Reed Hundt, former FCC Chairman, says that the US can create a much better communications system for emergency workers by using existing technology and standards. In this article, A Better Communications System for Emergency Workers, he proposes using standards-based technology like Wi-Fi and allocating part of the spectrum to emergency use. He estimates that the cost of equipping the 3.2 Reed Hundt, former FCC Chairman, says that the US can create a much better communications system for emergency workers by using existing technology and standards. In this article, A Better Communications System for Emergency Workers, he proposes using standards-based technology like Wi-Fi and allocating part of the spectrum to emergency use. He estimates that the cost of equipping the 3.2 million emergency responders in the US:
The basic task is straightforward: every single emergency responder in the United States should be equipped with a simple Emergency Transponder (ET) that can receive pages and allow at least voice and text communications with other workers. We think such a device could be built for as little as $150. It would be a trivial task for the government to offer a $150 ET Rebate on the first 3.2 million devices.
I urge everyone to read this article and submit comments.
Read these articles by Jon Peha:
(1) Protecting Public Safety With Better Communications Systems, IEEE Communications
(2) How America’s Fragmented Approach to Public Safety Wastes Spectrum and Funding, TPRC
You can view them at:
http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~peha/safety.html