Emerging Technology Forum

PUBLIC SAFETY BROADBAND

WHAT, WHEN, AND WHY ANDY SEYBOLD

VICE-CHAIRMAN, APCO BROADBAND COMMITTEE

January 31, 2013

Agenda

• Introduction

• What is LTE ?

• Broadband and LMR: Very Different

• Broadband and LMR: Terminology

• LTE: Basics

• LTE: Will it be Mission Critical?

• LTE: Voice

• Conclusions

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Public Safety Broadband Network

• Changing Public Safety Communications

• Designed to AUGMENT and not replace existing Mission-Critical voice networks

• Voice MAY be possible in the future

– Big difference between dial-up voice and Mission-Critical PTT voice

• LTE is the latest broadband band technology but is VERY different from LMR

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Services It Will Provide

• Data to and from First Responders

– During patrol and incidents

– Advanced data applications

• Fingerprints, EKG, floor plans, access to databases

• More information for those responding

• More information for incident command

– New applications not available today

• Local, regional, and nationwide applications

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Services It Will Provide (2)

• Fixed image and video capabilities

– Pictures of suspects sent to responders

– Pictures received by PSAPs from Public

• Video

– From the first responders

– From the scene to other units and command

– From fixed cameras to responders

– To others to help identify bomb type, etc.

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Types of Devices Supported

• In-vehicle cameras

• In-vehicle notebooks and tablets

• Handheld “smartphone”-type devices

• Handheld tablets

• Future

– Combination LMR/LTE devices

– Body-worn cameras and sensors

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What LTE Is

• LTE: Long Term Evolution

– Some call it 4G for fourth-generation wireless

• First cellular technology designed for data and video from the beginning

• PS network based on worldwide commercial standard for the first time

• Means wider variety of types of devices

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Spectrum Used

• 700-MHz spectrum

– Adjacent to Verizon Wireless LTE system

– Adjacent to PS LMR 700-MHz spectrum

– LMR channels are 12.5 KHz wide and support a single voice conversation

– PS LTE “channel” is 10 MHz X 10 MHz wide

• Supports multiple data and video sessions

– Ideal spectrum for wide-area/in-building use

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Base Transmit (Downlink) Mobile Transmit (Uplink)

Spectrum Allocated To Public Safety

By Congress (HR3630) on February 17, 2012

To Be Licensed to the First Responder Network Authority

Single Nationwide

Public Safety Broadband License (PSBL)

(Licensed to the Public Safety Spectrum Trust)

To Be Licensed to the First Responder Network Authority

D

5

PS

BB

5

A

1

C

11

(Verizon Wireless)

B

1

60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

B

1

C

11

(Verizon Wireless)

A

1

G

B

1

PS

NB

6

PS

NB

6

G

B

1

PS

BB

5

D

5

746 757 758 763 768 769 775 776 787 788 793 798 799 805 806

PSBN: 20 MHz of Broadband Spectrum

Public Safety 700 MHz: 20 MHz of Broadband Spectrum and 12 MHz of Narrowband Spectrum

AT&T LTE in

Lower 700-

MHz Band

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What This Network Is; What LTE Is

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Roadmap: First Generation to LTE 1G 2G 3G 4G 1990 2000 2007 2010+

AMPS voice

GSM voice, text, data

CDMA voice, text, data

GSM voice, text, data

CDMA voice, text, data

LTE Data, Text, Voice

WiMAX Data, Text, Voice

TDMA voice

AT&T, others

HSPA+ data

AT&T, T-Mobile

AT&T, Verizon AT&T, T-Mobile AT&T, T-Mobile AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and Clearwire

Verizon, Sprint Verizon, Sprint Sprint/ Clearwire

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How It Works: Network Overview

Wireless Device Base Station & Controller

(cell site)

Network Switching & Routing

Public Switched Telephone Network

Internet & Services

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How It Works: Backhaul Phone connects to cell tower with strongest signal

Registers its ID

Operator maintains directory of active phones

• Backhaul

– T1, fiber, microwave

– Data to operator’s subnet and Internet

– Nationwide: any device works on the network anywhere

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Broadband vs. LMR System Design

The Differences

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LTE Broadband System Design

• LMR Systems Base

– High-level sites

– High-power transmit

– Transmit as needed

– Coverage 20-40 miles

– Omni antenna

• LMR Mobile/HT

– High power (5-100W)

– External antennas

– Talk-around (simplex)

• LTE Broadband Cell

– Low-level sites

– Low-power transmit

– Transmits 24/7

– Coverage 1-5 miles

– Sectored antennas

• LTE Devices

– Low power (250 MW)

– Built-in antennas

– MUST use cell site

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Other Differences

• LMR

– Wireline/control station/microwave

– Low capacity requirements

– Dumb networks • Trunked are semi-smart

– Set and forget

– External spkr/mic

– Channel change by user

• LTE Broadband

– Fiber/microwave

– High capacity • 30-50+ Mbps per site

– Smart cell sites

– Requires network core

– Modify perimeters to handle data demand on real-time basis

– Channel change by network

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LMR and LTE System Differences

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Sites Versus Coverage • SBC Fire Department

