SF Announces LTE First Responder Net
Posted by Sam Churchill on July 30th, 2010Motorola says the City of San Francisco has selected it to build a Long Term Evolution network in the 700MHz band. It will be used for the municipality’s public safety agencies.
As part of the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System (pdf) plan, the system will serve multiple agencies across the greater bay area, including San Francisco, Alameda County/Oakland, Contra Costa County, as well as the cities of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
This broadband system provides an overlay to the existing Project 25 standards based IP cores and networks and will cost upwards of $600 million.
The region has invested $106 million to date, including funds available through the Department of Commerce, Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grants, Homeland Security (UASI) Grants and local matching funds using “free” money provided by taxpayers.
The Public Safety LTE system will be installed this year and is expected to be operational in early 2011.
This first phase includes an LTE core, 10 sites and 330 Motorola Public Safety LTE user modems to provide Bay Area responders access to a host of media rich applications delivered over the new broadband network.
“This agreement represents a first step in realizing the BayRICS vision for a unified, state-of-the-art, mission critical voice and broadband multimedia network,” said Laura Phillips, general manager of the Bay Area UASI.
“Combining a Public Safety hardened LTE overlay network with our Project 25 voice and data networks, we have the opportunity to equip our first responders with the advanced communications tools they need to better protect themselves and our communities.”
“Project Cornerstone and the Bay Area BayWEB system will be the first deployment of Long Term Evolution (LTE) Public Safety Broadband in the nation. This is one of the most, if not the greatest, technological advancements in my thirty year law enforcement career,” said Sheriff Gregory J. Ahern, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
Motorola says its Next Generation Public Safety solutions combine advanced technological capabilities with mission critical solutions. Motorola believes public safety requires more than just a broadband pipe.
Motorola, of course, is working with APCO and other public safety organizations, including Verizon and AT&T in order to kill the FCC’s plan to auction the “D Block”.
Verizon Wireless and AT&T, both with 700 MHz spectrum from 2008 auctions, want to see the D Block go to public safety. So does Motorola, which dominates the market for first responder communications equipment and handsets. T-Mobile USA and Sprint Nextel Corp., eager for more spectrum, support the FCC proposal.
The FCC’s plan — supported by the co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission — “will ensure the build-out of a network that is cutting edge, reliable, and cost-effective,” FCC spokesman Rob Kenny said. It would auction off the 10 MHz “D Block”, but allow public service agencies to use the commercial frequencies. The FCC says it lowers cost and increases broadband penetration for everyone.
Public safety organizations [understandably] want it all to themselves. The 9/11 Commission head believes the FCC’s approach serves the public better.
Serving the public may – or may not – have anything to do with it.
Related 700 MHz articles on Dailywireless include; Public Safety Spectrum Grab, Public Safety: Show Us The Money, Phoney Spectrum Scarcity, D-Block: It’s Done; Congress Pays, The 700MHz Network: Who Pays?, Big Bucks for 700 MHz Public Safety, FCC: Stop Complaining about Interoperability, Police & Fire: No Broadband for You, Commentary: Future of Public Safety Communications, New York Cancels Statewide Wireless Network, New York’s $2B Statewide Network Close to Canceling, M/A-COM to NY: We’re Good, NY Gives Tyco 45 days to Fix Network, Battle for Oregon’s State-wide Radio Net, Cascadia Peril,
