Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/74973
SPECIAL REPORT Mission Critical Communications: Challenges & Solutions SUMMARY A number of technical and operational issues need to be resolved to make a network capable of mission-critical voice over broadband. Expect broadband to supplement LMR, rather than replace it, for the next decade. MORE INFORMATION (see each company) 2. MISSION CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS Challenges still exist, but so do many solutions. By Susan Geoghegan T he U.S Government Accounting Office (GAO) and The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) recently released reports addressing the challenges of implementing a nationwide public-safety broadband network to enhance interoperability between federal, state and local jurisdictions. Based on extensive re- search and input from public safety personnel, both reports concluded that a number of technical and operational issues need to be resolved in order to create a network capable of supporting mission-critical voice over broadband. The federal report, entitled "Emergency Communications: Various Challenges Likely to Slow Implementation of a Public- Safety Broadband Network," points out that while such a net- work would enhance interoperability and increase data rates, it would not be capable of supporting mission critical voice for 34 LAW and ORDER I July 2012 at least another 10 years. Because first responders would have to continue to rely on their Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems, a broadband network would act as a supplement, rather than a replacement, for current public-safety communication systems. Today's public-safety LMR systems rely on their allocated spectrum for reliable mission-critical voice communications. While these systems are also capable of providing some data services, such as text and images, they are constrained by the narrowband channels on which they operate. In the report, the GAO acknowledged the significant limitations of current LMR systems, and identified two factors contributing to their lack of interoperability: the fragmentation of spectrum assignments for public safety agencies and the incompatibility of radio sys- tems acquired by individual agencies. In addition, communications systems are generally config- ured to meet the unique needs of a specific jurisdiction within a given region, and many agencies are reluctant to cede man- agement and control of them. To address this issue, the GAO recommends the Department of Homeland Security work with partners to provide joint procurement opportunities for pub-