DoD iDEN

[MacombMonitor]

I ran across this today! Wonder how it will affect our hobby?



DoD iDEN

The United States of America has come to a fundamental conclusion about its national communications infrastructure post-9/11 in regards to homeland security; it's broken. The Department of Defense, working with the FCC, DHS, the President, and Congress has brokered a framework agreement to purchase Sprint Nextel's iDEN network as the first phase of a national overhaul of its security framework in regards to communication.

The plan is simple; everyone involved in securing this nation will be on the same network. This network will be using an encrypted iDEN sequence, ensuring that all soldiers, first responders, and chain of command will be able to contact each other. This is especially in the event of a series of disasters in concert (say, for example, multiple terrorist attacks in multiple major metropolitan areas simultaneously).

We do not intend to disclose details of the inner-workings or how DoD iDEN will differ from the current iDEN. We will only say that the transition will be announced approximately two to three years from the deprecation date of iDEN at 2010. All Nextel customers will be issued dual-network CDMA/iDEN handsets, so that as iDEN is barred from consumer use, CDMA will take its place.

[Joseph11]

It looks like iDEN is going to be government/public safety exclusive and CDMA will take it's place in cell phones. It also looks like we're not going to be able to listen to any homeland security operations, and I don't think it'll solve any Inter-Op problems. P25 is the way to go.

[N_Jay]

The first post in this thread is a "Speculation" at best, and more likely complete fabrication.

It is from a BLOG and has been well discredited on a wireless industry discussion forum.

Further discussion (which is likely to happen here ) is really quite worthless.

http://www.pcsintel.com/modules.php?...ticle&sid=1100

[DaveH]

All I can say is ....YIKES! Who's coming up with this stuff?

What does encryption have to do with inter-operability? If anything, it's
an impediment.

So let me get this straight. Nextel/FCC is putting Public Safety through this re-
banding ordeal so in four years or so when iDEN becomes obsolete,
will be handed over to (dumped on?) Public Safety. Just think, PS could
then interefere with ITSELF without any help from Nextel.

The batwing company will probably get huge amounts of money to mutate
iDEN into just the right flavour for DoD/DHS. Owell, another big corporation
over to the dark side...or maybe, they're there already.

Dave

[mciupa]

"We will only say that the transition will be announced approximately two to three years from the deprecation date of iDEN at 2010

So we should mark the year 2013 as D - Day ?

No, wait a minute, Nostradamus predicts the end of the world in 2012 so it's a moot point.
You had me worried there for a second !

[MacombMonitor]

If it's true, or not, I don't know, but the story is definitely picking up momentum! Do a Google search on DOD IDEN, you find numerous hits. Then again, it could be one of those... "If you read it on the Internet, then it must be true!" things.

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by MacombMonitor

If it's true, or not, I don't know, but the story is definitely picking up momentum! Do a Google search on DOD IDEN, you find numerous hits. Then again, it could be one of those... "If you read it on the Internet, then it must be true!" things.

Work back and you will see they all refer back to the page I posted, or use nearly the same words.

Lets see if the DOD wants to use Part 90 spectrum it would take a major realignment of the NTIA and FCC responsibilities (not mentioned in the BLOG post).

Can someone explain how the DOD "brokers a framework agreement to purchase" anything with the government procurement regulations?

And what does the DOD have to do Homeland Security communications. It would be DHS-ODP, and DHS-OST.

[wayne_h]

It's all pipe dreams. I've heard nothing about it and I work for the company. Everything I hear says we plan on keeping the iDEN network.

-Wayne

[Southtown800]

will they be "Radio Like" phones or just regular Cells?....i think all this IDEN/Nextel/Sprint Blah Blah Blah is bull...i am sure they are more subject to hackers as the Voice IP Networks are using the internet...why cant they just stick with good old fashion 2 way communications?....i guess the world of scanning is gonna take a big hit in the next ten years...we've already lost alot of monitoring to "MPT-1327/LTR Passport/MultiNet and other types of un-monitorable systems....where do we go from here?

