Broadband Push-to-Talk for Government. A frank discussion on the differences between Mission Critical LMR, Standards Based Broadband PTT, and Proprietary PTT Solutions
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 2 PM EDT
Our mission for public safety.
Join us for a discussion on the current status of the Broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT) industry. We’ll focus primarily on the North American Government sector, and discuss the ‘carrier integrated’ and ‘over the top’ options available. We’ll be discussing features, benefits, performance & security. How will recent legislation, including FedRAMP impact the Broadband PTT communication sector?
We believe that as a member of the broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT) vendor community, it is our responsibility to work with first responders to provide solutions that meet the specific needs of their mission. It is also our responsibility to work with others in the vendor community to ensure that regardless of which PTT solution an agency selects, it will be compatible with other available solutions.
Mission Critical Land Mobile Radio (LMR) PTT networks are very different from Broadband PTT networks. LMR networks operate over dedicated & licensed spectrum, and with a limited but welled set of infrastructure, radios and accessories. On the other hand, Broadband PTT networks operate over commercial, enhanced-commercial (i.e. FirstNet, Frontline), private LTE and satellite networks. Broadband PTT operates across a broad range of devices, operating systems and operating system versions. It operates in the presence of third-party applications, some of which are poorly developed and minimally tested, and finally, a myriad of third-party accessories.
In most circumstances, we do not believe Broadband PTT is a viable replacement for mission critical LMR networks. The 3GPP’s “Mission Critical Push-to-Talk” (MCPTT) is a marketing line, but not accurate to the technology’s capabilities. However, Broadband PTT solutions do offer many advantages over LMR solutions, and there are specific missions where Broadband PTT is a better option that LMR. Some of these advantages include improved coverage, high-definition voice quality, and enhanced features and services, and integrated solutions.
At ESChat, our mission is to provide secure and interoperable in multiple dimensions.
- Inter-Carrier: Broadband PTT that works over any wireless carrier, private wireless network (5G/4G/WiFi) or satellite service.
- Inter-Agency Communications: Native communications between agencies for mutual-aid or tactical purposes.
- Inter-System Interoperability: Seamless interoperability between Broadband PTT, LMR, 3rd Party Dispatch, and Logging Recorder Systems.
- Inter-Vendor Interoperability: Simple and seamless interoperability between Broadband PTT Vendor Solutions.
Our products are designed for public safety and first responder use. We work with nine of the fifteen departments of the US federal government, including all branches of the DoD. Therefore, on the security side of the house we take things a bit more seriously than others. FedRAMP is now the law. Any cloud service offering that a federal agency wishes to deploy must be FedRAMP Authorized.
What is FedRAMP?
FedRAMP empowers Government customers with access to modern cloud technologies, with an emphasis on security and protection of federal information. In December 2022, the FedRAMP Authorization Act was signed as part of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Act codifies the FedRAMP program as the authoritative standardized approach to security assessment and authorization for cloud computing products and services that process unclassified federal information.
When Is FedRAMP Required?
FedRAMP is required for any cloud service provider (CSP) who has developed a cloud service offering (CSO) designed to work with a federal agency. Whenever a federal agency shares sensitive federal data on the cloud, it must adhere to FedRAMP standards.
Speakers:
Josh Lober, ESChat, President
Mr. Lober is President/CEO of SLA Corporation, the parent company of ESChat. Since its foundation in 1991, SLA has developed numerous wireless solutions for government, commercial and military applications. SLA’s commercial wireless history includes 1G thru 4G network infrastructure, specifically AMPS, ETACS, IS-136, CDMA 1xEVDO and LTE. SLA developed its first Push to Talk over Cellular (PTToC) solution in 2003 using the “iTalk” and “PoC” standards. SLA’s team opted to create a more efficient PTToC solution which became Enterprise Secure Chat (ESChat), today’s leading broadband PTToC solution for military, public safety and business enterprise use.
Prior to SLA, Mr. Lober held positions at 3dbm, Inc. and Gould Electronics where he worked on military RADAR systems. He also worked at Biocom, Inc., where he worked on the company’s orange “paramedic radio” made famous in the TV show Emergency. Mr. Lober holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Moderator:
Donny Jackson
Director, Content, IWCE’s Urgent Communications
Donny Jackson is director of content for IWCE’s Urgent Communications. Before joining IWCE UC in 2002, he covered telecommunications for four years as a freelance writer and as news editor for Telephony magazine. Prior to that, he worked for suburban newspapers in the Dallas area, serving as editor-in-chief for the Irving News and the Las Colinas Business News.
To register for the webinar, click here.
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