Reposted
from “Fresh Ideas in Public Safety” by John
Kedzierski on Dec 12, 2013 10:19:34 AM
What seems to be on the
minds of everyone in the industry is convergence. When will an LTE network and
LTE device provide not only data but also Mission Critical Push-To-Talk (PTT) Voice, replacing an LMR system and LMR device?
One network and one
device that meet all your mission critical communications needs is a simple and
elegant concept, so it’s easy to see why so many are enamored by the concept of
convergence. The simple truth is that delivering mission critical voice
over LTE the same way it is done over LMR is a lot harder than just Voice over
LTE (VoLTE). There is still much work to be done by the industry to add
mission critical PTT to the 3GPP standards and bring solutions to market.
While the 3GPP standards
for mission critical voice are being developed and we work to overcome
technical hurdles, it is critical that government agencies are able to take
advantage of the benefits of LTE as soon as possible. To us, that means
integrating LTE into existing P25 systems. We see it as the first step in
the convergence evolution: A multi-network environment where LTE and LMR
networks work together and allow users – whether in the command center or on
the front lines – to efficiently communicate. If you look at the
end-to-end picture, you quickly realize that first responders will continue to
have a device in their hand and a dispatcher will still use a dispatch
application. As a result, you come to the conclusion that the current LMR
to LTE debate is just over the wireless interface – between the communications
tower and the end-user device, be it P25 or LTE. It’s like debating
copper vs. PVC pipes in your house. At Motorola Solutions, we are focused
on building that entire house, which in the case of a public safety
communications system includes public safety grade devices, mission critical
networks, common interfaces, and applications.
Our view is simply you
will have both LMR and LTE for some time, and possibly forever. Government
agencies have invested millions of dollars in robust, redundant, interoperable,
mission critical P25 systems built to be always available during any
incident. LTE technology will not replace that capability overnight, even
when the technology hurdles of mission critical PTT voice are solved. We
simply have to look at the fact that despite the 15+ year availability of
digital trunked radio technology like P25, the majority of agencies still
use analog radio in some form, be it for voice dispatch, tactical
communications such as the fireground, or paging, to know that agencies will
maintain multiple networks for a long time. With the VALR mission critical architecture, we are enabling
agencies to add LTE into their current or future P25 systems, creating a
multi-network environment that leverages existing investments, coverage and
interoperability. LMR and LTE technologies can and do complement each other,
providing public safety with the most robust set of communication tools
available today and for years to come.
John Kedzierski is
Motorola Solutions Director of Product and Solutions Marketing and previously
the Motorola Solutions Area Sales Manager for the States of Illinois and
Indiana.
Motorola’s VALR™ Mission Critical Architecture lets public
safety personnel securely transition between radio and broadband networks, both
private and public. It unifies data sources and services that enable next
generation mobile applications, and dynamically prioritizes information to get
it to those who need it most, when they need it. And it is built on a flexible,
migratable open platform that's simple to manage.