Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Public Safety Leaders Address Critical Homeland Security Communications Needs

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:16:52 -0400

Secure Communications? Please- They are dispersing misinformation, even the
Public Safety Wireless Network people say their network is NOT secure.
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The conference showcased interoperability - the idea that all public safety
officials must have the ability to connect with one another through reliable and
secure communications regardless of jurisdiction or department.

Speakers included Rudy Giuliani, former New York City Mayor; James Lee Witt,
former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director; Thomas Von Essen, former
New York City Fire Commissioner; Howard Safir, former New York City Police
Commissioner; and Tim Donahue, Nextel President and CEO.

For several weeks and months following the September 11, 2001 attack in lower
Manhattan, Nextel, in cooperation with Motorola, supported numerous public
safety organizations in that area with wireless communications services.

Organizations included: New York Police Department, New York Fire Department,
Office of Emergency Management, New York City Mayor, American Red Cross,
National Guard, FBI, Secret Service, AT&T, Con Ed, EMS, FEMA and countless
others.

Specifically, the following occurred:

-- With local phones jamming, and telephone and power main stations down,
Nextel's Direct Connect service and two-way messaging remained working
throughout the entire crisis, recovery and cleanup;

-- Nearly 7,000 phones were activated and deployed to agencies in the New York
area mentioned above, in addition to construction companies working on the site;

-- Several COWs (Cell-sites on Wheels) were installed, including one at Ground
Zero for better capacity and coverage; and

-- Nextel set up two Command Posts one at Ground Zero and the other at the OEM
staging area, staffed 24 hours a day, for battery replenishment, and phone
replacement.

The conference's keynote speaker was former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani,
now CEO of Giuliani Partners, LLC. "The instant communications technology
provided by Nextel is a critical tool in effectively responding to any
emergency," said Giuliani.

Giuliani also pointed out the increased frequency of situations that demand
interoperability. "More than ever, major crisis-response efforts are
multi-jurisdictional and multi-functional. From the Space Shuttle Columbia
recovery effort to the D.C.-area sniper investigation, we are seeing a new level
of collaboration and a greater need for a coordinated response."

During the public safety roundtable discussion, former New York City Fire
Commissioner and now senior vice president of Giuliani Partners, LLC, Thomas Von
Essen said, "On September 11th, we learned the true importance of interoperable
communications. It was a chaotic scene at Ground Zero, but if it weren't for
Nextel providing us with interoperable communications tools, it might have been
worse."

James Lee Witt, president of James Lee Witt Associates and former director of
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stressed that interoperable
communications is essential for today's emergency management professionals.
"From the communications failure during the Oklahoma City bombing to being able
to communicate during recent snowstorms, our nation's first responders need to
be able to communicate for day-to-day operations and in emergency situations.
These tools are fundamental to keeping the American people safe."

Nextel Communications is hosting a series of interoperability conferences around
the country that are designed to educate consumers, government and public safety
officials about the capabilities of and demand for interoperability.

While addressing guests during the conference, Nextel CEO Tim Donahue said, "It
is a true honor to have those who have been on the front lines with us here to
reinforce and highlight our commitment to reliable, secure, and interoperable
communications tools. I believe that the public sector - you - deserve the best
communications technology that is available today, and that technology is in
many respects the same technology that has revolutionized communications in the
workplace over the last several years."

About Nextel Communications

Nextel Communications, a Fortune 300 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading
provider of fully-integrated wireless voice and data communications services
including Direct Connect(R)- the long-range digital walkie-talkie feature;
all-digital cellular service; Nextel Online(R) wireless data solutions; and
two-way messaging.

Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. have built the largest guaranteed all-digital
wireless network covering 197 of the top 200 U.S. markets. Nextel and Nextel
Partners' wireless voice and packet data communications services are available
in areas of the U.S. where approximately 240 million people live or work.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/index.jsp?epi-content=GENERIC&newsId=20030414005109&newsLang=en&beanID=2133606841&viewID=news_view

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From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2003 17:42:39 -0400

A few people have asked what is the true meaning of  Interoperability?

As accepted by the FCC-

http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/Orders/1998/fcc98191.pdf

"Based on the record before us, we now confirm the definition for interoperability. We anticipate
that this definition will serve as the framework that the National Coordinating Committee will follow as it
adopts guidelines for more specific interoperability standards and protocols. 189 Specifically, we adopt the
following definition for interoperability:

# Interoperability: An essential communications link within public safety and public service
wireless communications systems which permits units from two or more different entities to
interact with one another and to exchange information according to a prescribed method in order
to achieve predictable results.