R&S TS8991 Wireless Performance Test Chamber.(PRNewsFoto/Rohde & Schwarz)
PCTEST Engineering Laboratory, an accredited testing laboratory for wireless testing and certification, has expanded its over-the-air (OTA) conformance testing capabilities with the purchase of a CTIA-compliant R&S TS8991 Wireless Performance Test Chamber (WPTC) from Rohde & Schwarz.
The R&S TS8991 OTA Test System is configured with hardware and software extensions for legacy and LTE A-GPS, a R&S ZND vector network analyzer for passive antenna measurements and faster system calibrations, and a second antenna boom with additional R&S NRP power sensors for faster total radiated power (TRP) measurements. The entire system is controlled via R&S AMS32 wireless performance software.
As the number of technologies and the variety of mobile devices continue to increase, the ability to verify a device’s radiated performance is becoming more important to ensure end-user quality of experience. For 4G/LTE, there are major developments involving the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communication, LTE at 5GHz (LTE-U), assisted global navigation satellite system (A-GNSS), and carrier aggregation, which are driving the need for improved as well as additional OTA tests required for both carrier acceptance and industry conformance test plans.
“As wireless devices become more specialized and continue to push the boundaries of transmission efficiency, the ability to fully characterize a device in an over-the-air environment is becoming more critical,” said Randy Ortanez, president of PCTEST Lab. “Every day we are seeing the acceptance bar being raised and more test cases defined from operators and standard bodies such as CTIA and 3GPP. To meet these growing demands, we are very pleased to be working with our partner Rohde & Schwarz who is able to deliver and support a complete turn-key solution for our OTA testing needs.”
PCTEST is exhibiting in the Test Pavilion of Hall C, Booth 5159, at the CTIA Super Mobility trade show, taking place this week at the Sands EXPO in Las Vegas. Rohde & Schwarz is exhibiting in Booth 3249.
VP says company remains “bullish”on in-car Wi-Fi, sees need for both embedded, bring-your-own-device solutions
Mercedes-Benz has been in the news in the past month for offering connected car service as standard for five years on all new vehicles, one of the longest multi-year offers yet. But it isn’t just big news for Mercedes; it’s also a testament to Verizon’s continued investment in connected car technology.
Verizon is one of the longest tenured telematics providers in the U.S. market and has worked with Mercedes-Benz since 2009, said Mike Peterson, vice president and general manager of OEM business for Verizon Telematics, in an exclusive interview with GPS World.
“Mbrace has the widest breadth of services, including remote connection for door lock/unlock, remote vehicle start, a feature that consumers have been asking for for a long time as evidenced by after-market industry,” Peterson said. “We’re also delivering diagnostics data to dealers and adding the ability to access certain apps on the head unit without the user tethering their phone — that’s the big new thing.”
Verizon is exhibiting mbrace at CTIA Super Mobility 2015 in Las Vegas this week. mbrace services include navigation, location apps, remote safety and security features, and advanced travel assistance.
Embedded connectivity is a more expensive alternative to the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) model. Despite the embedded vs. BYOD debate in the industry at-large, Peterson doesn’t see one way as better than the other.
“Part of it is always demographics. With Mercedes-Benz customers, while the majority are connected with smartphones, the simplicity of having to use a radio head unit as opposed to their phones will be the right experience to create for premium customers,” Peterson explained. “Other price sensitive brands will continue to see BYOD as the way to go.”
Peterson admits the decision to equip all vehicles with the service is in part designed to prime customers so that the technology becomes a must-have. But, he adds, that the connected car creates a relationship between the manufacturer and consumer that benefits both, particularly with regard to safety.
While Verizon is the telematics provider to six OEMs in the U.S., including Volkswagon and Hyundai, Peterson doesn’t take the credit for decisions like the one Mercedes made when extending mbrace’s reach.
“I would call it a partnership heavily influenced by automakers. At the end of the day, the automaker decides what equipment to put into their vehicles. We provide all service, but they very much protect what goes into their car.”
