually
open the market to competition and the establishment of a set
of standards that all manufacturers can build to.
Points
of Contact:
Richard Orsulak and Charles Hoffman
LIAISON AND OUTREACH
- Wireless
Location-Based Services
EPPSD
is involved in policy matters concerning location-based services,
as it relates to the Federal Communications
Commission's (FCC) Enhanced
911 (E911) regulations. The FCC codified E911 rules
concerning Automatic Number and Location Identification so that
the caller of a wireless 911 call can be located. EPPSD has worked
with the FCC and industry on the issue of E911 deployment and
continues to monitor various ancillary issues stemming from the
E911 regulations.
Point
of Contact:
Jeng Mao
- National
Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC)
The
National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC)
is a federation of associations representing public safety telecommunications.
The purpose of NPSTC is to follow up on the recommendations of
the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC). In addition,
NPSTC acts as a resource and advocate for public safety telecommunications
issues. The EpPSD is a member of the NPSTC Executive Council,
providing Federal regulatory guidance while insuring the Federal
Government's public safety related needs are represented. The
EPPSD is also a member of the Technolgy, Interoperability, and
Spectrum sub-committees.
Point
of Contact:
Charles Hoffman
- Association
of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International
APCO International
is an association of communications professionals that provides
leadership; influences public safety communications decisions
of government and industry; promotes professional development;
and, fosters the development and use of technology for the benefit
of the public. The EPPSD is an active member of APCO and represents
the Federal Government's interests in areas of frequency management
and coordination, and interoperability standards and methodologies.
Point
of Contact: Charles
Hoffman
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