What seems to be on the minds of everyone in public safety and mission critical communications is convergence.
When will an LTE network and LTE device provide not only data but also Mission Critical Push-To-Talk (PTT) Voice, replacing a Private Mobile Radio (PMR) system and a PMR device?
Having one network and one device that meets all your mission critical communications needs is a simple and elegant concept, so it’s easy to see why so many are attracted to the concept of convergence. The simple truth is that delivering mission critical voice over LTE in the same way as it is done over PMR 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 the public safety 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 and TETRA systems. We see it as the first step in the convergence evolution - a multi-network environment where LTE and PMR networks work together and allow users, whether in the command centre on the front lines, to communicate efficiently.
If you look at the end-to-end picture, you quickly realise that first responders will continue to have a device in their hand and a dispatcher will still use dispatch applications. As a result, you come to the conclusion that the current PMR to LTE debate is really just over the wireless interface – between the base station and the end-user device, be it P25, TETRA or LTE.
At Motorola Solutions, we are focused on building a public safety communications system that includes public safety grade devices (such as the LEX755), the mission critical networks, the common interfaces and the applications.
Our view is that you will simply have both PMR and LTE for some time, and possibly longer in some countries. Governments and public safety agencies have made significant investments in robust, resilient, interoperable, mission critical PMR 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 digital trunked radio technology such as TETRA being around for more than 15 years the majority of agencies still use analogue radio in some form, be it for voice dispatch, tactical communications such as the fireground, or paging. 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 PMR systems, creating a multi-network environment that leverages existing investments, coverage and interoperability. PMR 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.
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 prioritises 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.
Richard Bennett is Senior Manager, Solutions Marketing EMEA.
Richard is on LinkedIn at uk.linkedin.com/pub/richard-bennett/1/19b/238
Follow @MotSolsEMEA on Twitter. Follow #MissionCriticalHandheld
Join the Motorola Solutions Community EMEA at http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Motorola-Solutions-Community-6519590/about
Entries » Blog » PMR and LTE Working Together For Public Safety Author: Richard Bennett
PMR and LTE Working Together For Public Safety Author: Richard Bennett
What seems to be on the minds of everyone in public safety and mission critical communications is convergence.
When will an LTE network and LTE device provide not only data but also Mission Critical Push-To-Talk (PTT) Voice, replacing a Private Mobile Radio (PMR) system and a PMR device?
Having one network and one device that meets all your mission critical communications needs is a simple and elegant concept, so it’s easy to see why so many are attracted to the concept of convergence. The simple truth is that delivering mission critical voice over LTE in the same way as it is done over PMR 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 the public safety 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 and TETRA systems. We see it as the first step in the convergence evolution - a multi-network environment where LTE and PMR networks work together and allow users, whether in the command centre on the front lines, to communicate efficiently.
If you look at the end-to-end picture, you quickly realise that first responders will continue to have a device in their hand and a dispatcher will still use dispatch applications. As a result, you come to the conclusion that the current PMR to LTE debate is really just over the wireless interface – between the base station and the end-user device, be it P25, TETRA or LTE.
At Motorola Solutions, we are focused on building a public safety communications system that includes public safety grade devices (such as the LEX755), the mission critical networks, the common interfaces and the applications.
Our view is that you will simply have both PMR and LTE for some time, and possibly longer in some countries. Governments and public safety agencies have made significant investments in robust, resilient, interoperable, mission critical PMR 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 digital trunked radio technology such as TETRA being around for more than 15 years the majority of agencies still use analogue radio in some form, be it for voice dispatch, tactical communications such as the fireground, or paging. 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 PMR systems, creating a multi-network environment that leverages existing investments, coverage and interoperability. PMR 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.
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 prioritises 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.
Richard Bennett is Senior Manager, Solutions Marketing EMEA.
Richard is on LinkedIn at uk.linkedin.com/pub/richard-bennett/1/19b/238
Follow @MotSolsEMEA on Twitter. Follow #MissionCriticalHandheld
Join the Motorola Solutions Community EMEA at http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Motorola-Solutions-Community-6519590/about