One feature of mbrace that Peterson calls “a big deal” is the ability to turn your vehicle into a Wi-Fi hotspot. It’s a feature that has gotten caught between customer demands and regulator concerns that those increased demands will lead to spectrum-sharing that hampers the progress of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications.
“We are quite bullish on Wi-Fi in the car. You’re already equipping the vehicle with a connected device that’s Wi-Fi capable,” Peterson said. “We’ve done considerable research, and it’s all come back very positive.”
TESSCO Technologies is introducing a low-cost investment vehicle tracking, monitoring and control solution at CTIA Super Mobility, being held Sept. 9-11 in Las Vegas. TESSCO is a provider of the product and value-chain solutions required to build, use and maintain wireless systems. The company is displaying the fleet management solution at booth 5932.
“Spending in the U.S. logistics and transportation industry totaled $1.33 trillion in 2012. However, fleet management systems have remained largely disjointed and costly for smaller fleets. Our Fleet Management Solution provides choice, convenience, best-in-class products and a total source for all of the elements needed to deploy a management solution faster and at the lowest cost investment,” said Steven Tom, TESSCO VP of Analytics, Innovation & Learning. “We provide the expertise and service built on our deep experience in wireless networks and in-vehicle communications. We deliver the end-to-end products and services including sensors, telematics, vehicle mounts and internet connectivity.”
Join Steven Tom for his presentation “The Road Ahead: The Future of Fleet Management and Telematics” on the Networked Society & Startup Stage at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9. He will share details about the new product offering as well as look ahead to the future of fleet management.
GPS World reports live from CTIA Super Mobility 2015 in Las Vegas Sept. 8-11, organized by CTIA—The Wireless Association. The Western Hemisphere’s largest mobile innovation summit brings together 35,000 professionals who work in the mobile technology industry, including leaders in wireless, indoor location, connected car and Internet of Things (IoT), among many others.
GPS World digital editor Bethany Chambers and Wireless editor Janice Partyka will be reporting all week here on GPSWorld.com, on Facebook and on Twitter @GPSWorld. This convention is far from conventional in its use of multimedia to fuel the excitement surrounding all things mobile; the show has an official DJ in Los Angeles-based Bella Foxx and an emcee in Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che. Keynotes also follow the multimedia theme this year, with DreamWorks CEO & cofounder Jeffrey Katzenberg, Wikipedia founder Michael Wales and iHeartMedia Chairman Bob Pittman scheduled to appear.
GPS World talks to Taoglas VP of North American Sales Tim Dolan on the show floor in Las Vegas about the Storm Antenna. He explains what makes it unique to the market–and what comes next.
TeleCommunication Systems Inc. Senior Vice President of Commercial Solutions Jay Whitehurst introduces VirtuMedix at CTIA Super Mobility 2015. The telemedicine solution utilizes location-based services to connect patients with clinicians in their area.
Olivier Pauzet, vice president of marketing and market strategy at Sierra Wireless, details AirVantage connectivity services for fleet tracking and the recent addition of Google cloud integration.
Jorge Pineda, vice president of sales for Queclink Wireless Solutions, shares information on the company’s U.S. and international sales plans for 2015 and beyond, with a focus on fleet tracking and global LTE expansion.
Parsec Technologies CEO Michael Neenan introduces the company’s LTE/GPS antenna. The antenna, which you can find out more about at parsec-t.com, is already in production and available for sale, and Neenan previews how the antenna will be used further in a watch coming out later this year. Find out more about the Texas-based company’s antenna, touted for its flexibility and interoperability.
Janet Jaiswal, vice president of enterprise marketing, and Gurinder Dhillon, senior director of Internet of Things (IoT) platforms and analytics, demonstrate how AerCloud and AerVoyance work together to enable rapid development, deployment and monitoring of IoT solutions.
Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced a new release of the Telit IoT Portal. The portal consolidates a suite of advanced connectivity management functions with the company’s deviceWISE IoT Application Enablement Platform.
The service enables companies to deploy, configure and manage end-to-end IoT deployments from a single, cloud-based portal, Telit said. The portal is designed to make it easy to “connect thing to apps” by seamlessly integrating any device, production asset or remote sensor with web-based and mobile apps and enterprise systems, across any wireless network.
The newly added connectivity management addresses all aspects of mobile communication provisioning, including seamless integration with Mobile Network Operators (MNO) and Connected Device Platforms (CDP). Users can activate or de-activate devices, manage SIM cards, analyze connection quality, and set all provisioning and data plan parameters. This platform function is especially useful in preventing data overage and overall data cost management. The advanced CDP integration feature aggregates federated data across multiple wireless networks — a valuable capability when operating IoT deployments in different countries and regions around the world.
From the same portal, users have continuous access to all the comprehensive functions of the deviceWISE IoT Platform, including device onboarding, edge-intelligence, data collection, data transport, data storage, data delivery and application integration. Developers can connect, collect and control anything with a single, standardized API set that is common across device integration, connectivity management and application development.
“The developer-friendly Telit IoT Portal provides instant and full access to the mature and comprehensive features and all the necessary tools and resources for your IoT project,” said Alon Segal, CTO, Telit IoT Services. “No upfront investment is required and companies can focus on developing compelling applications that help transform their business, not the engineering of underlying technology infrastructure.”
The Telit IoT Portal reduces risk, time-to-market, complexity and cost of deploying solutions for monitoring and control, industrial automation, asset tracking and field service operations across all industries and market segments around the world. Additionally, customers can enjoy professional maintenance and support and ongoing upgrades to new features and capabilities. Access a free trial of the Telit IoT Portal.
The new release of the Telit IoT Portal will be featured at Telit DevCon, Sept. 8 in Las Vegas, and live demonstrations of will be held at CTIA Super Mobility 2015, booth #5032, which takes place Sept. 9-11 in Las Vegas. Those attending Telit DevCon can learn how industry leaders use the IoT to create new markets, transform their business and achieve measurable return on investment.
TCS’ Matt Vincent poses with public safety gear that includes Taoglas Storm Antenna at APCO.
It is refreshing to see nascent technology such as indoor location being used to enable accurate emergency services response. That’s what’s going on right now as beacons, Wi-Fi and other technology that works inside, where GPS doesn’t work, is being tested nationwide by companies hoping for government adoption. With new FCC regulations that are finally trying to keep up with commercial location products, it may be a reality soon. What really drove location into wireless handsets was the 1990s FCC regulations — will they now drive indoor positioning?
GSI Labs’ John Martin holds indoor beacon at APCO.
WASHINGTON — The same technology that allows consumers to find products indoors will allow emergency personnel to locate people in trouble in the coming years, said officials at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) annual meeting here, held Aug. 16-19.
Companies are using existing commercial technologies, also used by retailers to determine customer preferences, to provide indoor location in combination with the National Emergency Address Database. This provides public-safety answering points, or PSAPs, accurate addresses and positions to dispatch emergency services to allow first responders to find people on specific floors and in rooms, not huge areas.
Beacons and Wi-Fi seem to be the lead technologies in use for emergency indoor location. Longmont, Colo.-based Intrado installed 65 Apple iBeacons at the Washington Convention Center to showcase its developing indoor positioning technology.
“Old 9-1-1 technology was just a dot on the map. Now people are saying, ‘how can Starbucks can find me, but 9-1-1 can’t?’” said John Snapp, Intrado senior technical officer.
Another company, TeleCommunication Systems, is getting into the indoor public safety market with its LocatE9-1-1 product that leverages the company’s indoor location engine, or ILE. The ILE connects to multiple databases that can be used during a 9-1-1 call to determine what location information is available for the wireless device.
