Clear as mud

Nov 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Donny Jackson

Edmond Vea, president of Frederick G. Griffin Engineering, echoed this sentiment, predicting that public-safety entities will proceed with broadband projects that already have been funded. However, those public-safety agencies that have not reached that stage may soon be rethinking their wireless broadband strategy and may resist the temptation to take action until the national network situation is clearer, he said.

“I think government hates that scenario where there's a big question mark over it, so most of them are going to opt for caution,” Vea said.

Few public-safety entities appear to be wrestling with this problem, at least at the moment. Carter and Robert Gurss, APCO's director of legal and government affairs, said they have not heard from any agencies struggling with their broadband strategy.

But the dilemma seems almost inevitable for as long as the national 700 MHz network is in limbo — a status that likely will exist for at least another year, according to wireless industry consultant Andrew Seybold.

“The real question is, ‘How is this going to play out?’ I don't think anybody knows,” Seybold said. “I have no idea whether AT&T is interested. I have no idea whether Verizon is interested. The downside to the spectrum is that it could be an onerous buildout, if the public-safety community demands fully hardened sites everywhere in the United States and the type of coverage they're used to.”

While the subscription costs to the national network are uncertain today, the costs associated with a public-safety entity building its own network are known. The 4.9 GHz band is dedicated to public safety, but poor propagation characteristics make it economically impractical for anything other than hot-spot applications, and lower-cost solutions in the crowded 2.4 GHz unlicensed band typically have not met public safety's needs in terms of reliability, McEwen said.

For those public-safety agencies that would like to subscribe to the national network but need wireless broadband services before a better long-term decision can be made, subscribing to a commercial operator's broadband service may be the best interim option, Seybold said.

“A lot of these local police departments are already using commercial service — Verizon or AT&T or somebody else — and that's a nice way to hedge your bet until this spectrum [is developed],” he said.

McEwen agreed, but noted that a commercial wireless broadband service is not an option for all public-safety entities. “I think that's a very viable option, if they have the coverage where you want it — that's the problem, the coverage isn't every place,” he said. “That's why this [nationwide 700 MHz network] is going to be better, eventually.”

It's that promise that will have the entire public-safety industry monitoring next year's 700 MHz commercial auction — and subsequent negotiations with the PSST — with unprecedented interest, M/A-COM's Facella said.

“It is quite unclear who will bid, what they will bid, who will be successful in the auction and what kind of network arrangement will be negotiated between the public-safety licensee holder and the winner of the auction,” Facella said. “There are just so many steps in this process, and all of them are brand new, so I would say it's somewhat uncertain how it's going to look. Even after all of that is done, what's [still] uncertain is who in public safety will decide they want to get on this network.”

PUBLIC-SAFETY WIRELESS BROADBAND OPTIONS
PRO	CON
COMMERCIAL NETWORK
No upfront capital outlay. Devices are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Can be used by all facets of government.	Recurring monthly costs. Devices and network are not hardened to public-safety standards. Little control over performance, coverage and availability of network.
2.4 GHZ & 5 GHZ UNLICENSED NETWORK
Equipment is plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Can be used by all facets of government.	Upfront capital is needed to build network. Unlicensed bands have become very crowded quickly, creating constant interference issues.
4.9 GHZ NETWORK
Spectrum licensed to public safety, so performance/capacity factors are more predictable, particularly during an incident. Commercial equipment from the 5 GHz band can be leveraged, lowering costs.	Upfront capital is needed to build network. Propagation characteristics require a lot of nodes to cover a given area. Cannot be used by all government agencies, only public safety.
700 MHZ NATIONAL NETWORK
No upfront cost. Will be built to public-safety standards, and public-safety traffic will be prioritized. Can be used by all facets of government. Devices should be plentiful.	Uncertainty and timing. The first phase is not scheduled for completion until 2013. Services, costs and local input are issues still to be determined.