Group of 42 medical and public safety entities wrote to FCC Chmn. Powell urging Commission to move quickly to allow ultra-wideband (UWB) technology “to be put to use in the service of public safety, education and public health.” Groups signing letter included National Fraternal Order of Police, National Volunteer Fire Council, Houston Police Dept., L.A. County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County, Va., Search & Rescue. “We are interested in the benefits that this new technology can bring to help us do our jobs,” letter said. As example, groups cited ability of UWB to provide public safety personnel with short-range communications technologies for emergencies, tracking firefighters inside buildings or detecting victims under earthquake or other rubble. Letter also said technology could create “new ways for medical personnel to monitor and track the location of patients and medical equipment, enabling real-time transmission of health information to emergency personnel.”

Verizon Wireless submitted waiver request to FCC for implementing wireless priority access service (PAS), saying commercial, off-the-shelf technology wasn’t available that met agency guidelines. Waiver request reveals first details of carrier’s planned system. National Communications System (NCS) put out request Oct. 10 for immediately available PAS capability that could be operational in Washington by Dec. 10. After that, immediate PAS would be implemented in N.Y. and Salt Lake City, “with other markets possibly to follow,” Verizon said. Company outlined technical solution called emergency services capability for those 3 markets. Under that system, Verizon Wireless said that within one hour of being notified by NCS of emergency, it would convert one carrier in each cell site from nonemergency to emergency use only, “thereby increasing the chances that national security emergency personnel users with programmed handsets” could access radio channel. Waiver request said: “The remaining network capacity will continue to serve subscribers and roamers.” Verizon Wireless also plans to test alternative technical solution, called Access Channel Persistence, for potential deployment in Nortel equipment markets. Under that 2nd system, one carrier wouldn’t be earmarked just for emergency use. Instead, 2 classes of network users would be created during emergencies -- priority and nonpriority. Upon activation, access message from priority users would be sent “with less delay than the access messages from nonpriority uses, thus increasing the chances that calls from priority users would be successfully originated.” Neither solution meets requirements of guidelines FCC issued last year for wireless PAS, carrier said, because technology that would allow service deployment in line with order wasn’t available yet. As examples, carrier said short-term PAS solutions wouldn’t be able to recognize and differentiate among users that had different priority levels. Short-term system also wouldn’t be available at all times by dialing feature code and wouldn’t place unsuccessful calls in line for next available channel. Waiver, if granted, would take effect immediately and would remain in place as long as Verizon Wireless provided immediate service PAS to NCS. Verizon also asked that waiver be provided under any technical solution covered under NCS contract. “Verizon Wireless will test 2 different technical solutions and may implement different solutions in different markets depending on the equipment type deployed in each market,” carrier said. Verizon contended granting waiver would in public interest. “In the wake of the events of September 11, the government has repeatedly stated that one tool it needs to address future emergency situations is a wireless priority access capability.” Verizon urged FCC to act quickly on request. “The urgency of this situation also warrants a decision by the Commission not to place this request for waiver on public notice and solicit public comment,” company said. Carrier included statement of support from NCS on waiver petition. NCS Deputy Mgr. Brent Greene said, “The priority access service to be provided, although not fully compliant with Commission rules, is vitally essential to the security of this nation. The United States was attacked on September 11, 2001. Some telecommunications assets were damaged. Undamaged assets were strained to and well beyond their limits.” Greene said wireless networks in N.Y. and Washington were strained and “essential” national security and emergency personnel calls couldn’t be made.

National Communications System (NCS) issued clarification Tues. that Verizon Wireless had not “officially” received contract to carry out short-term wireless priority access service (PAS) contract in cities such as N.Y. and Washington. “Verizon Wireless will be the one receiving the tasking,” NCS said. Govt. officials had said Mon. that Verizon had been chosen to establish system for priority access for national security and federal, state and local emergency officials. After market closed Mon., Verizon Wireless, which hadn’t commented on earlier news reports, issued statement saying talks still were continuing on final deal. “We are currently in discussions with the federal government about providing priority access to emergency workers during times of a national emergency,” carrier said. “Some media reports suggesting a deal has been struck between Verizon Wireless and the government, however, are premature.” Verizon said it hoped to reach agreement “soon” and to resolve technological and regulatory issues. Verizon Wireless has waiver request pending at FCC on certain PAS capabilities. It said it remained “committed” to industrywide solution. NCS said Verizon hadn’t committed to have first wireless PAS system in place in 60 days. “The service could be deployed within 60 days if all technical, operational and implementation considerations are met,” NCS said.

