Subject: [NEXTEL-1] DHS prepares to consolidate wireless communications efforts

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 15:15:07 -0500

March 8, 2004

DHS prepares to consolidate wireless communications efforts

By Chris Strohm
[email-masked]
The Homeland Security Department is on the
verge of creating a program management
office for interoperable wireless
communications, officials said Monday.

Senior departmental officials met during the
past two weeks to iron out the details of a
new program office that will help all levels of
government move toward interoperable
wireless communications, said Parney
Albright, DHS assistant secretary for science
and technology. According to Albright,
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will
formally announce the formation of the office
any day.

"Interoperability is a priority for the
department and Secretary Ridge," Albright
said. "We're now creating a centralized
program management office for interoperable
communications."

A primary mission of the office will be
developing standards for state and local
governments to implement when buying or
activating wireless communications systems,
said Charles McQueary, DHS
undersecretary for science and technology.

McQueary said the office will not issue "unilateral standards," but will
work with other agencies and private companies to develop core
principles for wireless communications. "We need to develop an approach
that will let interoperable communications evolve," he said.

One of the main activities that will be folded into the program office
is the wireless public safety interoperable communications initiative,
or Project SAFECOM, Albright said.

The Office of Management and Budget established SAFECOM in 2002 as one
of the Bush administration's 24 e-government initiatives. SAFECOM is an
umbrella program intended to help local, tribal, state and federal
agencies improve public safety response through more effective,
efficient and interoperable wireless communications.
SAFECOM was expanded in January when it absorbed the Public-Safety
Wireless Network (PSWN) program, which was a joint effort between the
Treasury and the Justice departments.  The network consists of officials
from local, state, federal and tribal governments, and conducts pilot
projects and symposiums nationwide on wireless interoperability. At the
time, officials said PSWN was being moved under SAFECOM to pool
resources and provide greater coordination for wireless communications.

Albright does not anticipate that changes will be made to SAFECOM when
it moves under the new program office.

Thomas Coty, SAFECOM's deputy director, on Monday said his office would
issue an announcement within the "next three to four weeks" to field
test and evaluate interoperable technologies. The first phase would
require companies to submit five- to six-page proposals, followed by a
second phase of full proposals.

Coty expects the solicitation to be very competitive and the department
to award two to four contracts by mid- to late July. The technology
should be "open in nature and readily open to standards," he told
executives.

Greta Wodele, of National Journal's Technology Daily, contributed to
this report.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0304/030804c1.htm
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