Public-safety agencies should get ready for carrier-provided P25 managed services

By Alphonso Hamilton

If there is anyone out there who doubts that the public-safety community will accept hosted P25 services, who still wonders if telecommunications carriers will invest in public-safety-grade networks, who still questions the merits of shared land-mobile-radio systems, today I will provide the answer.

The answer is demonstrated by the increasing number of hosted P25 systems that are being deployed throughout various states such as Michigan, Illinois, and Mississippi. It is the answer that can be seen in the shared network scenarios that are being contemplated by FirstNet for Band-14 LTE. It is the answer that can be found in the quest of the public-safety community to achieve greater spectrum efficiencies and lower costs.

Many state and local governments are struggling with debt obligations and will be required to defer—or even cancel—capital programs. Some agencies have grant funding to buy new P25 radio subscribers  but have limited or no funding to purchase a P25 network. Also, the public-safety community now has a greater appreciation for the “proprietary tax” that is paid for today’s closed single-vendor radio systems, which can limit interoperability and stifle innovation. 

In a July 2010 letter that was sent to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, then FCC Chairman Genachowski said that “proprietary solutions and market dominance play an important role in the problems with interoperability, innovation, cost….” He further stated that the current structure of the public-safety equipment market may hinder efforts to achieve interoperability.

Within recent years, however, there is a surge of demand for alternatives to the traditional approach of buying, owning, and operating a mission-critical radio system. Many public-safety agencies have indicated that carrier-provided, hosted P25 services that were once an improbable option are now a service that is desired and is being purchased.

This research is confirmed by the increasing number of municipalities in North America that are buying hosted P25 services from carriers. For example, Bell Canada Public Safety Network (PSN) in Québec is providing hosted P25 services to 22 cities located outside of Montreal. 

Within the past year, Bell Canada also executed an agreement with the city of Ottawa to provide hosted P25 services.  The city of Ottawa cited the following operational and cost benefits of partnering with a Telecommunications Carrier:

• The city is getting new radios through a competitive process with reduced capital outlays;
• The city is paying a fixed subscription cost that includes full maintenance;
• The city removed the operational risks associated with ownership of the current radio system that is approaching end-of-life;
• The city can increase interoperability and reduce operating cost by inviting partner agencies to participate in the city’s system; and
• Although the city pays higher maintenance fees, the overall cost of the P25 services during its 10-year term is comparable with a purchased system.

So, how do you get started?  Here are three things that could generate the excitement, understanding, and approvals you’ll need to obtain P25 as a Service.