July 08, 2008
The PSST Vision for Public Safety Broadband Communications
Emergency responders have been demanding better tools to meet increased responsibilities and pressures. Public safety has long required more efficient and effective interoperable data communications systems and tools to meet its growing needs. For example, automatic vehicle location functionality, streaming video with high resolution images and computer-aided dispatch all support emergency responders and are capabilities needed to protect them and the communities they serve.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) heard the public safety community voice its need for advanced, interoperable data capabilities. It responded by authorizing a public/private partnership at 700 MHz that is intended to deliver a nationwide network built with commercial funding sources to public safety specifications with the ability to deliver wireless broadband solutions for public safety. The network also will support commercial subscribers, but public safety will always have priority access rights on an immediate, ruthless pre-emptive basis.
The fully deployed national network, the Shared Wireless Broadband Network (SWBN) described in the FCC's Report and Order, should provide a communications platform supporting public safety data applications. The mere existence of a national network should accelerate new and innovative technologies and applications that are not currently realized today.
The Experience
Public safety users on the SWBN should expect mobile voice, video and data capabilities that are interoperable with SWBN users across agencies, jurisdictions and geographic regions. Access to at least one "dual mode" handset capable of operating on both 700 MHz and satellite frequencies is required by the FCC to be developed specifically to enhance coverage. The national network will have security and encryption consistent with state-of-the-art technologies to keep wireless transmissions safe and secure. Access to additional spectrum during emergencies creates the ability to scale capacity for public safety upon demand. Public safety users will be guaranteed "automatic priority access with ruthless pre-emption" and operational capabilities consistent with features typical of public safety systems. There will be sufficient capacity to meet the requirements of public safety spectrum needs every day but also during large events, disasters and catastrophic situations. Public safety will be protected in the event of a serious emergency that necessitates their pre-emption of the network for a sustained period of time.
In its Report and Order, the FCC specified certain network requirements to meet the needs of public safety, including:
- Hardening of transmission facilities and antenna towers built to withstand harsh weather and disaster conditions
- Backup power sufficient to maintain operations for an extended period of time
- Sufficient capacity to meet the needs of public safety, particularly during emergency and disaster situations
- Security and encryption consistent with state-of-the-art technologies
- Eventual coverage of 99.3% of the population
- Making available at least one handset suitable for public safety use that includes an integrated satellite solution capable of operating both on the 700 MHz public safety spectrum and on satellite frequencies
Below are some potential agency applications on a national wireless broadband network:
Law Enforcement
Fingerprint Scanning - live fingerprint scanning using a technology certified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as compatible with IAFIS (Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System). This would be a positive method of identification during field interrogation stops.
Facial Recognition – this technology transmits a photograph from a digital camera to a data hub and runs it against a database using facial recognition software. A motion camera could capture multiple faces in a crowd and the public safety network would have the bandwidth to transmit this snapshot video to a data hub for comparison. The application could scan a crowd for a single person.
License Plate Recognition – a camera captures license plates and transmits the image to software that reads them and matches the data against stolen vehicle or sex offender files. Presently, this can be done against a static file on disk in the vehicle rather than against the most current active data file. The SWBN could provide the speeds necessary to provide the same service with more reliable information by transmitting the image and checking against a master file.
License Tag Checks – the predominant use of wireless data today involves inputting the tag number into the mobile data terminal and checking it against stolen files, wants and warrants against owner/driver, unpaid parking tickets, etc.
Driver's License Scan - rather than manually inputting data, such as name or date of birth, a scan could provide information obtained from a driver's license more quickly.
National Crime Information Center/State Database Checks – very similar to license tag checks except one can use other qualified identifiers such as name, date of birth, serial number, etc.
Streaming Video – law enforcement video currently records traffic stops and can be particularly effective for documenting offender demeanor in drunken driving cases. Today, this video is taken by a dash-mounted camera and recorded on a disk usually contained in the vehicle trunk. Streaming video would enable real-time monitoring of an evolving incident by the dispatcher and/or responding back up units. This capability could be expanded by decoupling the camera from the dash and having a device that was more deployable. Imagine a portable surveillance camera that could be placed and aimed and then would transmit continuous images of a location to vehicles blocks away or into a command center. SWAT applications such as helmet mounted cameras for shared tactical video are also possible.
Location/Tracking – applications that would allow dispatchers to monitor the location of officers using GPS or other tracking technology embedded in the wireless device and display that information on an electronic pin map. This application would also benefit fire service.
Fire Service
Bulk Data Files – building and floor plans could be wirelessly transmitted to the field from a central data warehouse to facilitate decision making.
Location/Tracking – similar to the law enforcement application, this feature could permit the monitoring of the location of firefighters using GPS or other tracking technology embedded in the wireless device and display that information on an electronic pin map.
Streaming Video – similar to the law enforcement requirement but the transmission device needs to be customized to a firefighter's situation such as making it more, heat resistant, more ruggedized and with a larger and brighter screen. The application could be used to transmit data on the fire observed from the inside to outside commanders and could be used to transmit pictures of possible threats; e.g., hazardous materials stored in the burning building.
Firefighter Individual Monitoring – sensor applications that detect heart rate, carbon dioxide levels, temperature, blood pressure, etc., could be transmitted from the individual firefighter working the fire to on-scene commanders.
Emergency Medical Service
Medical Telemetry – data could be transmitted continuously from an inbound emergency patient to the emergency room staff. Dropped signals on today's commercial networks make this less than fully reliable.
Streaming Video - the ability to observe the patient visually while in transit to try to improve the level of emergency care.
Cost Factors
The greatest capital barrier to high-end data applications is the network infrastructure. The SWBN will have a commercial investment component to build out the infrastructure. This is a compelling proposition for all public safety entities, but particularly for those agencies that have inadequate spectrum to meet their needs and/or face dwindling sources of funding.
Significant cost efficiencies will be created as public safety equipment is developed to conform to a single standard meeting this community's demanding requirements, leveraged with the development of commercial "off-the-shelf" technologies that will be adapted for public safety users. As provided in the FCC's Report and Order, the PSST will have the right to purchase subscriber equipment from any vendor it chooses, to the extent such equipment is consistent with reasonable network controls, which should keep subscriber equipment cost-competitive and affordable. The FCC also has stated that it expects the cost to public safety users of operating on the SWBN to be lower than typical commercial rates for analogous services.
The Shared Wireless Broadband Network will place public safety communications where they deserve to be – at the forefront of innovation. Government officials at the local, county, state and regional levels should begin planning to take advantage of all that wireless broadband has to offer and to incorporate broadband into their communications strategy.