Verizon Wireless has been selected by federal govt. to make short-term wireless priority access service (PAS) available in Washington and N.Y. and eventually other cities. National Communications System (NCS) Deputy Mgr. Brent Greene told us last week that Washington would be first city to have wireless priority access system to ensure that public safety agencies had uninterrupted access to wireless networks during emergencies (CD Nov 5 p1). Verizon Wireless won first contract for priority access system for wireless networks, with Washington to be first to receive service, followed by N.Y., NCS spokesman said. Formal announcement is expected later this week. Federal govt. is interested in adding Salt Lake City to initial contract, city where Winter Olympics will be held in Feb. Govt. hasn’t chosen carrier for longer term priority access solution. Financial value of short-term contract to Verizon Wireless wasn’t available. FCC spokeswoman confirmed that Verizon Wireless had applied for waiver from Commission to provide wireless PAS. Waivers have been expected for a short term solution because system would be put together in too short a time to provide all of PAS capabilities laid out under FCC guidelines issued last year. In that order, FCC had allowed commercial mobile radio service providers to offer, but didn’t require, PAS to govt. public safety workers in emergencies. NCS spokesman confirmed system would provide emergency access on mobile networks to officials such as national security personnel, parts of executive branch, members of Congress and federal, state and local emergency officials. Since Sept. 11 renewed interest in having wireless PAS system available, CTIA said industry would be able to do so for 500 people within 60 days. NCS also is soliciting proposals for longer term, more comprehensive system, to begin rollout by end of 2002. Before system can begin operating, FCC waiver is needed, although agency already has expressed interest in expediting process, NCS’s Greene said.

Washington will be first city in nation to have wireless priority access system in govt. contract award to mobile carrier that will be unveiled as early as this week, National Communications System (NCS) Deputy Mgr. Brent Greene said. System is expected to be in place in mid-Dec. amid renewed interest by federal govt. and wireless industry after Sept. 11 attacks in finding ways for public safety agencies to have uninterrupted access to wireless networks during emergencies. In interview with Communications Daily, Greene said first contract covered short-term solution for priority access and that other, as yet-unnamed cities also would be covered under initial system. He called near-term priority access system “a major step toward a more complete solution in following years.” Long-term solution, which would consist of nearly national footprint with single carrier, is to be rolled out “late in 2002,” Greene told us. That will “be a much more user friendly solution.” While both legs of wireless priority access system at outset will use single carrier, within 3-5 years other carriers may be added to contract, depending on funding, he said. Within last several weeks, Greene said he and Richard Clarke, special adviser to President Bush for cyberspace security, have talked with FCC Chmn. Powell about Commission waivers likely to be needed for short-term PAS system. “They understand that,” he said of FCC’s view on need for near-term waivers.

Dept. of Defense (DoD) is continuing to press wireless industry for ideas on how to best provide nation’s public safety agencies with uninterrupted access to wireless networks during emergencies, Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry Raduege said at MILCOM conference in Vienna, Va., Tues. Raduege, who is dir. of Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and mgr. of National Communications System (NCS), stopped short of saying Pentagon would push for mandatory wireless priority access. However, he said prioritizing such access -- which already is mandated for wireline service providers -- “has come to the forefront of national leaders’ concerns.”

Legislation to mandate management of end-of-life consumer electronic products hasn’t gained traction in states because of expectations raised by govt.-industry initiative to develop voluntary program to dispose of products in environmentally aware way, according to state regulators. But that could change if sustainable models for management of waste electronics aren’t evolved soon, state officials said. About 25 states and local govts. are involved in National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) that’s seeking to reach agreement to avoid patchwork of state and local regulations.

Facilities-based entry is only way to develop long-term competition in telecom industry, FCC Chmn. Powell said Tues. in sweeping announcement outlining his policy objectives for coming years. He said Commission in past had been so focused on introducing competition in telecom industry that it didn’t give enough thought to what type of competition worked. There was “bias toward competitive entry at any cost” that resulted in encouraging entry platforms that “didn’t have staying power,” he told reporters.

Policy implications of emergency response to Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are focusing increased attention on wireless proceedings that would free up additional public safety spectrum. Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) wrote to House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.) this week, urging that DTV transition in 700 MHz band be accelerated to make way for public safety services allocated in Ch. 63, 64, 68 and 69. Written in advance of DTV hearing that had been set for today and postponed (see separate story, this issue), APCO said: “The nation’s public safety agencies cannot wait until some future, unknown date when 85% of television households have access to DTV signals.” Another focus of attention is 4.9 GHz band that’s being transferred from govt. to nongovt. uses, which public safety community has expressed interest in having set aside for its use. Also under scrutiny is 138-144 MHz band, which is being studied for potential public safety applications. Spectrum capacity constraints for both public safety and commercial wireless users have come up in context of priority access system that National Communications System (NCS) is exploring. While those proceedings already have been under way in some form at federal level, source said “there’s clearly sort of a recognition after the events of Sept. 11 that the importance of these has gone up a level.”

Public Safety National Coordination Committee (NCC) plans general membership meeting at N.Y. Marriott, Brooklyn, Nov. 16 that will include presentations on public safety communications issues related to Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. NCC advises FCC on issues related to use of 24 MHz of spectrum that has been allocated to public safety services in 700 MHz band. Presenters will include representative of N.Y. public safety community on interoperability factors affecting response to World Trade Center disaster. Stephen Souder of Arlington County, Va., Emergency Communications Center will make presentation on similar interoperability factors related to attack on Pentagon. Also on agenda is as-yet-unnamed member of Public Safety Wireless Network on “recommended incident response system.” Also to be discussed, FCC said, are recent Commission decisions affecting public safety in 700 MHz band. Day earlier, NCC Interoperability Subcommittee and Technology Subcommittee will meet in joint session 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 15 and Implementation Subcommittee 3-5:30 p.m.