L.R. Kimball Endorses Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan

EBENSBURG, Pa., March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Architecture, engineering and communications technology firm L.R. Kimball (www.lrkimball.com) today announced its endorsement of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) National Broadband Plan.  Mandated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and delivered to Congress last week, the plan is designed to foster increased access to and adoption and use of broadband communications technology among the full spectrum of broadband users nationwide.

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"L.R. Kimball lends its endorsement of the FCC's National Broadband Plan, and particularly lauds the plan's measures in support of public safety and homeland security," said Joel McCamley, ENP, senior vice president and division manager with L.R. Kimball.  "The plan's establishment of a nationwide, interoperable public safety mobile broadband network should set the stage in enabling the public and first-responders to receive and share critical information via text, images and video directly from emergency scenes, representing a significant first step in transforming the speed and quality of emergency response and notification."

L.R. Kimball experts apply their project management expertise to help public safety agencies in communities across the country develop and deploy interoperable broadband communications networks, next generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) systems and cyber security solutions.  During the public comment period, L.R. Kimball experts submitted comments on a variety of topics contained in the National Broadband Plan.  In addition, two of its cyber security experts were part of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) working group that developed a set of NG9-1-1 cyber security standards (NG-SEC) that were approved last month.

Major public safety and homeland security provisions contained in the National Broadband Plan include:

• Support for the deployment of a nationwide, interoperable public safety mobile broadband network, with up to $6.5 billion in capital-expenditure funding over the next 10 years.  The plan asserts these costs could be reduced through cost efficiency measures and other programs.
• Promotion of innovation in the development and deployment of next generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) and emergency alert systems.
• Promotion of cyber security and critical infrastructure protection to increase user confidence, trust and adoption of broadband communications.

About L.R. Kimball

Established in 1953, L. R. Kimball is among the nation's leading professional service companies offering its clients architectural and structural design services, civil and environmental engineering expertise, communications technology solutions and consulting. With a focus on targeted results, expertly managed, L.R. Kimball is committed to offering its diverse public- and private-sector clients a tailored approach designed to meet their needs and budget. Headquartered in Ebensburg, Pa., the company employs 600 at 12 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. Visit www.lrkimball.com.

SOURCE L.R. Kimball