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The Essential Guide to Telecommunications, Fourth Edition, which was published in June 2005, is the world's #1 non-technical guide to telecommunications. It reflects the vast changes in the industry, the evolution of mobile and fixed wireless services, and convergence in networks that carry voice, video and data traffic. This completely updated edition explores the new competitive forces, critical industry issues and important technologies that impact network security, reliability and the pace of innovation. The book has been translated into eight languages worldwide. My book can be found at Amazon.com as well as other major booksellers. I have also written articles for the Boston Globe, MASS High Tech, Network World, professional journals and Dodd on the Line, an occasional newsletter for clients. In addition to writing and consulting, I have spoken at and moderated numerous conferences including those sponsored by the California Telephone Association, the Massachusetts Network Communications Council, IEEE Boston Section, Information Gatekeepers Inc., Babson College's Center for Information Management Studies (CIMS), The National Press Foundation, The New Hampshire Public Utility Commission, and SBANE.

Sunday Boston Globe Opinion page article

WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE NOW A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE Author(s):    Annabel Dodd Date: September 15, 2002 Page: C4 Section: Business Wireless services played a poignant role in the events of Sept. 11, 2001, leading up to the jet crashes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pa. They gave the world a bird's-eye view of events on these airplanes, and they enabled people in the twin towers and aboard the doomed planes to say good-bye to loved ones. Unfortunately, in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, mobile networks became so congested that people were frustrated they could not use their cellphones to reach emergency services or connect with loved ones. Emergency workers, including fire and police officers, were hampered by the same network congestion. In their January 2002 report, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury's Public Safety Wireless Network program quoted Rick Keevil, first sergeant, Virginia state police: "Cellular communications failed for the Virginia state police." Mobile phones are an essential feature of complex rescue efforts in national disasters. Moreover, service in wireless networks can be restored faster than in traditional networks. When cellular towers are destroyed, portable ones can be deployed quickly. Within two hours of the Pentagon attack, cells on wheels - or COWs - were in place. However, congestion on the commercial network from the enormous spike in traffic reduced its ability to handle calls. In addition, many of the links between the landline network and the commercial wireless networks were severed. These connections are required for cellular long-distance traffic and calls between mobile and landline telephones. Since Sept. 11, government agencies, carriers, and equipment vendors have stepped up efforts to determine what needs to be improved in our wireless services to handle national emergencies. The FCC has taken steps to improve the efficiency of the deployment cellular spectrum so that more traffic can be carried on given amounts of airwaves. In addition, T-Mobile (formerly Voice Stream) has agreed to provide wireless priority access to key government decision-makers and emergency response teams. In the event of a disaster, calls from officials with one of 2,000 specially equipped phones will be given higher priority to complete calls on the T-Mobile network. But this lessens the capacity available to the general public, some of whom may need to reach 911 centers. The FCC regulates landline telecommunications as an essential service. Carriers are required to report all major outages to the FCC's Network Reliability and Interoperability Council, but satellite and cellular companies are specifically exempt from those rules. Under an FCC program started in 2000, cellular companies have been reporting failures on a voluntary basis. According to the council's latest figures, carriers representing only 43 percent of cellular customers participated. Wireless carriers that receive licenses for telecommunications services and valuable rights to our airwaves need to be held accountable for: * Reliability in the absence of acts of aggression under normal operating conditions. * Sustainability in the event of an attack or emergency utilizing hardware and software redundancy. * Capacity to handle increased call volumes in emergencies. * Security to prevent unauthorized people or organizations from gaining access to networks. Cellular service is used by 45 percent of the US population, and the subscriber base is expanding. Every day more people drop their traditional phone service in favor of cellular service. This trend increases the crucial strategic role of wireless telecommunications for safety, public health, and coordination. Customers with wireless phones rely on them for emergency calls to police, hospitals, and fire departments. Prior to the 1990s when there was little or no competition to the local phone companies, the Bells were guaranteed a fixed rate of return. They were able to invest sufficient capital to ensure that networks were reliable and secure and had extra capacity during crises. Our landline network's worldwide superiority led to the United States' export of billions of dollars in equipment and software, which strengthened our economy and spurred development of compatible global networks. But current market conditions don't reward carriers for investments in network infrastructure. With today's large number of cellular providers, prices have dropped and margins are slim. It is less feasible for carriers to underwrite back-up, redundant systems, spare capacity, and reliability required in the event of failure, as well as service in outlying areas. Representatives from all of the major wireless carriers are working with government agencies to determine best practices for telecommunications services. However, poor market conditions for telecom mu ni cations is an enormous factor hampering efforts to upgrade cellular networks to implement recommended best practices. Private capital cannot be relied upon given current market conditions. Failed investments, shady practices by certain telecommunications firms, and many bankruptcies have dried up Wall Street financing. The result is that the federal government needs to offer financial incentives or subsidies for capital improvements to cellular networks. It is clear that a strong wireless infrastructure is an important economic, strategic, and public safety asset. Market-driven investments and voluntary reports of network outages are not sufficient for ongoing accountability for sustainable, secure, high-capacity networks. We are involved in a war on terrorism in which normal competitive forces are not adequate to ensure sustainable networks.