Friday fragments — critical comms snippets for 14 August 2015

A round-up of the week's critical communications and public safety radio news for Friday, 14 August 2015.

Importance of interoperability. Robert Stack, director of the Lexington Division of Enhanced 911 in the USA, has written an excellent overview of interoperability issues, saying: “The meaning of ‘interoperability’ continues to expand. It no longer simply refers to exchanging handheld radios between agencies at an emergency scene. It means requiring radio systems that work together through a gateway, either permanently or on an as-needed basis. It means ensuring that the radio system core comprises components that can be obtained from multiple sources and don’t become obsolete the moment a vendor decides a master site controller will no longer be manufactured or supported.”

Seeing through walls with Wi-Fi. A system that can ‘see’ through walls and sense the movement of people by detecting the Doppler shift of mobile phone and Wi-Fi signals has won the Engineering Impact Award in the RF and Communications category at National Instrument’s NI Week 2015 meeting in Texas. The system has been devised by researchers at University College London.

Secret WWII listening base. The Providence Journal has published a fascinating account of the establishment of a clandestine radio listening base on a farming property on Rhode Island. Equipped with 26 km of antenna wire and manned by dozens of experts, the facility eavesdropped on enemy transmission half a world away.

Silver Lake invests in Motorola. Technology investment firm Silver Lake will pour US$1 billion into Motorola Solutions. “Motorola Solutions is an iconic company and the global market leader in public safety technology,” Egon Durban and Greg Mondre, Silver Lake managing partners, said in a statement. “We believe it is creating a new era in data-rich public safety communications and has significant potential for growth. Its core business is unrivaled in the United States and around the world with a broad and loyal customer base, an outstanding record of reliability, and growing reach and scale driven by technology innovation.”

Beacon saved lives in Qld boating accident. Although one man sadly drowned, two others are alive today, thanks to use of a marine EPIRB that directed rescuers to the scene of a boat capsizing in Queensland’s Moreton Bay.

Hospital ham. An assistant safety director at a Mississippi hospital is acquiring the necessary amateur radio licences with the aim of operating an alternative, back-up comms system in case of need. Does this kind of thing happen in Australia, perhaps in remote communities? If you’re aware of any examples, please let us know.

Taiwan jumps into 5G research. Taiwan’s Institute for Information Industry has signed an MOU with the Telecom Technology Centre to work on spectrum issues for forthcoming 5G networks. The deal will see the institute projects tested at the centre’s certification lab.

Europe in LTE slow lane. Countries in Europe are beginning steps to auction spectrum for 4G use, with Germany leading the way. According to the GSMA, only 17% of European users access LTE, compared to 40% in the USA. Germany auctioned spectrum in the 700, 900, 1500 and 1800 MHz bands, reaping a dividend of €5.08bn… well over the reserve price of €1.5bn.

Image courtesy University College London.