3 JUL 2021 · A new phenomenon is beginning to emerge as alternative services to traditional communications have become more predominant. The many options for subscribers, both personal and business users, have significantly increased. In the home consumer subscriber market, it has been given the moniker of 'cutting the cord,' signifying the release from the local telephone companies' stranglehold on local subscribers. Now in its formidable teenage years, this new mode of communications option is wandering into business services.

26 JUN 2021 · similar to the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. Their Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG). This group, which is composed of Telecommunication Service Providers, Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs and ECCs), as well as 9-1-1 Industry specialists, works to address issues relating to 9-1-1 services, as well as the technical and operational implementation of these services, including NG911.

19 JUN 2021 · There is no denying that COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way we live, work, and communicate. As businesses were forced into lockdown, the pandemic caused a massive surge in remote-enabled unified communications. Fortunately, to maintain some sense of business survivability, workers at nearly every level were forced into daily video communications sessions. While this trend had emerged slightly in previous years, primarily in a customer support model, the evolution of personal communications and the availability of high-powered, camera-enabled mobile devices flourished. The pandemic triggered a shift in private communications that gradually added pictures, then animations, video snippets, and finally full-motion live streaming video.

13 JUN 2021 · n my blog last week, I reported on the FCC initiative requiring carriers to provide what is called the Z-axis on cellular calls to 911. For those of you who don't know, the z-axis reports altitude. Knowing this elevation, calculating the floor that a person is on in a multi-story building is possible and delivered to first responders. This blog sparked many questions, with several people wondering why this has been such a problem? Let me ex[lain . . .

9 JUN 2021 · prompting 9-1-1 call takers to question "How high are you?" Under the leadership of acting chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the Federal Communications Commission recently flexed its federal muscle reasserting the wireless location accuracy rules established in 2015. The Commission settled on a new effective date of April 3, 2022, and the network certifications due June 2, 2022. As a penalty for missing this year's deadlines, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon committed to paying a fine of $100,000.00 each.

16 MAY 2021 · The level of awareness that our nation's ECCs will have access to is about to get much better. According to Bureau Chief Lisa Fowlkes of the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, new policies and procedures will be in place soon that will provide that agency better access to information about network outages as well as the incidents that cause them.

2 MAY 2021 · Here is an AUDIO Version of my latest BLOG. 988 has been adopted as the new National Lifeline for Suicide Prevention. Carriers are activating it in the PSTN networks, and MLTS administrators can be proactive by enabling this 3-digit code in their systems TODAY, forwarding calls to 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

4 APR 2021 · Congress has tried once again to pass a bill that reclassifies 911 communicators nationwide as emergency first responders. Can we get it done in this Congress?

26 MAR 2021 · AUDIO ONLY Version of the CyberCast Podcast with Cyber Expert Michael Echolls, MBA, CISSP. Fletch and Mike talk about the impact of cybersecurity on the nation's Next-Generation 911 net ork and the threats that we need to be aware of.

18 MAR 2021 · Join Fletch and his cohost, Cyber Security Expert Michael Echols, as they discuss the implications of cybersecurity and the Next Generation 911 network services being deployed today.