With the increasing availability of mobile broadband services in the consumer and business markets, the focus of the critical communications industry is moving towards formulating the wireless data services of the future. Phil Godfrey introduces a further initiative developed by the TETRA + Critical Communications Association

Users who rely on TETRA technology know how crucial it is to have reliable, secure, robust and fail-safe systems for voice and data, and they are looking at how they can utilize the potential of critical communications networks for broadband services.

It is likely that all these users will also use mobile communications outside their professional roles – and the range of services and applications, the data speeds and user experience have set expectations that a similar experience for critical communications broadband should be delivered. Yet commercial mobile data networks such as 3G have significant limitations in terms of coverage and resilience and LTE/4G services will likely be the same.

The TETRA Association’s change of name last year to the TETRA + Critical Communications Association (TCCA) was catalysed by the need to ensure that critical communications users have a future broadband capability that is fit for purpose.

Updating the technology

The critical communications industry spans a range of sectors, from public safety professionals in the police, fire and ambulance services, to users in government and military organizations, rail, road, air and sea transport, oil and gas, utilities, commercial and leisure businesses, as well as individual major events such as the Olympic Games, Formula 1 motor racing, and many other business and commercial sectors worldwide. All these will have good reason to need broadband data services.

To facilitate the development of a broadband service that will meet these needs, the TCCA is working with organizations such as ETSI and 3GPP to help drive the creation or modification of standards, to provide a solution. The outcome must be based on user requirements, and gathering these is an ongoing process.

Broadband initiatives

A number of initiatives are already in place. These include the Broadband for Critical Communications Workshop, which will take place on February 14 and 15 in Barcelona, Spain. 

This workshop is intended to bring us all up to date with where we are in terms of technology and availability of spectrum, to hear from industry voices on their view of what we can expect, the timescales, and how we will get there. 

As well as presentations from technology developers and manufacturers, the programme includes a comprehensive set of sessions on user requirements, with representatives from PPDR, Tetrapol, the utilities, transport and overland rail.

ETSI will be running an interactive session to review current users’ requirements, and ensure that those of all users, from all sectors, all regions of the world and all current technologies, are taken into consideration.

Setting to work

To help drive the evolution of critical communications broadband, and maintain the momentum, the TCCA is creating a dedicated Working Group with the following aims:

• to encourage public safety/PPDR and non public safety groups to work together to a common aim;
• to achieve a consensus amongst the industry on finding a harmonized solution;
• to interface with ETSI TC TETRA and 3GPP standardization activities;
• to agree the relationship with the group already working on broadband spectrum;
• to agree what other actions need to be undertaken to ensure that appropriate solutions are found.

One of the reasons that TETRA is such a global success is because we have a harmonized technology in harmonized spectrum. Our ambition is to create the same successful, interoperable and competitive market with a single mobile broadband technology for critical communications worldwide. If you have an interest, you need to be involved. 

• Information about the association’s activities can be found online at www.tandcca.com