FCC mandates LTE for public safety network

At least the FCC’s five commissioners can agree on a few things. In its monthly meeting today, the commission voted unanimously to adopt an order and notice of proposed rulemaking aimed at establishing interoperability requirements for a nationwide public safety network.

As expected, one of the requirements is for the network to use fourth-generation LTE technology. “In general, the FCC is not in the business of picking standards and picking platforms but this is an exception,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “There is widespread agreement that this step needs to be taken.”

By using LTE, the public safety community “will reap the benefits of economies of scale” said Commissioner Michael Copps.

As part of its action today, the FCC also established a new public service advisory committee to help ensure that public safety networks will be interoperable. Additionally, the commission requested comments on related issues, such as how to ensure that public safety networks can optimally interface with next-generation 911 centers capable of handling text, photo and video messages.

Many open issues remain

The need for the interoperability requirements arose because about two dozen public safety entities nationwide are beginning to construct mobile broadband public safety networks,
and the commission wanted to help ensure that these networks would be interoperable. But numerous open issues must be resolved before a nationwide public safety network becomes a reality—and some other comments from the commissioners today suggested that there is considerably less agreement on that topic.

The public safety community already holds some spectrum in the prized 700 MHz band. But the license-holder for that spectrum, the Public Safety Spectrum Trust, has argued that it needs more spectrum and has asked that it be given additional 700 MHz spectrum known as the D-block.

Other stakeholders, including the Rural Cellular Association, want to see the D-block auctioned to a commercial operator. The RCA argues that a public safety network will be too costly to construct in rural America unless some costs are shared with a commercial network operator.

Commissioner Robert McDowell today seemed to be in the RCA camp, arguing that “Public safety might be eager to partner with commercial operators.”

But Commissioner Meredith Baker hinted that she might be in the PSST camp, arguing that policy decisions cannot change technical realities. “Due deference must be paid to technical experts and to the guidelines they establish,” Baker said.

One technologist weighs in

One technologist who has argued that public safety needs the D-block is Andrew Seybold, president of a wireless-focused consulting firm with the same name. Seybold argues that the idea of public safety having priority access on a network that would be shared with a commercial operator won’t work.

In an emergency situation, many people will be trying to access the network, Seybold said. “If you have too many people trying to gain access, the signaling channel gets jammed up and you can’t get into the network to get priority status,” he said.