FirstNet deployments now appear to be on the horizon, and Ceragon Networks looks at what should local entities do in the meantime
Slowly but surely, FirstNet is moving forward. Emphasis on the slowly; work on developing plans to build the nationwide emergency services network began in 2013, and the First Responder Network Authority just recently completed accepting applications for its RFP to build out the network, with all that it entails.
And it entails a lot. The company that wins the contract will have to fulfill 16 core tasks, which include everything from building the nationwide public safety broadband network to developing apps for it to ensuring cybersecurity to integrating it with non-FirstNet radio access networks.
It’s likely to take years for FirstNet to be fully implemented; the consortium of companies to carry out the extensive work needed just now getting off the ground, and that consortium is going to have coordinate with agencies, states, local authorities, service providers and an army of regulators before the work is done.
But the challenges FirstNet was designed to meet when it was first proposed in 2012 won’t wait; the needs that were obvious back then – the need for a nationwide network to provide first responders with a resilient method that will provide communications capabilities using new technologies, one that will enable first responders “to take advantage of cutting edge broadband communication services, devices, and applications,” and “be able to withstand the elements and recover rapidly from disruptions, including deliberate attacks, accidents, or naturally occurring weather situations,” among other things – are valid now. “We owe it to our nation’s first responders to ensure they have reliable and interoperable communications all of the time,” according to FirstNet, and that debt is a current one, not a future one.
But what happens in the meantime? As technology gets better, local rescue and law enforcement services are going to want – need, actually – to take advantage of new devices and systems. But with FirstNet coming, does it make sense to independently acquire new technologies that may not be completely compatible with the national system? For example, FirstNet, of course, will offer a RAN, connection with which will require advanced equipment that can use the Band 14 connections offered by FirstNet. That’s an expensive outlay for many local authorities, however; it might be more economical to remain with its already existing commercial provider because of convenience, interoperability and the fact the equipment that connects to it is already in their possession. Which way to go?
That’s just one example of the many decisions that local authorities are going to have to make in the coming years, as FirstNet, slowly but surely, comes on line. Below are some ways for local authorities to cope with the decision-making process:
Assessment
The first step in any successful plan is, of course, knowing what you’re up against. Actually, an assessment of hardware, software and communications protocols is something local authorities are going to be asked to do by their FirstNet state coordinators at some point in the near future as the coordinators decide how to build out the network.
Among the items that need to cataloged are the location of assets, like existing land mobile radio tower sites, to determine if their location is critical (and to ensure that they can be adapted to use with FirstNet) and structural evaluations (to determine, for example, if additional equipment can be added to the site if needed. without structural engineering work). An evaluation of existing microwave and fiber infrastructure needs to be made to determine whether it can be leveraged to integrate with FirstNet (which the system will welcome in order to help states and local authorities save money). Ditto for assets where microwave or LTE equipment could be installed; if states or local authorities already own the rights to rooftops or other sites where such equipment can be installed, they can save themselves money and the strain that comes with negotiating contracts for new easements.
Needs analysis
Just what services does a local authority need? What do they most rely on? What up and coming technologies appear most useful and promising for the kind of work they do? Deciding these questions will help local authorities put together shopping lists that will help them decide what to invest in now and what to wait on.
For example, many local authorities will welcome the secure broadband capacity FirstNet will offer, which will enable them to deploy advanced devices and IP-based equipment, like wireless video for use in vehicles, body cameras and tablets or smartphones. Currently, many local authorities are still relying on mission-critical voice systems, but see the obvious advantage of connected video. The question is how much to invest now, with the limited capacity they can afford (as they are purchasing network connectivity from a cellphone service provider) – taking a chance that by the time the FirstNet system rolls out in their neighborhoods the equipment they buy now may already be out of date.
It might just make sense to wait a few years before equipping all officers or rescue workers with state of the art equipment, which may not be so state of the art by the time they can get maximum use out of it. One thing local authorities can do is acquire equipment and infrastructure that will usable now and later. Fortunately, there are such solutions on the market; it’s up to local authorities to educate themselves on their choices and make the appropriate ones.
Gap analysis
Once we know what we have and what we need, we can make better decisions on how to address the gap and decide how and best to invest money. One important decision will be the adoption of Band 14 RAN, the radio access standard FirstNet has adopted. If a state decides to build out a Band 14 system before FirstNet deploys in the area, it will be able to utilize the advanced and robust data services to be offered by the system, as Denver-area public safety officers were able to do by using advanced Band 14 equipment – saving themselves and the state large sums of money by being able to access databases and call for assistance at a major three-day concert, even when the regular cell network was overloaded.
Since Band 14 is definitely going to be a part of FirstNet, a state might choose to do some work of its own on it now, since the devices it acquires will definitely be compatible with it later on. On the other hand, the state may decide to wait until promised subsidies for construction start flowing its way, a development that is likely to take some time.
States that decide to wait will still be relying on existing LMR systems, and these need to be maintained and upgrade on occasion. That maintenance/upgrade could be costly, and many local authorities may decide that upgrading just isn’t worth it if those systems are going to become less prominent with the arrival of FirstNet. But what if they can’t afford to invest in FirstNet right now? Public safety has to remain a priority, of course; are they condemned to throw good money at a limited time solution? And how do they even know that the LMR they are investing in will be fully compatible with FirstNet? Will the integration work to be done by FirstNet allow them to fully realize their investments?
These are all questions officials have to answer before spending the public’s money – on FirstNet or anything else. Unfortunately, some of these questions are going to require the power of prophecy to answer; many of the details of how FirstNet will work in the field are still theoretical. The most important move a local authority can make is to invest into highly reliable, “always-on,” interoperable and scalable systems with ability to meet future needs. Equipment providers and technology groups, realizing the dilemma posed by FirstNet for local authorities, have been intensively developing such systems and local authorities that want to protect their investments can – must – investigate these systems.
Information is power, and the more information a local authority has about what it possesses and what it needs, the better a bargain they will be able to strike, inside FirstNet or out of it.
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