The LMR-to-LTE transition: revolution vs. evolution
The LMR-to-LTE transition: revolution vs. evolution
The National Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) that will be built by FirstNet will establish the first common national infrastructure — based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) commercial standards — for use by all public-safety agencies. This includes both the common backbone, or backhaul, and the over-the-air portion that will allow true national interoperability using the 700 MHz spectrum reserved for public safety.
By using the latest commercial standards, public safety will benefit from larger economies of scale to reduce the cost of devices, while also taking advantage of the insatiable demand for smartphones — now and into the future. Public safety can capitalize on the innovation that is happening today in the commercial arena and translate it into technology improvements that specifically apply to police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS). The real question becomes how to transition from the traditional reliance on land-mobile-radio (LMR) technology. Will it be an evolution or a revolution?
Today’s LMR networks provide the reliability, coverage and dedicated priority in times of emergency that are a must for any public-safety operation. Most public-safety professionals rely on these system characteristics, and the NPSBN must embed these requirements in any future system.
Traditionally, public safety has evolved very slowly, because it has moved slowly to adopt new technologies. However, a revolution—a migration away from current LMR technology as quickly as possible—might be the better choice, if it is executed as part of a strategic, cost-effective and planned effort. This effort would eliminate the reliance on what we love about current LMR systems for the incredible possibilities of LTE, with similar reliability. The largest hurdles will be establishing governance and defining the standards for FirstNet early in the process, in order to create a robust and reliable network.
Given the pace of technology advancements in the cellular industry, a well-planned revolution can save billions of dollars over time, as public safety makes end-of-life decisions on many LMR systems throughout the nation. Public safety can choose a path—with FirstNet providing strategic steps forward—that will allow the nationwide LTE network to eventually replace aging LMR systems (see Figure 1).
This idea may meet with resistance. Current public-safety equipment manufacturers hope to create two systems — and two sets of handheld devices — to generate more income. Further, many believe that voice over LTE will not be as reliable or robust as LMR voice — a debate similar to the arguments for analog versus digital radio systems.
This perception may be based simply on the comfortable reliance on what we all currently know, and the lack of trust in cellular systems that continually fail in major emergencies. The providers freely admit that they did not intend their networks to be used for public-safety emergency operations. As a result, FirstNet will have the opportunity to marry public-safety LMR reliability requirements to the vastly more robust capabilities of LTE.
The most significant challenge—and opportunity—will be governance. Today, governance has led to more interoperability issues than technology. Since 9/11, many technologies have been developed to solve interoperability problems, but the turf battles between various agencies have held back efforts to solve these issues. Each agency has preferred vendors and technologies, based on personal experience, and generally is not willing to step out of its comfort zone.
Thus, the world of stovepipe solutions has been the norm rather than the exception. Today’s grant guidelines promote regional approaches, devoid of stovepipe solutions. But in many of these regions, individual agencies put up every imaginable hurdle to avoid giving up their turf. FirstNet will feel the pressure from industry directly — and through its customers — to allow the same proprietary structure that has prevented interoperability in LMR to exist in the LTE space. However, governance issues could be addressed through the states or other larger jurisdictions, and technology challenges could be overcome by analysis of the current commercial market experience.
Yep lets do away with LMR as
Yep lets do away with LMR as soon as we can, so that we can channel all our extra money to the companies that are so willing to HELP us. Wrong LMR needs to staty inplace and we can continue to use LTE to support us.
my thoughts exactly….reach
my thoughts exactly….reach for more and more. then periodically “advance” technology so it can be sold over again.
once they control public safety we are over a barrel.
I can live without my smart phone.
LTE? For Cops who can’t even
LTE? For Cops who can’t even drive a car straight ahead? Are they kidding? Sure it MIGHT be a good idea for certain administrative and investigative units but cannot replace PTT radio plus we have Smartphones with custom LE APP’s already….Plus our radios are now FREE TO USE and can interoperate with surrounding agencies..What a bill of goods..Hey, at lesat we are not on 470 MHz channels so won’t have to hand them back in…A Cop from a big City who will be long retired when this happens helped make that deal. Amazing.
