Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Interoperability supporters see progress; seek standards; studying new technologies

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 07 Apr 2004 01:24:43 -0400

Interoperability supporters see progress

By WILLIAM WELSH
April 5, 2004

Despite pervasive problems, government and industry have taken some
positive steps toward creating interoperable wireless communications in
the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Among the most important is the development of industry standards,
said Mike Zeitfuss, who leads the homeland security business unit in the
government communications systems division of Harris Corp., Melbourne,
 Fla.

At the same time, the federal government has assigned more bandwidth
for first responders. And public safety officials from different
federal,
state and local jurisdictions have signed memoranda to allow information
sharing.

Zeitfuss said a number of federal organizations are responsible for the
progress, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Communications
Commission.

Communications interoperability approaches are so far limited to voice
over Internet protocol, software-defined radio and conventional
technologies that have been on the market for years, said David Boyd,
director of research and development operations for DHS' Science and
Technology Directorate.

Through DHS' SafeCom initiative, which Boyd oversees, the department
this year will test several new technologies that it hopes will push the
envelope of available interoperable technologies.

"As part of our effort to build a national architecture and relevant
standards,
we are studying technologies that haven't been looked at in this
environment
but are, in fact, going to fit here," he said. "We're not looking at
these
projects
as existing mainline deployments. We're looking at those [technologies]
that
address interoperability as a key part of their function."

State and local governments "are crying out for standards," said Lauren
Shu,
a senior analyst with Input Inc.'s federal IT market analysis. She said
some
state and local governments are holding onto funds and waiting for
standards
so they can have systems compatible with neighboring jurisdictions.

Mike Barney, director of systems engineering for business development
and
sales for the Decision System Division at General Dynamics Corp. of
Falls
Church, Va., said SafeCom faces a difficult but necessary task in
setting
national standards and testing new technologies.

"I don't think this will happen overnight, by any means, but standards
and
interim solutions will produce some solid results in the midterm," he
said.

Chuck Jackson, vice president and director of the North American Group
of
Motorola Inc. of Schaumberg, Ill., said he sees slow but steady progress
toward regional interoperability.

"We're seeing more consolidations of single systems by a state or group
of
counties than before," he said. "Once those foundations are in place,
more
and more jurisdictions will want to join them."

http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/19_1/telecom-it-infrastructure/23149-1.html

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