– VHF (150 MHz)

– 6 simulcast sites • Satellite receivers

– Covers 95% of county

– Indoor coverage: good to 5W HT

– Connections • Microwave/telco

• Control stations

– One-to-many: yes

• LTE broadband system (proposed)

– 700 MHz

– 62 sites

– Covers 93% of county

– Indoor coverage will be fair

– Connections • Fiber/microwave

– One-to-many: no

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LMR and LTE Terminology Two Different Wireless Languages

LMR and LTE: Different Languages

LMR Speak

• Base station/repeater

• Tower/radio location

• Mobile/HT

• Omni-directional antenna

• Output power in Watts – 5 Watts = 37 dBm

• Connection to dispatch

• Simulcast

• Narrowband voice

LTE Speak

• eNodeB

• RAN (Radio Access Network)

• User device

• Sectored antennas

• Output power in dBm – 24 dBm = 250 MilliWatts

• Network backhaul

• Multi-cast (future)

• Broadband data/video

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LTE Basics

LTE System Basics

• LTE is cellular-based – Mostly low-level sites with 3 sets of antennas, each covering 120 degrees (called

cell sectors)

– LTE reuses same spectrum for each sector and each cell site

– System design is critical because overlapping cell sectors can cause system interference thus reducing data rates

• LTE uses three outbound and two inbound data rates

– Closer you are to cell center the higher the data rate

– At cell edge, data rates can be very slow (256 Kbps or less)

• LTE is designed for multiple antenna use—MIMO

– Can be configured for MIMO from the cell site, one antenna from the device (Verizon’s system) Note: Impact to tower rentals and wind loading

– Can be designed for MIMO in both directions

– MIMO increases range and data speeds

– MIMO reduces interference from multipath

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All LTE Wireless Bandwidth Is

Shared

• Bandwidth is shared – On a sector basis

– Data speeds vary

• Close to cell center

• Mid-range in coverage

• Edge of cell

– Single user within a sector

• Gets all capacity and speed

– Multiple users share total available bandwidth

• Each Cell Site – Divided into 3 sectors

– Each sector has same capacity

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Typical LTE Cell Site at 700 MHz

• Data speeds down to device/up from device speeds/capacity are per sector. 3X for site

• Capacity in each sector shared by all users in the sector

• These are typical numbers, may vary from system to system

• 3 data speeds to devices

• 2 data speeds from devices

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Data Rates for Data/Video

LTE System Basics

• LTE was designed to operate on different amounts of spectrum – 1.4, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz (times 2)

– The more spectrum available, the better the data rates and the more capacity on a per-cell-sector basis

– Verizon building out in 12X12 MHz of spectrum (22 MHz total)

– Public Safety now has 10X10 MHz (20 MHz total)

• Cell sizes supported – 5 Km (3+ miles)

– Maximum of 100 Km (62 miles)

– However, network degradation beyond 30 Km (18.5 miles)

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LTE System Basics (cont.)

• LTE includes many parameters for network performance

– Data rates up and down can be changed

– Quality of Service (QoS) is implemented in LTE

– Various levels of priority service are available

• Networks can be set for static configurations or parameters can be changed based on demand for services

• Network will evolve making use of several types of cell sites – Macro sites—main sites with 3 sectors to cover major areas

– Micro-sites—smaller sites, used for fill in where it is not practical to build full macro sites

– Pico sites—even smaller sites again used for fill in or to add capacity to the network

– Femtocell and Distributed Antennas Systems (DAS) will be used to enhance in-building coverage

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Shared Bandwidth/Capacity • Bandwidth will not be an issue for normal

dispatch, patrol, location, and other services spread out over a city or county

• Where it becomes an issue

– When a large incident occurs in a confined area • LTE coverage from only one or two cell sectors

• In this case, real-time network management will be required

– Priority traffic settings, which videos are important

– Change video resolution/frame rate

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PS LMR IS MISSION-CRITICAL TODAY;

WILL PS LTE BE MISSION-CRITICAL?

Will Public Safety LTE Network Be Mission–Critical?

Super Storm Sandy

• FCC reported 25% of commercial cell sites were out of service

– Most sites have multiple networks on them

– Network operators staged

• Repair crews/parts

• Cells On Wheels (COWs)

– They were out of service because

• Multiple points of failure

• Repairs crews not permitted in area

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Commercial Cellular (LTE) Networks

• Commercial LTE networks are not mission-critical grade

• Cellular networks have multiple points of failure during natural or manmade disaster

• Public Safety needs mission-critical grade networks

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Many Commercial Sites Are Shared

If a cell site fails, all

networks on that site fail

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Cell Site Points of Failure

• At cell site

– Damage to antennas, towers, buildings

• Tower-mounted antennas stand up better than roof-mounted antennas much of the time

– AC power fails at site

• Some sites have generators (how much fuel?)

