https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Urgent Matters


Commentary

O’Brien offers intriguing 700 MHz broadband perspective

O’Brien offers intriguing 700 MHz broadband perspective

Many in public safety are anxious to see tangible buildout begin on the much-anticipated nationwide first-responder LTE network, but Morgan O'Brien — the man who first proposed the notion — notes that several key hurdles already have been cleared.
  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 22nd January 2013

It's hard to believe that it has been less than seven years since Nextel founder Morgan O'Brien unveiled his vision for a nationwide broadband network for public safety at IWCE 2006, amid considerable skepticism. Today, the pieces are in place to make such a network a reality — a transformation that O'Brien applauded during a recent phone conversation.

Since Congress passed the law that reallocated the D Block and called for $7 billion in federal funds to help pay for the network 11 months ago, some in public safety have expressed frustration that more tangible strides — in the form of LTE deployments and definitive plans — have not yet come from FirstNet, although sources indicate that could change in the coming weeks.

Even if it doesn't, the change in the public-safety broadband landscape has been remarkable, O'Brien reminded.

"Because you're always looking forward at the next mountain that has to be climbed, you sometimes lose perspective that we have some pretty significant mountains behind us," he said.

Indeed, when O'Brien unveiled his idea that commercial broadband technology should be leveraged to build a broadband network for first responders, the notion largely was scoffed at by public-safety officials. After all, public safety had just worked hard to get the FCC to allocate 700 MHz spectrum for wideband technology, which traditional public-safety vendors were ready to provide, so there was no way to get the 30 MHz of broadband spectrum that O'Brien called for.

"If I look back and say, 'What needed to be done?' for this to be realized, you had to capture that spectrum and make sure that it didn't all get auctioned off; you had to make sure that public safety didn't deploy a bunch of wideband networks, which was the prospect back then," O'Brien said. "While I would like there to be more spectrum, I think that 20 MHz is pretty darn great."

Furthermore, commercial mobile data was in its infancy, so it was hard for anyone in public safety to contemplate what kind of devices or applications that a first responder would use. Even today, the applications side of the equation does not have as much clarity as some would like, but the proliferation of commercial applications on smartphones and tablets in the consumer realm has most feeling comfortable that public safety will find mobile broadband useful.

Then, there was a natural distrust of commercial technology by public-safety officials, even though the need for hardening the system and devices for first responders was acknowledged from the beginning.

"We had to sell the concept of public safety being on a commercial technology — again, that fight is pretty much behind us." O'Brien said. "The conventional wisdom now that public safety will be moving all of these fantastic applications on the basis of a global standard that's driven by global numbers — that's pretty amazing."

Then, there's the matter of funding the buildout of the network.

"I think $7 billion [earmarked by Congress] is $7 billion more than I thought the federal government would ever kick in, so color me extremely happy that it's there," O'Brien said.

In other words, public safety has made huge strides during the past several years toward reaching the goal of a nationwide LTE network for first responders. While O'Brien acknowledges that some very daunting challenges remain — something we'll discuss in future columns — the fact that so many of the vital pieces to this public-safety broadband puzzle have been put in place should be encouraging to everyone involved.

What do you think? Tell us in the comment box below.

Tags: 3GPP Public Safety Commentary Long Term Evolution (LTE) NTIA/FirstNet Public Safety Standards Urgent Matters Commentary

Most Recent


  • FCC approves order to modernize priority-service rules
    FCC commissioners yesterday voted unanimously to approve a report and order that is designed to modernize and streamline the agency’s rules for three priority-service offerings: Wireless Priority Service (WPS), the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) and the Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) System. All three of these services—designed for use by national-security and emergency-preparedness personnel who […]
  • Florida P25 system slated for completion in 2024, will interoperate with FirstNet
    Florida’s efforts to transition its Statewide Law-Enforcement Radio System (SLERS) from legacy EDACS to P25 technology that is augmented by FirstNet broadband service is largely on schedule, with most public-safety users having P25 devices by July, according to an official with contractor L3Harris. Keith Gaston, the SLERS account manager for L3Harris, said that all of […]
  • More Verizon changes: price hikes, departure of biz CEO Erwin
    On the same day that Bloomberg reported on Verizon’s plans to increase prices, the CEO of the company’s business unit, Tami Erwin, announced her plans to leave the company by the end of the year. The developments reflect the difficulties Verizon has been facing amid growing competition in the wireless sector and inflation in the US economy. […]
  • Canada officially gives Huawei and ZTE the boot
    Despite his frothy name, François-Philippe Champagne did not bring any sparkle for Chinese vendors waiting to hear if they would be allowed to sell products in Canada. The Canadian minister of innovation, science and industry had only disappointing news for Huawei and ZTE earlier today. From now on, neither will be allowed to serve Canadian […]

Related Content

Commentary


LTE and liability: Why the fire service must move forward with digital incident command

  • 2
6th May 2022

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

18th April 2022

FirstNet success means no hypothetical ‘shots’ need to be fired, Swenson says

22nd February 2022
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

FCC approves order to modernize priority-service rules dlvr.it/SQmSN0

20th May 2022
UrgentComm

Meet smart city goals cost-effectively dlvr.it/SQmPkr

20th May 2022
UrgentComm

Security for microwave links dlvr.it/SQmNwX

20th May 2022
UrgentComm

Florida P25 system slated for completion in 2024, will interoperate with FirstNet dlvr.it/SQm9cf

20th May 2022
UrgentComm

More Verizon changes: price hikes, departure of biz CEO Erwin dlvr.it/SQlWPT

20th May 2022
UrgentComm

Canada officially gives Huawei and ZTE the boot dlvr.it/SQlGht

20th May 2022
UrgentComm

MITRE creates framework for supply-chain security dlvr.it/SQlFjC

20th May 2022
UrgentComm

John Deere one step closer to fully autonomous farming dlvr.it/SQl7dv

20th May 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X