Caribbean countries prepare to build public-safety LTE networks on spectrum aligned with FirstNet in U.S.

In addition, the Caribbean interpretation of who should qualify as a public-safety entity that can utilize the proposed 700 MHz first-responder networks may be broader than the definition that is adopted in the U.S., Stroud said.

“We [in the United States] think of first-responder public safety as police, fire and ambulance,” Stroud said. “Down there [in the Caribbean], they have extensive security systems in place for the tourist business—Sandals [resort company] has a big security force. For those people down there, those people are part of the system, even though they’re private.

“You have all of the cruise-ship port masters, pilots and all of that. They’re considered part of public safety because, if a cruise ship was to crash and sink like it did in Italy, that would be disastrous.”

Stroud also noted that the impact of natural disasters—notably hurricanes—requires more than traditional public-safety entities to respond, something that Neptune Mobile learned through extensive discussions with Caribbean officials..

“When a hurricane comes up, getting the power up and getting the roads clean is just as important as anything else,” Stroud said. “It’s been really fun to have those conversations, because the need down there is so palpable.

“If a hurricane goes through, it’s a mess down there for months. They’ve got to get past that, and they want to get past that quickly.”