First responders don’t consider a wireless broadband network as a...
First responders don’t consider a wireless broadband network as a substitute for conventional voice radios, Public Safety Spectrum Trust Chairman Harlin McEwen said in a letter and a white paper sent Monday to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Public safety…
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needs the 12 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum that has been set aside for its narrowband voice systems, McEwen said. “There is a misconception by some that in 2-3 years wireless broadband will be an alternative to Land Mobile Radio mission critical public safety voice systems,” the white paper said. “The fact is there are currently no broadband standards being developed or even planned that will allow such an alternative.” McEwen, also chairman of the Communications & Technology Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said he wanted to set the record straight. “Current and planned broadband standards and technologies depend on a network approach while public safety must also have a non-network capability to communicate in emergencies when a network cannot be reached or is out of service,” the paper said. McEwen noted that millions of dollars have already been spent on conventional land-mobile public-safety voice systems in this spectrum. “To stop that progress would be disastrous to the public safety community and the communities they serve,” the paper said. “Secondly, and equally as important, is that the claims that in 2-3 years broadband will begin replacing land mobile mission critical voice radio services are based on lack of knowledge of the possibilities to accomplish this.” McEwen also commented on the cost of a national wireless broadband network. “Estimates of $10 billion to $40 billion have been floated without any real supporting documentation,” the paper said. “There is general agreement that if public safety and the private sector can leverage existing private and public infrastructure the cost can be significantly reduced. One commercial company has said that if existing commercial infrastructure was used their cost estimate would be about $13 billion. Eventual total cost of the network will also be influenced by local build-out decisions. Where local entities or regions want to build out a portion of the national network in their jurisdiction they may each have a different view as to how robust that network should be in their area.”