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PPDR communications - opportunity with S-band spectrum
The European Commission (EC) is preparing to launch a selection and authorisation process that will allocate the 2 GHz ‘S-band’ spectrum to satellite operators and their terrestrial partners. In the first process of its kind in the telecommunications industry the successful applicants will be granted a pan-European authorisation for mobile satellite services (MSS).
Furthermore, the successful applicants will also have access to the S Band for a complementary ground component (CGC), enhancing service, which will be licensed by individual member states. This article, exclusive to The BAPCO Journal, highlights the benefits of being able to seamlessly switch between satellite and terrestrial connectivity and the important benefits satellite communications can bring to major incident scenarios...
The unique benefit to Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) services of MSS/CGC is the ability for the user to seamlessly switch between using the terrestrial component to connect a call and using the satellite to connect a call, thus providing network redundancy in times of need. These technological and regulatory factors combine to make the selection and authorisation process an opportunity to create a Pan-European PPDR service that can increase connectivity for emergency responders throughout Europe.
the selection process
A number of companies – including TerreStar Global – are planning to take part in the EC Selection and Authorisation process with a keen focus on the provision of PPDR services. They aim to address specific telecommunications requirements of the emergency services and provide facilities that have been hitherto unavailable in other public safety communications platforms. One example of this is the integration of mobile satellite and ground component technologies, which enables the satellite and terrestrial communications networks to provide a ubiquitous platform for communications and data transfer. This technology will use the 2 GHz spectrum to provide connectivity for the emergency services in even the most remote parts of Europe.
The EC selection and authorisation process has criteria which favour networks that plan to roll-out a Pan-European network, tacitly supporting those networks which aim to address the problems of emergency responder connectivity in remote and inhospitable regions and not just in densely populated urban centres. An important feature for dealing with spikes in demand during emergency situations is the real-time reallocation of system spectrum and power through spot beams which allows the satellite to provide more capacity when and where it is needed.
reinforced communications
Even if there is an emergency situation in Transylvania and the Scottish Highlands at the same time, the MSS/CGC network will have the coverage and capacity to deal with it. The reinforcing of the network with CGC will allow greater capacity, particularly within urban areas where there is a dense concentration of users. At times of increased demand for service a TerreStar-type system will provide a much more efficient service for prioritising calls than the crude ACCOLC system used to prioritise GSM and 3G calls.
TerreStar’s service will be IP-enabled allowing emergency responders to be prioritised in a precise and carefully planned manner during disasters. This limits the effect of an act such as the destruction of the CGC, minimising the impact on those who need the connectivity most.
An important attribute, invaluable in a serious disaster situation, is the disaster resilient nature of the satellite which allows the service to remain operational even when the CGC and other terrestrial networks have been disabled. Collapse of terrestrial systems can happen, either due to the physical destruction of masts, or the sheer number of calls made by the public following a disaster which can cause networks to become congested and fail. This is not acceptable as when disasters on that magnitude occur, connectivity is needed most urgently as the speed and efficiency of public protection and disaster response (PPDR) services are critical to saving lives and property.
the ability to interoperate
A vital element of any new system is its ability to interoperate with existing PPDR communications networks. Today’s emergency communications systems rely on a number of different technical standards, which means that all too often they cannot talk to one another. Different users and emergency services must be able to communicate with one another in the same way that we expect one mobile phone to route our calls to any phone, irrespective of service provider or standard.
While previously the use of different technologies has caused a breakdown in communication between emergency responders, the all new-IP network providers such as TerreStar, will interlink seamlessly with existing communications solutions such as TETRA and the 3G market.
Accordingly, TerreStar is currently working towards creating a chip set that will eventually lead to the production of a single user terminal that can use the MSS/CGC, TETRA, and 3G networks. Thus within existing TETRA networks the handset will work with the same functionality as a TETRA-only handset, but when the user moves the handset outside the range of the TETRA network, or when natural or man made disasters have disabled the TETRA network, the handset can quickly switch from using the TETRA network connecting via the MSS/CGC network.
This allows MSS/CGC to operate as a complementary service with existing TETRA operators, providing extra coverage, extra capacity, and the ability to work as a back up in even the most destructive disaster situations due to the disaster resilient nature of the space component. This will greatly improve the service that can be provided for emergency responders, increasing connectivity and making sure that channels of communication are open at all times and prioritised for the right people.
TerreStar is also working on the same interoperability with 3G. This will allow users to switch between the 3G network and the MSS/CGC network as and when necessary. This will be invaluable in situations which require constant communication with governmental officials, such as a visit by a foreign Head of State, but where the relevant governmental officials may not have an MSS/CGC or a TETRA handset.
The technology provided by TerreStar will allow all calls to be made from the handset no longer requiring emergency responders to carry around two or three handsets. A handset that combines MSS/CGC, TETRA, and 3G will provide all the necessary connectivity for a PPDR situation maximising the efficiency of communication for emergency responders.
Not only does the selection and authorisation process already include support for PPDR activities as one of its goals, but also significant political support is building up in Brussels to ensure this public safety opportunity is not wasted. Many companies taking part in the selection and authorisation process plan to provide satellites with only a broadcast ability, thus enabling mobile television services, but not two-way communication. While Mobile television will bring social and cultural benefit, it must also be remembered that this spectrum can help save lives.
EURespond, a group of interested parties from all parts of the public safety world, believes that the allocation of the spectrum at EU level will provide an effective cure-all for emergency communications across the continent. It has taken an active part in the consultation process leading up to the selection and authorisation process and believes that this chance must not be missed.
EURespond has also brought attention to the way in which the MSS/CGC service will also help to bridge the digital divide, with the dual impact of not only improving connectivity in rural areas, but providing connectivity for emergency services working in those most inhospitable of areas.
spectrum benefits
EURespond is not alone. Outside the EU recognition of the benefits this spectrum offers to PPDR have been stressed by a clutch of other entities after a series of natural and man-made disasters have focused attention on the need for resilient communications.
Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 have led to a high level of spending on PPDR in the USA and a belief that the MSS/CGC technology will provide the solution to the problems of connectivity suffered during those and similar disasters. PPDR agencies on this side of the Atlantic, especially following the London and Madrid bombings, are demanding that we follow the example of the USA in working towards more robust communication services for PPDR situations.
Bodies such as the ECC, PSC Europe, and the TETRA Association, amongst others, have all recently stressed the importance of new services – particularly in terms of higher data rates – that MSS/CGC will be able to provide to the emergency services. The interoperability, added redundancy and ubiquity of the new breed of satellite networks makes this a crucial stage in providing the next generation of communications systems for PPDR.
The EC process ignores the importance of robust communications for the emergency services at its peril. While options such as mobile television will bring social and cultural benefit, it must also be recognised that this spectrum can save lives throughout Europe.
