Electro/Telecom Industry Trends
TIA Continues to Work with National Lawmakers, Law Enforcement on Security Concerns
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The events of September 11th have dramatically altered the communications landscape. Not only has U.S. business been undeniably impacted and many lives affected tragically, but communications technology's role in national security also is the focus of the attention of Congress and the Administration as never before.
"Our industry's importance in matters of public safety and law enforcement may be gaining more public recognition, but it has been a well-known fact to the public safety community being served. The various agencies of the government, as well as our nation's lawmakers who have worked with us successfully for years, know they can continue to count on us in this very difficult time. The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) will continue with the very important work being done to ensure that public safety and law enforcement officials have the technology and tools necessary to do their jobs," says Matthew Flanigan, TIA's president.
"The recent tragedies re-emphasized the need for global cooperation in order to develop technologies that will balance the needs and privacy of businesses and consumers with concerns of public safety and national security," added Flanigan. "The events also underscored the critical importance of communications and the telecom infrastructure to facilitate emergency response and law enforcement efforts -- two areas in which TIA has long had an active presence."
In the area of public safety and emergency response, TIA sponsors Engineering Committee TR-8, Mobile and Personal Private Radio Standards, which addresses all technical matters for private radio systems and services, including definitions, interoperability, compatibility and compliance requirements in use by emergency services. The TIA Wireless Communications Division also has a Private Radio Section to address suppliers' regulatory concerns in these areas.
TIA also collaborates with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) on specifications for emergency service applications, addressing public safety communications needs of people around the world. Project MESA (Mobility for Emergency and Safety Applications) is a public safety partnership that represents the first international initiative that involves users and organizations from the public protection, disaster response and civil defense sectors. MESA brings together industry and users to produce truly global standards for public safety applications.
Much attention is again focusing on the roles of the Internet and wireless communications in locating both victims and criminals. TIA continues its work on advancing enhanced 911 (E-911) services through its filings with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and through sponsorship of Engineering Committee TR-45, Mobile and Personal Communications Systems, which develops technical standards for E-911 technologies.
Furthermore, the association also has worked closely with the government and will continue to assist with resolving technical issues related to electronic surveillance. TIA met with the FCC commissioners and their staffs on several occasions in order to discuss feasible schedules for implementing Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) wiretap solutions. TIA and the rest of the communications industry will continue to work with the FCC, the Bush administration and Congress to implement CALEA as quickly and efficiently as possible.
TIA also continues in its role as a sector coordinator for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) for the Information and Communications Sector in response to Presidential Decision Directive 63. Lawmakers are concerned about both physical and cyber attacks on critical infrastructures and TIA will continue to work with the various CIP sectors to address response to the September 11th attacks and longer term planning related to CIP.2
2 Primary Source: TIA Telecommunications Industry Association