“Deep inside buildings, location technology often fails us. Sometimes emergency workers have to rely on verbal information [from people at the scene],” said Tim Lorello, TCS senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “We are a location aggregator. However, we do know location won’t be deployed everywhere, but there are multiple technologies tied to Wi-Fi hotspots, barometric pressure and Bluetooth.”
In addition to government agencies, wireless carriers are taking notice of the indoor positioning capabilities for public safety. At APCO, GSI Labs, a 20-year-old business, was in the AT&T booth displaying its codeBlue-911 beacon system. “We think that for bigger venues such as warehouses and stores, this is a great public safety tool. The [Bluetooth Low Energy] beacons have about 20-to-50-foot accuracy, depending on the battery,” said GSI Labs’ John Martin. “A security company is looking at using the beacons to monitor employees during the night.”
OnStar booth features wrecked car to portray emergency messaging capabilities at APCO.
FCC Still at Forefront of Location Accuracy Requirements
In an address at the conference, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said that the agency has taken steps to increase the reliability of the nation’s 9-1-1 system. “Uber can pinpoint [a potential customer]. We won’t tolerate 9-1-1 failures,” said Wheeler, who also called for a national maps database.
Some people newer to the location industry don’t remember it was the enhanced 9-1-1 FCC rules that drove the installation of GPS into cell phones in the mid-1990s. In several presentations at APCO, it was noted that more than 80 percent of all emergency calls are made with a wireless device, not landline.
The FCC announced new rules this year that require wireless operators to provide dispatchable location within 50 meters with these new deadlines and conditions: 40 percent of all wireless 9-1-1 calls within 2 years; 50 percent within 3 years; 70 percent within 5 years; and 80 percent within 6 years.
If anyone doesn’t think the FCC is the 800-pound regulatory gorilla for location, then they have missed the LightSquared GPS signal interference saga. According to published reports, LightSquared has hired Reed Hundt, former FCC chairman, as an attorney representing the company.
LightSquared, which is trying to emerge from bankruptcy, has been seeking FCC approval to transfer its spectrum licenses to its new entity. The company is trying to see if the GPS interference issues can be resolved.
In other APCO news, Time Machines rolled out its TM 2000A timing device that costs $499.95. The big deal about the timing device is the price — which has many of the same features that competitors offer for more than $5,000, said Doug Ehlers, Mindshare by CSS president, a sister company of Time Machines, who also said the company is expanding its distribution in Europe.
Gimbal Partners with Do It Outdoors Media
While emergency networks are getting big, the commercial networks are continuing to make inroads with advertising agencies and partners. Location and proximity-based marketing company Gimbal recently partnered with Do It Outdoors Media in a deal that will use Gimbal’s beacon technology.
Gimbal said that Do It Outdoors Media, which is the largest national mobile billboard and field marketing company, will create a smartphone campaign that provides proximity-based consumer offers to opt-in users.
Beacons will be placed in Do It Outdoors Media’s mobile billboard units, which are owned and operated by the company. In addition, there will be product placement on Segways, jet packs, brand ambassador teams and other marketing sites.
Gimbal says that when a consumer enters into a beacon zone, which is effective from 50 meters away, content will be delivered through a push notification within an advertiser’s or a third-party mobile app.
In other location news:
While a small trade show for a focused group of government communication professionals, APCO drew 5,700 attendees, with 282 exhibitors. Conference organizers said it was the highest attended show in seven years.
An updated version of the former GPS-Wireless conference will take place Dec. 2-3 at the Crowne Plaza San Francisco Airport Hotel. The conference, Location IoT, will focus on new markets for M2M and the Internet of Things. Topics will include indoor location markets, connected vehicles and many others. Two hosted networking receptions are included. Contact me, Kevin Dennehy, at kdennehy @g psworld.com for more information.
Michael Che co-hosts Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update.
