Public Safety Communications Standardization Process-Reality and Project MESA - Assessment of Technologies and Markets

This report addresses current issues of wireless communications for first responders with the emphases on interoperability and reliability on the federal, state and local levels. The report, particular, emphasizes a standardization process of first responders radio as a tool to build a unified platform for public safety communications.

-Software Defined Radio (SDR). This technology promises almost unlimited abilities to reach adaptive interoperability on the global level between security agencies radio communications.

Interoperability today is limited by incompatible radio systems that operate on different frequency bands and/or use different protocols. Interoperability could be accomplished through SDR implementation of multiband radios (e.g., radios that operate on nonadjacent VHF, UHF, and 700/800 MHz bands) and multi-service radios (e.g., public safety land mobile radio, commercial services, and so on) in conjunction with associated modifications to network, infrastructure security, regulatory, and operational procedures.

SDR also has significant potential for both life cycle cost reduction and enabling cognitive applications that allow a radio to adjust operating parameters automatically to improve performance or better utilize spectrum that enhances performance.

Technical developments that are needed to realize the above capabilities include front-end processing, analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion, and portable multi-band antennas. Size, weight, and power consumption constraints of portable units compound these challenges. The technical challenges increase as the range of supported frequency bands increases and as multiple services with significantly differing waveforms (e.g., linear and non-linear) are supported.

Ultimately, SDR technology will play an important role in both the infrastructure and terminal devices, but no preferred sequence of technology introduction was identified.

-TETRA. This is a standard for public safety radio adopted by many countries outside of the U.S.

-Project 25. This is a standard for public safety radio adopted by the U.S. and several other countries. We also see as this radio goes beyond a public safety communications arena

-Project MESA. This is a work in a progress on the global scale to develop a unified strategy for reaching interoperability in communications for multiple security agencies.

The report analyzes the addressable markets for existing technologies and provides details of MESA evolving as a "System of Systems".

Considerable research was done using the Internet. Information from various Web sites was studied and analyzed; evaluation of publicly available marketing and technical publications was conducted. Telephone conversations and interviews were held with industry analysts, technical experts and executives. In addition to these interviews and primary research, secondary sources were used to develop a more complete mosaic of the market landscape, including industry and trade publications, conferences and seminars.

The overriding objective throughout the work has been to provide valid and relevant information. This has led to a continual review and update of the information content.

This report is important for the government agencies involved in the first response to critical situations. It is necessary for technical departments of such agencies to have a document, which in simple language explains radio technology and architectures of networks supporting public safety radios. They also need to understand the market landscape and who are the major players and their portfolios to select the right equipment.

For vendors of the first response technology, this report provides valuable information on competition. It also supports these vendors with the market assessment.