Telecom Business Alert – Complimentary CII/FirstNet Webinar, Location Accuracy for 911 Calls, Radiofrequency Equipment Authorization R&O, Vol XII Issue 2
Complimentary CII/FirstNet Webinar
At 12:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, Keller and Heckman LLP will host a complimentary webinar discussing the opportunities presented to electric utilities, oil and gas companies, and others interested in participating in the National Public Safety Broadband Network (“FirstNet”). Al Catalano, Keller and Heckman Counsel, will moderate the webinar and will be joined by Darryl Ackley, New Mexico State CIO and Cabinet Secretary, Department of Information Technology. Mr. Catalano and Secretary Ackley will present an overview of FirstNet and the early builder project that the State of New Mexico is in the process of implementing near the U.S./Mexico Border. The webinar is complimentary, but registration is required.
FCC to consider Location Accuracy for 911-Calls Report & Order
On January 29, 2015, the FCC will consider a Report and Order adopting location accuracy requirements for emergency calls delivered to public safety officials. The Report and Order will include requirements for calls placed from mobile phones indoors and outside. In early 2014, the FCC proposed indoor 911 location accuracy requirements for wireless carriers. The FCC’s current 911 location rules require wireless providers to transmit information to first responder call centers immediately based on certain parameters for accuracy. However, the E911 Rules have not been amended since 2010 and the Report and Order is expected to update the rules in light of technological advancements in the past several years. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239).
FCC Issues Radiofrequency Equipment Authorization Report and Order
On December 30, 2014, the FCC released a Report and Order (R&O), modifying the radiofrequency (RF) equipment authorization program, which is administered by the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) and ensures RF equipment complies with the FCC’s rules and technical requirements. Under the R&O, the FCC will no longer accept RF equipment certification applications, but instead will permit FCC-recognized Telecommunications Certification Bodies (TCB) to process and grant all certification applications. The R&O also modifies Parts 2 and 68 of the Rules regarding the accreditation standards for TCBs that approve RF equipment and terminal equipment. The R&O was adopted December 17, 2014. For more information, please contact Greg Kunkle (kunkle@khlaw.com; 202.434.4178).
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Keller and Heckman LLP's Telecom Business Alert is a complimentary weekly electronic update created by the Telecommunications and the Business Counseling and Transactional practice groups of Keller and Heckman LLP. All articles, videos, and quotations are on topics of general interest and do not constitute legal advice for particularized facts. Keller and Heckman LLP's Telecom Business Alert © 2014. All rights reserved. Articles may be copied with attribution. To sign up for our weekly alert, please send us an email at telecomalert@khlaw.com and provide us with your name and email. Please follow us on Twitter at @KHtelecom.