https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-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
    • Events
    • 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
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • WHY ATTEND
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Registration Opens April 2019-Join Our 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

Broadband Push-to-X


AT&T

News

AT&T says fully compliant MCPTT offering will be available next year

AT&T says fully compliant MCPTT offering will be available next year

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 14th November 2018

AT&T announced plans to make emergency calling and other features of the LTE mission-critical-push-to-talk (MCPTT) standard available next month and deliver a fully MCPTT-compliant offering during the second half of next year for subscribers to FirstNet and AT&T Business services, according to AT&T officials.

New features being unveiled next month will be included in AT&T’s Enhanced Push to Talk (EPTT) service, which will continue to utilize the Kodiak push-to-talk-over-cellular (PoC) platform that is owned by Motorola Solutions, according to Igor Glubochansky, AT&T’s assistant vice president-general manager for mobility product management.

The emergency-calling feature will let a subscriber use a separate button to make an emergency call that is given priority over regular calls, Glubochansky said in an e-mail response to questions from IWCE’s Urgent Communications. Other enhancements that will be unveiled in December include improved interoperability flexibility, situational awareness for assigned users, a more intuitive user interface that is designed to help users that participate in a large number of talk groups.

AT&T officials previously indicated that MCPTT service—based on the Release 13 LTE standard approved by 3GPP standards body in 2016—would be available on FirstNet by the end of this year. Full implementation of MCPTT is now targeted for next year.

“We’re marching toward fully 3GPP MCPTT-based applications, as these standards continue being set,” Glubochansky wrote in a blog posted on the AT&T web site last week. “By the second half of 2019, we plan to have our solutions fully compliant. We’ll also have a broad ecosystem of rugged devices, accessories, and interop and dispatch applications to fuel adoption.”

AT&T’s plan to offer a fully compliant MCPTT solution during the latter half of 2019 will not create a contractual issue with FirstNet, according to a FirstNet spokesperson.

“AT&T’s recent statement would indicate that that they are on track to meet or exceed what is in our contract for delivering MCPTT services on FirstNet,” the FirstNet spokesperson said in a statement provided to IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

In his e-mail response, Glubochansky stated that it is AT&T’s “goal” to have its MCPTT offering meet the 3GPP standard for ultra-low latency and provide proximity services (ProSe) that would support direct-mode communications when network connectivity is not available. Many industry sources have expressed concern that ProSe will not provide the range that users are accustomed to experiencing when they utilize LMR off-network communications.

AT&T officials have stated that FirstNet subscribers would be able to choose from more than one MCPTT provider. Earlier this year, AT&T conducted a procurement seeking offering from potential MCPTT vendors, but the carrier has not announced any selection from that initiative.

AT&T is working with “with longstanding partners, as well as new ones, on MCPTT services for FirstNet,” according to Glubochansky.

“In 2019, we plan to introduce additional enhancements that will include 3GPP compliant features and other key infrastructure enhancements that will get us closer to meeting performance and compliance standards on more devices,” he stated in the e-mail response. “Our plans include increasing the service’s performance and resiliency and fully utilizing the capabilities of the dedicated, physically separate FirstNet evolved packet core. It’s all about the end-to-end experience.”

With the new EPTT from AT&T, agencies and enterprises will be able to manage as many as 64 talk groups—more than previously allowed—while continuing to support as many as 250 participants in a given talk group, according to Glubochansky.

AT&T supports multiple approaches to ensure interoperability between its EPTT service and LMR network that is utilized by an agency or enterprise, according to Glubochansky.

“It works with a wide variety of LMR systems,” Glubochansky stated in his e-mail response. “We provide a cloud-based gateway to the PTT system (along with the needed networking/security solution, like a VPN), and we can also provide a premise-based gateway (such as Vocality ROIP) along with LTE wired backhaul. The customer would then need to provide a radio system with an included ISSI module; or console with CSSI support; or a radio to plug into the ROIP box.

“We have in-field AT&T and FirstNet consultants that provide expert assistance at every step of the way here, plus channel partners and LMR dealers that work with FirstNet customers. We will comply with the 3GPP approach to LTE-LMR interop when it is finalized.”

EPTT will continue to support push-to-talk functionality across a Wi-Fi network, although using the service over Wi-Fi does not support quality-of-service (QoS) or priority services that are enabled when the user is connected to the AT&T or FirstNet LTE networks, according to Glubochansky.

