October 2010

The Obama administration is such a strong supporter of allowing federal employees to work from home that it even allowed a government official to be sworn in via telephone.

Massive snowstorms even inspired President Obama to issue stern orders to John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management. "The president made it clear to me that he doesn't want snow, nature, or any other cause to be able to stop our government," Berry told the conference. "Since OPM doesn't control the weather or the plows, telework is the only way to achieve the goal that the president very clearly set," Berry said. The wider use and acceptance of telework is very much on the verge of reality. The Senate unanimously passed telework legislation last month and the House could do so during the lame-duck session. The bill would require federal agencies to appoint telework managers and incorporate the option into contingency operations. Once it's passed, Berry and others plan to make the option automatic for all federal employees who could do their jobs away from the office.

For public safety agencies across the country, an interoperable high-speed wireless network couldn't come fast enough.

First responders want to be able to download and upload large data files from the field and communicate on a network without delays and patchy coverage. Fortunately ultra-fast fourth-generation (4G) wireless technology has been building momentum in 2010, with the latest boost coming from Verizon Wireless. By the end of the year, Verizon plans to launch a massive long term evolution (LTE) network, reaching 110 million Americans in 38 major markets across the country, company officials announced Wednesday, Oct. 6, at the CTIA Enterprise and Applications conference. Deployed over Verizon's nationwide 700 MHz spectrum, the network will extend applications like never before with data downlink rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and uplink rates of 2 to 5 Mbps. To start, Verizon's network will be available in cities such as Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. In addition, 60 commercial airports will also have LTE coverage.

Some public safety entities, such as the Baltimore (MD.) Police Department in a pilot with Sprint in January 2009, have already tested 4G technology.

When seven small independent Nebraska telcos formed a consortium called NebraskaLink, their initial goal was to create a backbone network to serve all of the members. But as they worked together, their plans became more ambitious--particularly after they realized they might be able to obtain broadband stimulus funding.

In August, the group was awarded an $11.5 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to help build three fiber rings in Nebraska. The members are contributing an additional $4.5 million toward the project. NebraskaLink CEO Paul Ludwick believes NebraskaLink won the stimulus funding because of "a basic need in Nebraska." Most places, you talk about the number of people per square mile. But in some parts of Nebraska, he said, "it's the number of miles per person."