Mobile Broadband Communications for Public Safety - The Road Ahead Through LTE Technology

Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) agencies rely on the use of Private/Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) technologies such as TETRA, TETRAPOL, and APCO 25 which were conceived in the 1990s, in parallel with the second generation (2G) of mobile communication systems. Whilst PMR systems offer a rich set of voice-centric services, with a number of features matched to the special requirements of PPDR, the data transmission capabilities of these PMR technologies are rather limited and lag far behind the technological advances made in the commercial wireless domain. As a result, Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology for mobile broadband PPDR is increasingly backed as the technology of choice for future PPDR communications, and technical work is currently being undertaken within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the organisation in charge of LTE standardisation, to add a number of improved capabilities and features to the LTE standard that will further increase its suitability for PPDR and other professional users. This book provides a timely and comprehensive overview of the introduction of LTE technology for PPDR communications. It looks at operational scenarios and emerging multimedia and data-centric applications which have the potential to improve the efficiency of disaster recovery operation. There is a discussion of the main techno-economic drivers which are believed to be pivotal for an efficient and cost-efficient delivery of mobile broadband PPDR communications. The capabilities and features of the LTE standard for improved support of mission-critical communications are also covered, as is the applicability of Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) models for the delivery of PPDR services through commercial networks.This book offers a wide and deep analysis of the incoming evolution of PPDR domain, covering user need and technologies, normative and economic topics including those in the framework of commercial and PPDR domains' convergence and interoperability. It provides a highly original reference to the driving subjects and trend of PPDR evolution worldwide.Chapter headings include: - Public Protection and Disaster Relief communications / Private Mobile Radio systems / Mobile Broadband data needs and requirements / Mobile Broadband systems for PPDR communications / LTE technology for PPDR / Supplementing LTE / Spectrum use for PPDR / MNVO model for PPDR / Interconnection of PPDR networks / State of play