Is everyone out of there
Is everyone out of there cotton-pickin minds? Maybe LTE is the savior of the eastern seaboard but out here west of the MIssissippi things are a lot different. In my state you can drive for hundreds of miles and never see another car but the still LMR works. LTE with its limited range will necessitate building hundreds of new sites to equate to that our the LMR. That is only one of many deficiencies. Backhaul for all those new sites is another. $7B is not even close to enough money. Try $70B and good luck.
While you only briefly
While you only briefly menttion coverage, I believe it is one of the main factors that will not allow LMR migration especially in rural areas with difficult terrian. Many of these areas do not have any cell coverage. The term “Nationwide’ is very misleading in that nationwide coverage will most likely be based on population, not the entire land mass of the U.S. which will leave out the rural, less populated areas.
When FirstNET covers the 4
When FirstNET covers the 4 corners area [NM, AZ, CO, UT] with in-building, handheld device coverage, THEN my agency MIGHT consider moving away from LMR.
What part of the
What part of the Manufacturer’s desire to “…generate more income” do we not understand? That money has to be allocated to budgets to pay the service provider. Instead of owning the system and not having a monthly bill for each device, now we will have to take taxpayer dollars and allocate it to fund a monthly fee per device. Most department and management do not realize how much this will cost in the long run.
Once again it is the tail
Once again it is the tail wagging the dog. Big business and politicians telling Public Safety Users what they need and what they have will no longer suit them. Try using your smartphone to make a call with your winter gloves on … I think not.
Since when is it a good thing
Since when is it a good thing to put all our eggs into one basket? Especially when it’s a new technology (PS voice)
Most accreditation requirements I have read look for multiple ways to contact first responders for a reason.
LMR is not going away anytime
LMR is not going away anytime soon. LTE is still too new and First Net is a joke.
Funny. Mr Bostic sings the
Funny. Mr Bostic sings the praises of a technology that has yet to be developed and talks down about what is tried and true. Do you think the fact that his company (Raytheon) wants into your business has anything to do with it? Since they have no offerings in the current LMR world, this could allow them to increase their presence. It’s about the Benjamins!!!
Terrestrial LTE coverage will
Terrestrial LTE coverage will be a huge problem in rural America, that is currently covered with LMR. The purported satellite data solution is only prospect, without even a brochure or a prototype to show in daylight.
I don’t foresee agencies
I don’t foresee agencies going to a nationwide LTE network anytime soon due to systems costs. Out here in the west, coverage is much better served by conventional LMR systems. The high cost of sites and regulations prevent the wide spread deployment of LTE especially in mountainous terrain. Not to mention the environmental regulations one would have to satisfy. There are also site hardening costs that would be needed to meet public safety communication standards for service reliability. Getting sites and building them to public safety communication specs would prevent it given the high number of sites which would be required to service the west.
Anonymous from yesterday has
Anonymous from yesterday has it correct. How many times has a stand alone Police/ Fire proven itself. for reliability. Why do (even current day) Amateur (even though they know a lot) operators help out w/ their stations. Because they do not rely on anyone to be on the air. Public safety radio should continue to stand alone. And Congress should give the FCC back the 470 Mhz(Tband) to LMR. Why break something that works well. Ask the Depts involved in tracking down the Boston bombers. Their comms. worked thru the entire episode.
There doesn’t seem to be a
There doesn’t seem to be a consensus as to whether LTE is going to include PTT or be just broadband. If it’s just broadband only, it doesn’t need hardened sites and 100% coverage – which is a much cheaper, more doable, alternative. I’m ok with the broadband only approach and, when combined with existing LMR, it fills most user needs, at a cheaper cost. The universal network, PTT & Broadband, concept is unrealistic and is just trying to line the pocket of big non-traditional LMR companies. Someone please make the final call – PTT or NOT. The future depends on it. If the decision is PTT, then we know the project is doomed out the gate and we don’t have to worry about it anymore. If the answer is no PTT, then we might start doing some long-range planning to include it.
FirstNet sounds like a group
FirstNet sounds like a group of political appointees who have little technical knowledge and even less appreciation for economic concerns. I keep thinking I detect an underlying rat here – a desire to see the deployment of BILLIONS of dollars of equipment without serious regard to technical, economic or operational realities. Even EAST of the Mississippi, there are many areas without cellular coverage. The economics and terrain don’t support good coverage, and yet, we are told that FirstNet will blanket the NATION with LTE for public safety?
A horrible bill of goods is being sold here.