U.S. Years Away From National Emergency Communication System ...

The U.S. is years away from deploying a nationwide wireless broadband communication system for emergency responders, the New York Times reports.

Background

The need for such a system became apparent on Sept. 11, 2001, when police and fire officials could not communicate with each other by radio at the site of the World Trade Center attacks. Since then, emergency response officials have worked to advance their communications technology.

During Hurricane Sandy, New York police officers were able talk by radio with fire department officials and other authorities across the region. Although the system represents significant progress since Sept. 11, 2011, the technology still falls short of plans for a nationwide emergency communications system, the Times reports.

Limitations of Current Technology

For example, emergency responders from other regions who traveled to New York to help with the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts were not able to use their own radios to communicate with New York responders.

In addition, New York's emergency communications system is based on fourth-generation cellphone technology, which does not allow emergency responders in different locations to contact each other directly through a walkie-talkie-style communications channel.

Instead, emergency responders must dial a phone number and face potential dropped calls like any other cellphone user.

Further, the emergency response system relies on commercial cellphone networks, which can fail when cell towers, power sources and other equipment are damaged by high storm winds, flooding and other disasters.

Efforts To Build New System

Although Congress has set aside a special section of airwaves to accommodate a new nationwide emergency communication system, it dedicated only $2 billion for initial work on the network.

According to communications experts, it will require up to $10 billion in additional funding to get the system running. About $5 billion in new funding could come after the Federal Communications Commission auctions off certain wireless airwaves. However, the agency has faced resistance from television broadcasters and government agencies currently holding the licenses to those airwaves.

This year, Congress established the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet, to build the new emergency system. FirstNet said that it believes it will reach its goal of building a network that would allow any public safety official in the U.S. to use a standard communication device that operates on the same frequency as other emergency responders (Wyatt, New York Times, 12/6).

Mobile?Service Providers?To Allow Texts for Emergency Help

In related news, FCC has announced that four top U.S. mobile phone service providers have agreed to establish an initiative allowing people to send texts to 911 emergency call centers.

The four companies are:

• AT&T;
• Sprint Nextel;
• T-Mobile; and
• Verizon Communications.

The initiative is expected to particularly benefit people with hearing or speech disabilities.

Major deployments of the service are expected in 2013, with nationwide availability by May 15, 2014 (Prasad, Reuters, 12/7).

Source: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2012/12/7/us-years-away-from-national-emergency-communication-system.aspx

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