Emergency Communications

The Universal Service Administrative Company used airborne drones to measure mobile wireless coverage in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria. USAC’s vendor conducted a total of 20 drone tests in Puerto Rico; one of which was overlapped by a drive test in order to compare relative performance. The remaining 19 drone tests were conducted in impassible areas. Within Puerto Rico, the test evidence suggests that drones are capable of quickly surveying smaller areas, but may not be as useful for surveying larger areas in a cost-effective manner at this time.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the FCC will vote at its Aug meeting on rules to help ensure that people who call 911 from multi-line telephone systems which commonly serve hotels, office buildings, and college campuses—can reach 911 and be quickly located by first responders. The Chairman has circulated draft rules that would implement two recently enacted laws to improve emergency calling, the Kari’s Law Act of 2017 and RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018, and extend 911 location requirements to additional calling platforms. 

A 911 outage prevented AT&T customers from calling emergency services for hours during the morning of July 2, officials in multiple states said. Officials in TX, MN, WI, WA, and several other states reported issues. The company soon said its fixed the problem. “Earlier this morning some wireless customers may have been unable to connect to 911,” an AT&T spokesperson said. “This has been resolved and we apologize to anyone who was affected.”

A platform of recommended media-and-tech policies for all presidential candidates. Over the summer of 2019, Free Press Action will send the platform to each of the presidential candidates. Free Press Action will also generate a scorecard rating each candidate’s positions relative to Right to Connect’s recommendations. What is the platform asking candidates to do?

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance has joined with the Communications Workers of America and Public Knowledge to submit a “friend of the Court” brief in a lawsuit seeking to overturn a Federal Communications Commission order that preempts municipal authority over the use of public property for 5G wireless deployments. The three organizations’ amicus brief was filed with the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Competition for the 900mHz segment of the radiofrequency spectrum has grown fierce in recent years as more operators are pushed out of licensed spectrum and into the electromagnetic doldrums. What was once a lonely spectral highway for local news channels and the occasional surveying project is now crisscrossed with signal traffic from all kinds of industrial Internet of Things (IoT).

After high-tech phone network outages hit major US cities in 1991, the Federal Communications Commission chartered an advisory group to help the agency troubleshoot emerging technology issues. Yet instead of helping solve problems, this industry-dominated group has at times been a barrier to strengthening the security of America’s communications.