• Some sites only have batteries (6 hours)

• Some smaller sites have no back-up

– Backhaul (phone line, microwave, fiber)

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Failures Between Site and Network

• Power outage

– Downed power lines, flooded vaults

• Backhaul outage

– Fiber or telco on power poles

– Fiber or telco underground

– Microwave failure and/or antenna alignment

– Switching center failure

– Multiple of the above

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Getting Back into Service

• Power and backhaul services

– Requires utility company to fix/repair

– Generator fuel requires site access

• Tower or antenna damage

– Requires site access

• During and after Sandy

– People, equipment staged and ready

– Access was denied because of hazards

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Good News About Cell Systems

• Outage of a single tower only disrupts a small area

– In a city might be several blocks radius

– In suburbs could be 3-5 miles radius

– Rural might be 10-20 miles radius

• Some sites can fill in for other sites by design

• Cells on wheels can be mobilized

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Downside of Cell Systems

• If a cell site is off the air

– Users have NO communications

– Cellular devices (today) are 100% dependent on the network

– There is no fallback

• Today more than 30% of the population does not even own a wired phone

• Cell systems are “best effort” systems

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Public Safety LMR Systems

• Are built to higher standards

– Fewer, more robust radio sites

• Have one or more fallback modes

– Conventional repeater to talk-around

– Simulcast as standalone repeaters

– Trunked to each site as a standalone

• And ALL have simplex or talk-around

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How to Harden LTE

• If we co-locate on commercial sites

– Higher-rated generators with more fuel at site

– Underground utility feeds

• Not always possible

– Microwave in addition to fiber

• We should also use PS sites

– They are already hardened

– They can serve as “first line of defense”

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LTE Mission-Critical Bottom Line

• LMR (voice)

– Fewer sites

– Fewer points of failure

– Fallback from • Operational system

• Partially operational

• Unit-to-unit (simplex)

– Higher-power devices • More unit-to-unit range

• LTE (data/video)

– Many more sites

– More points of failure

– Fallback: none today • No unit-to-unit (today)

• If VOICE is moved from LMR to LTE, will Public Safety still have robust enough voice?

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NO INDUSTRY AGREEMENT

WHEN OR EVEN IF!

Mission-Critical Voice over the LTE Broadband Network

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LTE Voice

• Commercial operators will, at some point, support

– Voice over IP (VoLTE) for telephone calls

– Non-mission-critical voice

• Some believe commercial operators already providing voice over LTE—NOT TRUE – Except for MetroPCS in a few markets

• Dial-up voice today handled on their 2G and 3G networks, NOT on their LTE networks

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Typical Commercial Voice Services

• Voice for telephone calls

– Single user to network for voice calls

– Dial or receive call from another person

• Push-to-talk services

– Available today on some 2G, 3G/LTE networks

– Each network has own proprietary PTT

– Non-mission-critical in nature

– Ability to assign multiple talk groups

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LTE: Multiple Types of Voice

• Types

– VoIP for telephone calls

– On-network push-to-talk

– Off-network (simplex, tactical, talk-around)

• Two levels of voice services

– Non-mission-critical (administrative)

– Mission-critical (full Public Safety grade)

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On-Network Voice Services

• Administrative on-network push-to-talk

• Mission-critical on-network push-to-talk

– Multi-zone dispatch and citywide

– Incident coordination channels

• What we know

– Non-mission-critical PTT is possible

• What we don’t know

– What else is possible and when

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Off-Network Voice Services

• Most commercial operators do NOT understand this requirement

– Believe on-network voice is all that is required

• Yet it is one of the most important parts of Public Safety communications

• In-building, out-of-network coverage voice communications is still vital!

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Off-Network Voice

• In-building coverage

• Out-of-network coverage

• Multiple channels available

– Wild fires require LOTS of off-network channels

• Easy to use, fast to set up

• TODAY: No support for off-network voice

– PSCR/standards bodies engaged

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LTE Mission-Critical Voice Timeline

Note: Timeline is an estimate based on discussions with

vendors and my own assessment of the technology

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CONCLUSIONS

LTE Benefits

• LTE Public Safety Broadband

– Mission-critical data and video services to Public Safety communications

– Nationwide, fully interoperable data/video network

– Lower-cost devices because they are based on commercial technology

– Public Safety will have full control of the Public Safety LTE network

• Won’t have to share the network with commercial customers or

• Will have full-pre-emptive priority on the network

• Public Safety was given the D Block because

– 10 MHz of spectrum would not provide enough data capability even for routine incidents that will require data and video services

• Public/private partnerships will provide both Public Safety and commercial broadband services to rural America

– And faster than any other proposed rural broadband plan!

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What Public Safety Must Learn

• LMR and LTE systems are very different

– Different design criteria

– Different types of operation

– Different types of applications and capabilities

• LTE systems bandwidth will need to be managed on an incident-by-incident basis

• The networks will cost more to build and operate

– Device prices will be lower and more affordable

• Network construction will be an ongoing process

• How to integrate voice and data networks

• The limitations of LTE for mission-critical voice services

• That both narrowband and broadband networks will be needed for at least a decade if not longer

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How to Get Started with LTE

• Start using commercial LTE networks

– Contract with an LTE network operator

– Start with vehicle-mounted devices

• Add some smartphones over time

– Try out applications/video services

– Obtain devices that will support PS LTE

• Or make a deal to exchange

– Negotiate good pricing, they want your business!

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Questions!