Friday fragments - comms news from around the web for 28 February 2014

A round-up of the week's critical communications and public safety radio news for Friday, 28 February 2014.

Telstra doesn't waste time. With the 700 MHz digital dividend auction barely dry, Telstra has announced that it will market five LTE devices in the next few months, well ahead of the band going live next year. Meanwhile, Telstra is partnering with Huawei to launch what they say is the world's first LTE Cat-6 mobile broadband device - a battery powered mobile hotspot - in Australia, following recent tests of Cat-6 aggregation.

Airline alert system. Canadian North Airlines has chosen Send Word Now to supply incident management and emergency notification services, via SMS, phone and email. In addition to sending urgent messages to airline staff, the system will enable staff to respond, enhancing accountability and safety.

Reverse 911 for 99. The US state of Iowa has taken the first step to provide a state-wide emergency messaging system for all its 99 counties. Currently, 53 counties have some form of messaging system, but the other 46 do not. A bill authorising the system has been passed by the state senate and now has to be approved by the house and the governor.

Datron retires radios, sues Etherstack. Military comms manufacturer Datron World Communications has chosen to discontinue production of its Guardian 2 P25 radio, saying it is “no longer a viable solution to offer to public safety agencies". The company says it has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Etherstack PLC, citing multiyear delays in receiving contract deliverables, which have resulted in delays in the release of the product line.

Germany tests LTE Broadcast. Vodaphone and Ericsson trialled LTE video broadcast at a soccer match at the Borussia Monchengladbach stadium on 22 February. The evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service uses single frequency network technology.

In the hot seat. Two US Air Force flying cadets got more than they bargained for during a routine training flight, when the radios in the cockpit decided to burst into flames. "We immediately turned off all electrical switches and had to shout to one another to communicate," said Cadet 1st Class Stefan Morell. "We looked for light gun signals below. When the tower realises they can't communicate with you, they'll point a high-powered flashlight at you. When you see a flashing green light that means you're clear to land." But that wasn't the end of their troubles - they also had a near-miss when they were coming in to land!

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