https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
  • 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
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • 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
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
    • IWCE 2022 Winter 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
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • 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

Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet


News

Early public-safety LTE builders share lessons learned

Early public-safety LTE builders share lessons learned

One piece of advice offered: establish a governance structure before doing anything else--and act transparently. Funding and stakeholder education also are high on the list of challenges facing public-safety agencies mulling a move to FirstNet's nationwide broadband network.
  • Written by
  • 21st August 2013

ANAHEIM, Calif.—Officials representing four jurisdictions that have initiated efforts to build out a public-safety LTE system yesterday shared advice based on their experiences during a roundtable discussion at the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) conference.

One of the panelists was Chuck Robinson, director of shared services for the city of Charlotte, N.C., which last week saw its attempt to negotiate a spectrum-lease agreement with FirstNet fail, because the city could not identify a viable business model. Although Charlotte will not be allowed to build out its LTE network as planned, FirstNet officials have indicated that the city can use its grant money from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) for other initiatives that could help FirstNet deploy a network in the region.

“We’re still plugging away behind the scenes to see what can be salvaged out of this,” Robinson said. “One thing about Charlotte is that it often takes a licking, but we usually come back stronger with great performance.”

During the session, Robinson noted that one of the big problems facing the city of Charlotte was its planned operational budget. When planning its network several years ago, public-safety leaders in the area said they would be willing to pay a subscription fee for access to a dedicated 700 MHz Band 14 LTE network that was $5 per month more than the price they could get from commercial carriers.

When the city planned the network, officials expected that commercial carriers would charge $50 per month for an LTE subscription, so Charlotte based its operational business model on a $55-per-month subscription fee, Robinson said. However, carriers today are offering government customers unlimited LTE data plans for $35 per month, meaning that Charlotte would only be able to charge subscribers $40 per month, based on a $5 premium.

To make up for the lower revenue, the city of Charlotte would need another 1,600 subscribers than were included in its plan, Robinson said.

“When you’re talking about a single-county deployment, 1,600 subscribers is a lot of people,” Robinson said.

Because public-safety entities are not required to subscribe to FirstNet, the impact of commercial offerings is going to be felt throughout the country, Robinson said.

“That’s not going to be Chuck Robinson’s or Charlotte’s problem,” he said. “It’s a FirstNet problem, because local government is always going to have to look at their costs.”

This is especially true today, when many local and state governments are under severe budgetary pressure, meaning that some agencies will have to choose between using funds for technology designed to increase productivity, or using them to maintain staffing levels.

“They’re making decisions between technology and cops on the street,” Robinson said. “That’s a tough, tough decision.”

Barry Fraser, general manager of the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications Systems Authority (BayRICS)—the jurisdiction working to build a public-safety LTE network in the San Francisco Bay area with Motorola Solutions, which was awarded the BTOP grant—said some of the key lessons learned by BayRICS is to establish a governance structure before doing anything else—and to operate with transparency.

Meanwhile, one of the key questions concerns who will determine which entities will get bandwidth when capacity becomes an issue, such as during the response to a large incident, Fraser said.

“Who’s going to manage these networks?” Fraser said. “Is it going to be best done at the local, regional, state or national level?

“Everyone agrees that local is going to be the best [option]. But in an urban area like ours, we believe a regional approach might be the most efficient way to manage this network, so we’re not competing among cities and counties.”

Vicki Helfrich, executive officer for the Mississippi Wireless Communications Commission that is overseeing the public-safety LTE project in that state, said that education of stakeholders in the network is important and should be viewed as an ongoing process—a fact that became clear during a recent discussion with the state legislature about the merits of a Mississippi plan to deploy new LMR and LTE networks.

“It got so confusing to them that the question came up multiple times, ‘Well, we don’t understand why you need this, when there is a system in place,’” Helfrich said. “You have to explain the benefits of priority [access] that is provided to public safety and why public safety needs it.