Saturday Night Live comedian and co-anchor of “Weekend Update” Michael Che will be featured at CTIA Super Mobility 2015. Named as one of Rolling Stones’ 50 Funniest People, Buzzfeed’s 50 Hottest Men in Comedy and Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch, Che will report from the keynote stage with his thoughts on wireless news, hot topics and features at the industry’s annual convention.
CTIA Super Mobility 2015, the largest mobile marketplace in the Western Hemisphere, will be held Sept. 9-11 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. More than 40,000 people are expected to attend.
“CTIA Super Mobility is the best show for anyone who wants to create or improve their mobile strategy, since it’s the entire ecosystem under one roof. While wireless technology will certainly be the focal point, it’s also an opportunity to hear from Michael, who is one of America’s funniest people, share his perspective about our mobile-first lives,” said CTIA Vice President and Show Director Robert Mesirow.
Michael Che joins a lineup of keynote speakers representing the mobile industry’s diverse community, from innovative network providers to disruptors in media, retail and fitness, CTIA-Wireless said.
CTIA Super Mobility 2015 Keynote Lineup
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 9:00-10:30 a.m. PT
Meredith Attwell Baker, President & CEO, CTIA–The Wireless Association
Ron Smith, CTIA Chairman and President & CEO, Bluegrass Cellular
Tom Wheeler, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
Marcelo Claure, President & CEO, Sprint
Show Report: Michael Che, “Weekend Update” Co-anchor, “Saturday Night Live,” NBC
Thursday, Sept. 10, 9:00-10:30 a.m. PT
Glenn Lurie, President & CEO, AT&T Mobility
Bob Pittman, Chairman & CEO, iHeartMedia, Inc.
Marni Walden, EVP & President of Product Innovation and New Businesses, Verizon
Friday, Sept. 11, 9:30-10:30 a.m. PT
Robin Thurston, Chief Digital Officer, Under Armour
GeoComm has released an ebook focusing on assessing GIS data for an NG911 system (next-generation 911). In an NG911 system, GIS data development, accuracy, and maintenance are vital, and GeoComm approaches NG911 readiness in three steps: assess, improve and maintain.
The ebook, Key Steps for Assessing Mission Critical Data for 9-1-1, focuses on the assess step.
GeoComm approaches GIS data assessment by first identifying the current state of the reader’s GIS Data. NG911 GIS assessment can be completed by:
Educating stakeholders
Developing standards
Reviewing and analyzing GIS data
In addition to outlining the tasks for each of these three steps, the eBook includes an example of how the State of Iowa approached its NG911 GIS data assessment.
“Today is the day to begin preparing GIS data for its key role in a successful NG911 system. Whether you are tackling your GIS data assessment yourself, working with outside jurisdictions, or partner with a vendor; this eBook provides a valuable guide to accomplish your GIS data assessment,” GeoComm said in a statement.
AWT Global has launched a new product line of low noise amplifiers: the LNA1 Series.
The new compact Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) are suited as RF measurement amplifiers and for signal boosting applications. LNA1 amplifiers cover telecommunications frequency bands from 700 to 2700 MHz. High gain of 25dB (+/-3) makes them perfect for applications like interference hunting.
“Due to its small form factor, LNA1 is well suited for mobile applications,” said Wolfgang Damm, president of AWT Global. ”LNA1 has been designed with power requirements of 5V/100mA, so it can be supplied by any USB port, standard at most portable instruments like spectrum analyzers.”
LNA1-0727-25 covers a frequency range of 700 to 2700 MHz. Impedance is 50 Ohms and VSWR ratio is 2.2:1. LNA1 features 25 dB (+/-3) of gain and 2.0 dB NF. Size is: 1.5” x 1.0“ x 2.5” ( 38 x 25 x 64 mm). Both, input and output comes standard with N-Type connectors, INP N(f) / OUT N(m). Other connector types are available on request. Power is supplied with a common 5.5 OD, 2.1 ID connector. AWT Global’s LNA1-0727-25 LNAs are available for sales immediately.