Currently, EPTT service is $5 per month for each business subscriber, or $10 per month when included with commercial prioritization. With the new feature enhancements in December, the cost will be $20 per month and will include commercial prioritization and interoperability support, according to the AT&T web site. All prices assume the user subscribes to an AT&T voice plan.

FirstNet subscribers will pay less for the EPTT enhancements than commercial subscribers, and “many government contracts have lower pricing,” Glubochansky stated in his e-mail response.

AT&T is not releasing any estimates about its pricing for the planned MCPTT offering next year, “but we anticipate that AT&T pricing will still be based on the monthly subscription model, providing more capability and lower cost of ownership than a typical LMR deployment,” Glubochansky stated in his e-mail response.

 

Tags: homepage-featured-4 Backhaul Broadband Push-to-X Companies Coverage/Interference Critical Infrastructure Interoperability Land Mobile Radio Long Term Evolution (LTE) News Policy Project 25 Public Safety Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet Software Standards State & Local Government Subscriber Devices System Design System Operation News

Related


  • NTIA seeks potential new FirstNet Authority board members
    At least three new members are expected to be appointed to the FirstNet Authority board this year, when President Joe Biden’s administration theoretically could overhaul the governance body that oversees the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) being built by contractor AT&T. Three Biden-administration representatives already fill three seats on the 15-member FirstNet Authority board, which […]
  • Smart-building projects target energy efficiency as launchpad to health and safety
    While enterprises take on smart building projects to reduce energy costs, COVID-19 has brought new priorities to the fore. With the continuing spread of the virus, many building operators have looked toward smart building systems to aid with tracking and tracing the virus among workers, physical distancing, contactless entry, temperature reading and other efforts to […]
  • ESN official hints at potentially costly new timeline for UK public-safety broadband project
    A plan submitted seven months ago that called for UK public safety to transition mission-critical voice communications from the Airwave TETRA system to the LTE-based Emergency Services Network (ESN) in 2024 or 2025 was “overambitious” and is being revamped, according to the UK director heading the project. ESN Programme Director John Black did not specify […]
  • Ericsson, Huawei, AT&T attending Mobile World Congress in June, others not so sure
    Ericsson, Huawei, AT&T attending Mobile World Congress in June, others not so sure
    A few high-profile companies, including Ericsson, Huawei, Telefonica, Parallel Wireless and AT&T, confirmed to Light Reading that they intend to send executives to Barcelona, Spain, in June to attend the MWC trade show in person. But a large number of other companies, including Mavenir, Cisco, Intel, Rakuten, KPN, Deutsche Telekom, BT and Orange, said they […]

One comment

  1. Avatar Vince 14th November 2018 @ 10:11 pm
    Reply

    How about working on the reliability of the infrastructure before you roll out nifty toys and tools that NO first responder should be allowed to carry. This will cost lives if rolled out prematurely. I am ashamed this Firstnet and AT&T push has not been controlled by those who could do so. The technical people caring for current public safety systems know that there is no fancy tool or boasting that will matter when the system itself is not designed to last 10 minutes into any disaster.

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

  • Using data to improve emergency response resources in healthcare arena
  • 3 security flaws in devices and IoT that need fixing
  • Newscan: America’s creaky payment infrastructure is showing cracks
  • California PD: ‘Game-changing’ Live911 streaming of emergency calls accelerates responses

Commentary


Ransomware? Let’s call it what it really is: extortionware

21st February 2021

Redefining communications for today’s mobile workforces

18th February 2021

Hi-tech sewer can help safeguard public health, environment and economies

18th February 2021
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

How SolarWinds busted up our assumptions about code signing dlvr.it/Rv25kB

5th March 2021
UrgentComm

Senate American Rescue plan calls for more than $60 million in direct aid for counties dlvr.it/Rv1wGF

5th March 2021
UrgentComm

NTIA seeks potential new FirstNet Authority board members dlvr.it/Rv0YfL

5th March 2021
UrgentComm

Smart-building projects target energy efficiency as launchpad to health and safety dlvr.it/RtyhRY

4th March 2021
UrgentComm

ESN official hints at potentially costly new timeline for UK public-safety broadband project dlvr.it/Rttvzj

3rd March 2021
UrgentComm

Ericsson, Huawei, AT&T attending Mobile World Congress in June, others not so sure dlvr.it/RtrtT2

3rd March 2021
UrgentComm

Newscan: Klobuchar calls on Congress to get serious on tech reform dlvr.it/RtqByn

2nd March 2021
UrgentComm

The era of converged network infrastructure has officially begun dlvr.it/Rtmq62

2nd March 2021

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 © 2021 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