“We even got back to the point where they said, ‘We’re not sure why you need a radio system, because can’t you just use your cell phone?’ You’ve got to be prepared to answer those questions and make sure they understand what mission-critical voice is and why public safety needs the data and the priority.”

Todd Early—deputy assistant director and statewide communications interoperability coordinator for the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is helping Harris County, Texas, with spectrum issues associated with the only public-safety LTE network that is operational in the United States—said that he believes public-private partnerships will play a key role in the deployment of the FirstNet network.

“When you look at this entire network nationwide, there’s no doubt there has to be public-private partnerships and leveraging of the existing infrastructure that’s out there.”

Tags: Public Safety Regulation Funding Long Term Evolution (LTE) News NTIA/FirstNet Policy Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet News

Most Recent


  • Verizon officials highlight role of 5G tech for responders during IWCE keynote
    LAS VEGAS—As the public-safety sector continues to expand its use of data-intensive applications, developments in 5G can provide the low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity to meet these needs, Verizon officials said yesterday during a keynote address at IWCE 2023. Bryan Schromsky, managing partner for Verizon’s public-sector unit, noted that the carrier plans to complete its deployment of […]
  • Day 3 of IWCE 2023 features the opening of the Expo Hall
    A small crowd gathered around a four-legged robot that shifted with lifelike movements, running forward onto the show floor of the 2023 IWCE exposition in Las Vegas, Nev. “It’s meant for public safety and inspection of infrastructure,” said Charlie Robb, chief revenue officer for Common Objects, which had outfitted the Boston Dynamics robot, Spot, with […]
  • Rescue 42 launches miniCRD deployable for FirstNet
    Rescue 42 yesterday announced the launch of its miniCRD (mCRD) for FirstNet, which provides much of the functionality of the company’s Compact Rapid Deployable at a much lower cost.and in an even more portable form factor—two ruggedized cases that are about the size of checked luggage. Rescue 42 CEO Tim O’Connell said the mCRD (pictured […]
  • IWCE 2023
    Safer Buildings Coalition conducts annual event at IWCE 2023
    A common theme ran through the Safer Buildings Coalition’s annual meeting Monday night during IWCE 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center—strength through collaboration. “The perception is that the challenge is ‘out there,’ and someday, maybe the challenge will come here,” said Billy Bob Brown Jr., executive assistant director for emergency communications within the Cybersecurity […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Early public-safety LTE builders share lessons learned
  • Early public-safety LTE builders share lessons learned
  • Early public-safety LTE builders share lessons learned
  • Early public-safety LTE builders share lessons learned

Commentary


Updated: How ‘sidelink’ peer-to-peer communications can enhance public-safety operations

  • 1
27th February 2023

NG911 needed to secure our communities and nation

24th February 2023

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Gallery: The last day of IWCE 2023 dlvr.it/SllQKJ

30th March 2023
UrgentComm

Video: Opening of the Expo Hall on day three of IWCE 2023 dlvr.it/SlkyNy

30th March 2023
UrgentComm

Verizon officials highlight role of 5G tech for responders during IWCE keynote dlvr.it/Slkh9n

30th March 2023
UrgentComm

Day three of IWCE 2023 features the opening of the Expo Hall dlvr.it/Slhgvr

30th March 2023
UrgentComm

Gallery: The Expo Hall opens on day three of IWCE 2023 dlvr.it/SlhfPT

29th March 2023
UrgentComm

Rescue 42 launches miniCRD deployable for FirstNet dlvr.it/SlgdtY

29th March 2023
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: 📽️ More sights from Day 2 at #IWCE23. It's been a fantastic start so far... Thanks to you! Tomorrow is another awesome spea…

29th March 2023
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: Ildefonso De La Cruz Morales, Principal Analyst-Critical Communications @OmdiaHQ takes the stage and kicks off tonight’s Keyn…

29th March 2023

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
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 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.