Qualcomm Technologies will demonstrate two new full technology concept cars that integrate Qualcomm Technologies’ latest in vehicle technology and connectivity at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, being held this week in Las Vegas. The technology concept cars are based on the 2015 Maserati Quattroporte GTS and the 2015 Cadillac XTS and have been customized to bring the full Snapdragon Automotive Solutions experience to life, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 602A automotive-grade processor, Qualcomm Gobi 3G/4G LTE wireless modems and Qualcomm VIVE QCA6574 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module, and Qualcomm IZat RGR7640 GNSS module. Qualcomm Snapdragon and Qualcomm Gobi are products of QTI, and Qualcomm VIVE and Qualcomm IZat are products of QCA.
The Qualcomm Concept Car – Cadillac demonstrates pre-integrated support for Android, including the latest Android L and Kit Kat; high resolution infotainment displays for visually stunning graphics for cluster and infotainment; integrated in-vehicle features, including navigation, music, live streaming of sports, news and entertainment content via LTE-Broadcast; enhanced safety features such as lane detection with integrated navigation, driver distraction avoidance notification, gesture recognition, car personalization via the AllSeen Alliance’s AllJoyn open source framework; wireless audio streaming from personal devices via the Qualcomm AllPlaysmart media platform; smartphone integration and Qualcomm WiPower flexible wireless charging for consumer electronics and; 4G LTE multimode Internet connectivity including WiFi hotspot and Bluetooth profile support.
The Qualcomm Concept Car – Maserati features pre-integrated support for the latest versions of the QNX Neutrino OS and the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment from QNX Software Systems, a subsidiary of BlackBerry Limited. Highlights include an instrument cluster with speed recommendations, collision warnings, and intelligent parking assist; an infotainment system with 3D navigation, smart phone integration, rear seat entertainment with easy-to-use multimodal UI supporting gestures (tap, swipe, pinch), and voice recognition; an immersive driver experience with rear and side view mirror/displays, complete with refitted cameras and informational safety features; WiPower flexible wireless charging for consumer electronics; and 4G LTE multimode Internet connectivity, including WiFi hotspot and Bluetooth profile support.
Integrated into the technology concept cars are:
Elektrobit’s EB street director navigation software and the latest version of its EB Assist eHorizon Solution with audible and visual warnings and recommendations about the road ahead
TomTom advanced navigation and map services
Jungo’s MediaCore smartphone connectivity and multimedia playback
Rightware’s software and user interface for the instrument cluster
Ricardo’s integrated hardware, controls and electronics
Streaming Internet radio services from Pandora via HTML5 and iHeartRadio via Android
Voice recognition and speech-to-text services powered by Nuance’s Dragon Drive
NXP’s SAF775x AM/FM radio tuner support
QNX Neutrino OS and QNX CAR Platform for next-generation safety and infotainment features
The concept cars are on display at CES, located at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall, Booth 8252 and Central Plaza, Booth CP21A.
GPS World reports live from CTIA Super Mobility Week in Las Vegas Sept. 9-12. The first ever Super Mobility Week now combines the former CTIA annual conference and MobileCON, and is expected to draw 1,100 exhibitors from around the world and features major product launches and trade news.
GPS World Digital Editor Bethany Chambers, Wireless Editor Janice Partyka and LBS Editor Kevin Dennehy will be reporting all week here on GPSWorld.com, on Facebook and on Twitter @GPSWorld. The convention has some unique twists, including a house band led by Thomas Dolby (producer of 1982 hit “She Blinded Me With Science”) and the largest-ever tradeshow heat map, showing event popularity by tracking Wi-Fi connections throughout the conference.
The morning sunlight steams into the Sands Expo Center.
The former spring CTIA conference and fall MobileCON show have now been wrapped into one large fall Super Mobility Week. Photo: GPS World
The line to register formed long before the 8 a.m. opening time on Day 1 at CTIA Super Mobility Week.