[colheli]

The original rumor was that the government would buy, in total, Sprint's existing iDen network. The idea being that many major metropolitan areas were already linked via this system, and the government would not have to build out trillions of dollars of infrastructure. The rumor I heard, was that it would be a back up system. If a locality's primary system failed, then they could fall back on the existing Sprint (which would be owned by the gov'mint by then) network. This would also allow many rural agencies to "solve" their interoperability woes without having to sell their daughters (which is not an altogether unpleasant thought, if you live in certain states that seem to have an abundance of incredibly attractive women, i.e.: Georgia and California). But, I digress..... DoD will have a HUGE role in any DHS communication planning, as DoD will provide the vast majority of the manpower that will be utilized by DHS. Will it ever happen? Probably not. But, it is not as far fetched as it appears to be, on the surface.

[Southtown800]

what system are they on now??....i know they mostly abandon their 2 way communications God Forbid we ever were nuked and their was no Iden or VoIP because of Fallout, would they fallback on good old radios?

[colheli]

Originally Posted by Southtown800

what system are they on now??....i know they mostly abandon their 2 way communications God Forbid we ever were nuked and their was no Iden or VoIP because of Fallout, would they fallback on good old radios?

Not just radios.........but the 70 and 80 year old Ham radio operators, who are still working with tubes. Transistorized radios would get fried by the EMP. Which is why the Ruskies continued to develop tube radios, when the rest of the world went solid state.

[Southtown800]

i am telling you....they think all these "IDEN" Fancy Pants so called "Secure" Networks are gonna be the next big thing.....wait until we get hit by some super virus by some little 13 year old behind a computer in london.....nothing is secure anymore....dont you people remember T-3????

[MacombMonitor]

Here is a little more comentary from perhaps a more reliable source:


http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6279676.html

[MacombMonitor]

Originally Posted by Southtown800

i am telling you....they think all these "IDEN" Fancy Pants so called "Secure" Networks are gonna be the next big thing.....wait until we get hit by some super virus by some little 13 year old behind a computer in london.....nothing is secure anymore....dont you people remember T-3????

Don't worry, they always keep a couple of those vintage Browning Golden Eagle 23 channel CB's around for the important stuff!

I think most of the critical comms are handled via satellite these days, and they still have a lot of HF gear around for when things really get down, and dirty!

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by Southtown800

will they be "Radio Like" phones or just regular Cells?....

They won't be at all!

Originally Posted by Southtown800

i think all this IDEN/Nextel/Sprint Blah Blah Blah is bull . .

Smartest thing said in this thread

Originally Posted by Southtown800

i am sure they are more subject to hackers as the Voice IP Networks are using the internet...
why cant they just stick with good old fashion 2 way communications?....
i guess the world of scanning is gonna take a big hit in the next ten years..

Hu?
They are.
Hu? (again)

Originally Posted by Southtown800

we've already lost alot of monitoring to "MPT-1327/LTR Passport/MultiNet and other types of un-monitorable systems....where do we go from here?

Relax

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by colheli

The original rumor was that the government would buy, in total, Sprint's existing iDen network. . . . The rumor I heard, was that it would be a back up system. . . . But, I digress..... DoD will have a HUGE role in any DHS communication planning, as DoD will provide the vast majority of the manpower that will be utilized by DHS. Will it ever happen? Probably not. But, it is not as far fetched as it appears to be, on the surface.

The operative word is Rumor.

Take a look at the DHS web site and see where you figure the DOD fits in to current purchases.

Nope, it (based on that one BLOG post) really IS as far fetched as it sounds.

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by MacombMonitor

Here is a little more comentary from perhaps a more reliable source:


http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6279676.html

Other than mentioning the other BLOG posting it says NOTHING that would add any support to the first set of rumors.

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by N_Jay

The first post in this thread is a "Speculation" at best, and more likely complete fabrication.

It is from a BLOG and has been well discredited on a wireless industry discussion forum.

Further discussion (which is likely to happen here ) is really quite worthless.

How did I guess!

[MacombMonitor]

Originally Posted by N_Jay

Other than mentioning the other BLOG posting it says NOTHING that would add any support to the first set of rumors.

That is exactly why I said it was information from a more reliable source!