| Editor's Corner: Addressing network resilience, or ignoring it altogether Also Noted: Google Glass to arm police, firefighters; Study: More mobile would make feds more productive; and much more...  Follow @fiercegovit on Twitter
More News From the FierceMobileGovernment Network:
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3. Twitter reports rise in government requests for user information
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Addressing network resilience, or ignoring it altogether
 Wireless outages following disasters present a serious challenge. According to FierceWireless, 25 percent of cell sites in 158 counties in 10 states along the East Coasst were not operational at the height of Hurricane Sandy.
This week a task force responsible for reviewing efforts to rebuild following Hurricane Sandy, issued an extensive report with 69 recommendations; among them: the development of "a resilient power strategy for wireless and data communications infrastructure and consumer equipment." Many hope the forthcoming nationwide interoperable broadband network, now being planned and developed by the First Responder Network Authority, will solve many of the connectivity problems faced by first responders. But as the country prepares for another hurricane season, there's been much discussion around mobile technology and disaster response—and it appears some aren't banking on connectivity at all. At a recent AFCEA event, Karole Johns, program manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster assistance improvement program, said her agency is developing a mobile application for field employees to collect data offline. "While that initially sounds really easy, securing that data on an iPhone or iPad when it's someone else's data an making sure that it is secure and encrypted on the device until it gets transferred up to the system for processing, then erasing it from the device or even protecting it to the point of destruction should the device be lost or stolen," said Johns at the event. FEMA hopes to have their app live in less than 4 months. It will be interesting to see if their app is the first of several disaster relief and mobile innovations working on the assumption of lost connectivity, or if mobile projects will continue to bet on reliable networks. - Molly |
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Today's Top News 1. Coast Guard seeks to replace flight bags with iPad app
 The Coast Guard issued a solicitation notice for an "electronic flight bag" iPad application Aug. 14.
The app would have to work with the hardware deployed in Coast Guard aircraft, which is currently Apple's iPad with the iOS 6 operating system. It would have to include en route navigational charts, arrival and departure procedures and more. Terminal instrument approach procedures will have to display "in identical format to the standard published paper version," the solicitation says, and in a size at least 85 percent of the paper version without requiring users to zoom. The app will need the ability to receive GPS positions, display near-real-time weather, and construct flight plans. Touch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom will have to be supported as well, the solicitation says. For the first year of the contract, the Coast Guard would purchase a minimum of 200 app licenses and a maximum of 1,100. The government would also have the option to purchase licenses during the subsequent 3 years with the same minimum and maximum numbers, though it wouldn't be obligated to order any beyond the first year. The procurement is a 100 percent small-business set-aside. The Air Force signed a contract earlier this year to replace flight bags with iPads. It said in February that the electronic flight bags would save manpower, as the traditional flight bags require someone to sort through manuals and charts to update them. Electronic flight bags also save space, weigh much less than the Air Force's 60-80 pound traditional flight bags, and are more fuel efficient. For more:
- go to the solicitation on FedBizOpps Related Articles:
FAA proposes rule to ban use of wireless devices on flight deck for personal use
VA pilots iPads for caregivers of homebound veterans
State Department is in the market for up to 35,000 Kindles Read more about: Coast Guard
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2. USA.gov, GobiernoUSA.gov unveil mobile-friendly sites
 Recent website redesigns of USA.gov and the Spanish-language version of the site, GobiernoUSA.gov, use responsive design to improve site usability on multiple screen sizes, such as smartphones, tablets and computer browsers.
Responsive design allows a webpage's resolution to fit a variety of browser dimensions and resolutions to optimize user experience. "The same high-quality content will better fit smaller devices," writes General Services Administration Public Affairs Officer David Wycinsky Jr. in an Aug. 15 blog post. The websites' redesigns are also accessible. The sites adhere to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which makes clear that federal websites are to be coded for accessibility by people with disabilities. While website redesigns invariably require an up-front expense, Wycinsky says that responsive design is actually very cost effective. "Responsive design also represents a significant cost savings to the government since the content is developed and maintained once and optimally displayed in all devices," says Wycinsky. "It is also future ready to adapt to new devices entering the marketplace." For more:
- read the GSA blog post Related Articles:
Open source solutions offered through Canada's web experience toolkit
Six things government needs to know about mobile in 2013
AIDS.gov unveils mobile-friendly site Read more about: responsive web design, USA.gov
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3. Apple updates app review guidelines to comply with COPPA
 Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to address the government's expansion of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, reported Apple Insider Aug. 14.
"Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children's privacy statutes," the new guidelines say. Developers cannot include targeted ads and must ask for permission from parents before linking out of the app, the Apple Insider story says. A revised version of COPPA, which now includes online games and apps, went into effect July 1, a Federal Trade Commission announcement says. "The revised COPPA rule addresses changes in the way children use and access the Internet, including the increased use of mobile devices and social networking," the release says. The modified rule was approved by the FTC in December 2012 and also widens the definition of children's personal information to include identifiers such as cookies that track a child's activity online and geolocation information. Apple also asked developers to assign apps to one of three age categories: ages 5 and under, ages 6-8 and ages 9-11, an Aug. 16 Apple Insider story says. For more:
- go to the Aug. 14 Apple Insider story
- read the FTC COPPA rule
- go to the Aug. 16 Apple Insider story Related Articles:
COPPA rule for apps goes into effect
COPPA rule expanded by FTC to keep up with growth of smartphone, app usage among kids
FTC: Mobile app industry failing on privacy disclosures in kids' apps Read more about: Apple, COPPA
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4. EU review reveals mobile cost disparity
 In many ways the European Union considers itself a single market. However, mobile phone users in the European Union pay a wide range of prices for the same services, finds a recent study published by the European Commission Aug. 6.
The difference between a domestic mobile call in the least expensive country for wireless, Lithuania, and the most expensive, Netherlands, is a 774 percent difference. "These price differences cannot be explained by differences in quality, differences in the cost to provide the service, or by differences between countries in consumer purchasing power," notes a press release about the survey. In other areas of consumer behavior across Europe, the price differences are less extreme. A liter of milk varies from €0.69 to €0.99--a 43 percent difference--while an iPad purchase is subject to an 11 percent difference. In many ways, EU consumers benefit from a large, single market, but Europe's 28 national telecoms are not leveraging this structure, says European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes in a statement. "It is critical for the whole EU to move quickly to build a real single market to achieve a truly connected continent," writes Kroes. Kroes is expected to present a new package aimed at strengthening the telecom single market next month. For more:
- read the European Commission's press release Related Articles:
EU official: No contradiction between increased data regulation and digital economy
New EU data protection draft somewhat limits right to be forgotten
Right to be forgotten should be limited, says European Parliament vice president Read more about: wireless carriers, European Union
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5. Canadian government stands by wireless competition policy
 Canada's Federal Industry Minister James Moore says the government stands by a policy instated in June that requires carriers in Canada's wireless market to undergo government review before transferring spectrum to another provider. By reviewing the transfer of spectrum, the government hopes it can diversify carrier concentration in a given region.
"The policy was not invented on the back of a napkin," Moore said in an interview with The Canadian Press. The government is holding strong in the face of a recent media campaign from Canada's large wireless carriers and some unions opposing the plan. Canadian wireless carrier Telus also filed an application for judicial review in Canada's federal court on July 29. Canada's large wireless carriers oppose the rule, which would make it unlikely the government would allow Telus to buy up spectrum from smaller carriers that once received subsidized spectrum from the government. Telus' legal action comes amid speculation that Verizon plans to enter the Canadian market by acquiring struggling carriers Wind Mobile and Mobilicity, reports the Wall Street Journal. This would give Verizon an unfair advantage over Canada's incumbent carriers who wouldn't be allowed to take on these smaller carriers' spectrum. Under the policy, foreign entrants are allowed to buy small Canadian wireless carriers with less than 10 percent of market share. Canada's carriers "were supportive of the policy when we first announced it. It's only because Verizon has made noises about possibly coming into Canada that the anxiety has arisen," Moore told The Canadian Press. Moore added that Verizon may not even pursue business in Canada and the media campaigns are an attempt to scare away foreign investment. "We understand the game, the game that they're trying to play of having me send signals of insecurity about our own government's commitment to consumer choice," Moore said in the interview. For more:
- read The Canadian Press article via The Globe and Mail Related Articles:
Canada to more closely regulate spectrum transfer
Obama memo promotes wireless spectrum sharing Read more about: spectrum, Verizon
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Also Noted > Study: More mobile would make feds more productive. Article (FCW)
> 3 reasons smartphones can't replace police radios. Article (GCN)
> Google Glass to arm police, firefighters. Article (InfoWeek)
> Latinos embrace the mobile future. Post (Mobile Gov Blog)
> Commentary: The missing layer to NIST's mobile security advice. Article (GSN) And Finally… The old websites of your possible next president. Article (BuzzFeed) > Webinar: Federal cloud computing adoption, a look back and forward - Sept. 10, 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT When adopting cloud computing, federal agencies can chose to adopt public, private or hybrid options. During this webinar, we'll discuss real examples of how federal agencies have handled cloud computing. Register now.
| > Predictive Analytics World - September 29-October 3 - Boston, Massachusetts Predictive Analytics World Boston is packed with the top predictive analytics experts, practitioners, authors and business thought leaders and focuses on concrete examples of deployed predictive analytics. Register or learn more!
| > Whitepaper: Analyst Report: Top Government Records Management Solutions What's the best way to advance your agency's digital strategy? Capture, classify, archive, and delete information from across your organization, automatically and securely, through records management. Discover the top solutions and learn what records management can do for your organization. View the report now. | ©2013 FierceMarkets This email was sent to ignoble.experiment@arconati.us as part of the FierceMobileGovernment email list which is administered by FierceMarkets, 1900 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 628-8778.
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