Crowds head to and from CTIA Super Mobility Week registration on Day 1.
Super Mobility Week attendees have miles of walking in the next three days. Sands Expo has 2.25 million square feet of show floor and meeting space.
A screen counts down to the Apple Live Event, an announcement that had the crowd abuzz.
Thomas Dolby leads a string quartet in a cover of “Bittersweet Symphony.”
CTIA President & CEO Meredith Atwell Baker opens Super Mobility Week.
CTIA President Meredith Atwell Baker laughs as The Daily Show’s Larry Wilmore provides news updates between opening keynotes.
Michel Combes, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent, speaks about the “video first” world we live in during the mobile video panel. Photo: GPS World
In the same panel, Hulu’s Tim Connolly reminisces about attending CTIA back when it was an “IT show.”
CTIA fielded a panel of experts moderated by CNBC’s Julia Boorstin to respond to Apple’s Live Event.
CTIA’s opening keynotes attracted a standing-room-only crowd.
Photo: GPS World
CTIA CEO Meredith Atwell Baker opens Day 2 of CTIA, saying of government regulation “We need engagement not from D.C. but from where you live.” Photo: GPS World
AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega and Glenn Lurie moderated the Connected Car panel at CTIA. Photo: GPS World
A connected Chevy Corvette and Tesla Model S sit beside the stage during the Day 2 Morning Keynote. Photo: GPS World
Jeff Lawson, CEO of Twilio, speaks on “The Ways of the Software People.” Photo: GPS World
Jeff Lawson, CEO of Twilio, comparing “hardware people” and “software people,” says Tesla’s Model S interior forgoes extra buttons for useful, adaptable software. Photo: GPS World
SAP CEO Bill McDermott’s book Winner’s Dream comes out in October. Photo: GPS World
Photo: GPS World
The show floor heat map, by Mexia, uses sensors throughout Sands Expo to show where people are connecting to Wi-Fi. Photo: GPS World
Tobias Eger, product marketing manager for Israel-based Galtronics, displays some of the company’s GPS antennas. Photo: GPS World
Hertz NeverLost GPS navigation system incorporates Bluetooth connection, hands-free calls, travel guides, weather, and flight information. Photo: GPS World
Igor Barinov of Santa Clara, California, and Bhaskar Vooradi of Detroit pour over their work during the Ford App Pursuit Hackathon on the CTIA show floor, with $50,000 at stake. Photo: GPS World
Joshua Carr of Winchester, England, works on his idea for a Ford AppLink app. He’ll present his idea September 11 on the final day of CTIA Super Mobility Week. Photo: GPS World
Joshua Kornoff, president of Allied Drones, started building UAVs for Hollywood special effects and now has branched into other areas. Photo: GPS World
A bumper sticker from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems. Photo: GPS World
Skyworks, started by University of Nevada – Las Vegas students, is now launching drones for indoor use. Photo: GPS World
Cody Remington, sales manager for UASUSA, says his company’s UAVs are “efficient and aesthetically pleasing.” Photo: GPS World
Falcon Unmanned differentiates itself by having a modular payload that’s plug-and-play, says President Chris Miser. Photo: GPS World
CNBC broadcasts live from the Super Mobility Week show floor. Photo: GPS World
Taoglas antennas on display at CTIA. Photo: GPS World
Joel Schroeder, director for strategic development at Inmarsat, says the mix of devices, air time and a standardized API management platform, has the company primed for growth in the next year. Photo: GPS World
The show floor features 1,100 booths. Photo: GPS World
James Trinh, regional sales manager for Aeroflex, says “all the technologies converging at once means more complexing — and more need for testing.” Photo: GPS World
Suitable Technologies demonstrated its remote presence system, BeamPro, on the show floor. Photo: GPS World
Jaron Xu, Marketing Director for Quectel Wireless, displays some of the modules the Shanghai-based company is just starting to market in the U.S. Photo: GPS World
On the last day of the CTIA Super Mobility Week, attendees were registering for the 2015 show, also in Las Vegas. Photo: GPS World
Thomas Seiler, CEO of u-blox AG, and Nick Papadopoulos, president of u-blox America, speak exclusively to GPS World about what makes u-blox the industry leader in embedded wireless technology and about the innovations on display at CTIA. They also give a preview of new products that will be coming out soon.
