Friday fragments - comms news from around the web for 21 November 2014

A round-up of the week's critical communications and public safety radio news for Friday, 21 November 2014.

Call for speakers. The Australia & New Zealand Search & Rescue Conference is seeking speakers for the 2015 program. Submissions close Friday, 30 January 2015.

APCO-A 2015 exhibition. Organisers of the 2015 APCO Australasia Conference and Exhibition are inviting potential exhibitors to get in touch to reserve their space. You can view the floor plan and book your exhibition space here.

Keeping in touch on an ocean race. Featuring crew from each of the teams, the video below captures the intense highs and lows of life at sea, when satellite connectivity delivers essential tactical information and a means of keeping in touch with loved ones back at home:

UK military spectrum auction. UK telecoms authority Ofcom “intends to hold an auction for a total of 190 MHz of spectrum in … two bands [2.3 and 3.4 GHz] - equivalent to around three-quarters of the airwaves released by Ofcom through the 4G auction in 2013. The spectrum is currently used by the Ministry of Defence and is being made available as part of a wider government initiative to free up public sector spectrum for civil uses."

Microsoft's whitespace plans. Microsoft in India is seeking permission from authorities to use TV band whitespace to provide wireless services in rural and remote areas.

Mayday call to be investigated. Still in India, and authorities are looking into how distress calls were made from the cockpit of an Airbus 319 owned by Mukesh Ambani, India's wealthiest man. After sending ATC on a wild goose chase for two hours looking for an aircraft in distress, it was found to be parked on the ground in Mumbai. Apparently someone was testing the aircraft's radio by sending a simulated distress call, but forgot to tell ATC about it.

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