Tailored for TETRA

Although there are other broadband data technologies already in the marketplace that can provide part of a solution, it is important that the solution that we produce for the mission-critical communications market offers the same unique attributes as TETRA itself. These include high levels of security and availability, sharing information between many users simultaneously using group calls and the ability to provide coverage over large geographical areas without excessive numbers of base station sites. These requirements are somewhat different from those driving consumer technologies, which is why we will develop a solution that is tailored to the needs of the TETRA community.

Whilst public safety is a primary user of mission-critical communications, the TA believes that other user groups should be included in the development of user requirements for future mobile solutions. In particular the utilities (gas, electricity and water), transport (rail, road, ports and airports) and the petrochemical industries provide services that are vital to the health and safety of the citizens of this world.

Opportunities in 4G

There is much excitement about the potential of 4G technologies such as WiMAX and LTE in both domestic and professional situations. It is possible that either of these technologies could be utilized by mission-critical users.
LTE is expected to be the standard of choice in the future for the public operators, and is already the standard chosen in North America for broadband data services for the public safety services. However, there are some significant differences between the needs of the domestic user and of those who are responsible for the welfare of the citizen.
Commercial operators provide coverage only where there is sufficient revenue to justify the investment, whereas mission-critical users typically require coverage in rural and urban areas as well as metropolitan areas.

Investment in system resilience is also limited for commercial networks but is vital for mission-critical users. Such users typically work in groups and therefore need to communicate in groups and they may not always be in the coverage area of a base station. This means that direct mode (handset to handset) operation is an important requirement too. If mission-critical users are to take advantage of the coming 4G technologies, then these issues need to be addressed before developments can be planned.

Collaborating

The TA is working closely with a number of public safety network operators and is keen to collaborate with those organizations that are responsible for critical national infrastructure to develop common solutions across a range of industries. At this time there is no indication of any technology that can provide the rich set of features and functionality that TETRA offers for voice communications, and we believe that TETRA will remain at the heart of mission-critical networks for many years to come.

There is no doubt that some, non-critical, data communications can be carried by commercial network operators and LTE seems likely to be the solution favoured by most operators. However, critical data must get through regardless of the nature of any incident – and experience shows that at times of major incidents, commercial networks either become overloaded or occasionally are switched off altogether. Streaming video to a command centre from a terrorist incident, controlling trains carrying hundreds of passengers or getting telemetry from a turbine pumping highly flammable gas are just a few examples of genuinely critical data.

Identifying spectrum

Spectrum is a key component of any dedicated broadband solution and we have been lobbying the European Commission and national regulators to find spectrum to enable the adoption of mobile broadband services. Despite this effort, harmonized spectrum for broadband for public safety and security organizations’ use is several years away. That means TEDS will remain the only technology available for wide-area, mission-critical data service for the next few years.

The TA believes it is essential that standards be maintained and enhanced to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of users, especially in an environment where technology is in a state of constant development. We are working to ensure that future broadband technologies will meet the demanding requirements of those for whom mobile communications are truly critical.

Phil Godfrey is chairman of the TETRA Association, the global community forum