LA-RICS looks to state, feds for help to salvage public-safety LTE project

Public-safety personnel theoretically are exposed to higher levels of RF emission than other people, because they regularly use portable LMR radios that operate at power levels that are several times greater than a commercial cellular device, and mobile LMR radios in public-safety vehicles provide even greater range operate at even higher power levels—still safely within FCC guidelines for RF emissions, but many times greater than the RF emissions from an LTE system.

Despite this, all safety complaints associated with LA-RICS have been limited to the public-safety LTE network, Mallon said. No complaints or questions have been aired about RF emissions from the higher-powered P25 LMR network that LA-RICS is constructing at the same time as the LTE network, he said.

Mallon said he is especially frustrated by one situation, in which LA-RICS had plans to replace the VHF/UHF infrastructure at an existing tower with equipment to support the new 700 MHz LTE and 700 MHz P25 systems. However, LA-RICS received complaints about RF-emission dangers, even though “the combined RF emissions [from the new LTE/LMR systems] would be less than currently exist,” Mallon said.

Addressing the overall LA-RICS situation, Motorola Solutions yesterday issued the following statement:

“Motorola Solutions believes the LA-RICS project represents a tremendous advancement in public safety communications for first responders and the communities they serve,” the company statement reads. “The LA region places a high priority on its more than 34,000 first responders, and this highly reliable broadband public-safety network would help them communicate more effectively with advanced video and data capabilities that include streaming video, tactical collaboration, dynamic mapping and routing and in-field reporting.

“We are committed to working with LA-RICS and other stakeholders on this unprecedented opportunity and put the most technologically advanced mission-critical communications tools in the hands of first responders.”