GNSS modules are a relatively new area of business for the London-based Telit, already the leader in cellular modules. Taneli Tuurnala, CEO of Telit GNSS Solutions, admits that Telit is currently the No. 2 player in the GNSS market. But that won’t last, he says. And here’s why.
Thorsten Hertel, PhD, OTA Specialist for Rohde & Schwarz, gives GPS World a demonstration of the DST200 RF Diagnostic Chamber, which provides accurate radiated testing of wireless devices. He also highlights some recent updates.
Get to Know Maxtena (9/11/14) – On the CTIA show floor, Vanja Maric, Director of Sales & Marketing for Maxtena, explains more about Rockville, Md.-based Maxtena, “the antenna innovations company.”
What To See at the u-blox Booth at CTIA (9/10/14) – In this first clip of our interviews with u-blox executives, Nick Papadopoulos, president of u-blox America, Inc., tells CTIA Super Mobility Week show-goers what they should see at the u-blox booth, #5229 on the show floor.
Taneli Tuurnala: What’s New from Telit (9/9/14) – See the first clip of our interview with Telit GNSS Solutions CEO Tuurnala, on what to expect in the next six months from the company.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission today proposed rules to help emergency responders better locate wireless callers to 911. The proposed updates to the FCC’s Enhanced 911 (E911) rules respond to Americans’ increasing use of wireless phones to call 911, especially from indoors, and take advantage of technological developments that allow for more accurate location information to be transmitted with 911 calls.
The FCC’s current E911 rules require wireless providers to automatically transmit information to 911 call centers on the location of wireless 911 callers within certain parameters for accuracy. These rules, which were adopted in 1996 and underwent their last major revision in 2010, enable wireless providers to meet this accuracy standard based solely on the performance of outdoor wireless 911 calls.
However, many Americans are replacing landlines with wireless phones, and calling patterns are changing. For example, reports indicate that nearly 73 percent of 911 calls in California are made from wireless phones, and approximately 80 percent of all smartphone use occurs indoors.
In light of these trends, the FCC today proposed changes to its E911 rules to include indoor location accuracy — particularly location accuracy in challenging indoor environments such as large multi-story buildings, where first responders are often unable to determine the floor or even the building where the 911 call originated. Determining the location of indoor wireless callers is more challenging than determining an outdoor location, but innovation and technological developments in this area are making it easier to locate mobile devices wherever they are, the FCC said.
The FCC proposes in the near term that wireless providers meet interim location accuracy metrics that would be sufficient to identify the building for most indoor calls. The FCC also proposes that wireless providers deliver vertical location information that would enable first responders to identify the floor level for most calls from multi-story buildings.
In the long term, the FCC seeks to develop more granular indoor location accuracy standards that would require identification of the specific room, office, or apartment where a wireless 911 call is made, according to the statement by the FCC. These standards would rely on the advancing capabilities of indoor location technology and increasing deployment of in-building communications infrastructure.
The FCC also proposed additional steps to strengthen its existing E911 rules to ensure delivery of more timely, accurate, and actionable location information for all wireless 911 calls. In addition, the FCC is seeking comment on whether to revisit its timeframe for replacing its current handset- and network-based location accuracy standards with a single standard in light of technological developments.
While seeking comment on its proposals, the FCC also encouraged industry, the public safety community, and other stakeholders to work collaboratively to develop alternate proposals for its consideration. The FCC emphasized that its ultimate objective is that all Americans – whether they are calling from urban or rural areas, from indoors or outdoors – receive the support they need in times of emergency.
