The new TRACES version builds a detailed picture of the entire mission-critical network by automatically and continuously capturing network performance data from actual user devices and base stations and monitors their compliance against typical KPI and SLA criteria.

LTE, the ultimate choice

Meanwhile, a survey by IMS Research has found that many PMR data users would like to have their own private LTE networks, but are expecting to rely on the public cellular operators until such networks became available.

“We took the long-term view based on that information and we did a ten-year forecast”, said Thomas Lynch, of IMS. “It will be about 2018 before we start to see any scalable numbers of private LTE users. We see about one million or so worldwide by about 2018. And then actually we see some quite significant growth, not necessarily usual for the PMR market, but up to about three million users by 2021.

“We did take into account some issues – regulation, spectrum, budgets. But these are the figures that we’ve got based on the information that we’ve had. So ultimately public safety markets will increasingly be using LTE in the future.”

In the conference hall

During this year’s congress, a record 156 speakers were welcomed to the conference platform. Presentations and panel sessions ranged from mission-critical to business-critical topics but all focused on this year’s theme – critical communications for an evolving world.

Over three days, including multi-track afternoon sessions, they examined subject areas from business models and investment, network deployment, development and control room strategy to the future evolution of TETRA and opportunities such as ‘smart grids’ for the energy industry. Special features were a session devoted to TETRA applications and a Middle Eastern Showcase.

Jeppe Jepsen, a board member of the TETRA + Critical Communications Association (TCCA), opened the proceedings, and in a keynote opening address Rolf Sjoberg from the United Nations outlined the vital role mission-critical technologies have played during the emergencies in Somalia and Haiti. 

Rashid al Khayat, of Nedaa, network operator in the United Arab Emirates, provided an overview of the TETRA scene in the host country. Then Tor-Helge Lyngstøl, of Norway’s Directorate for Emergency Communication, evaluated the performance of the TETRA network and the lessons learnt from last year’s shootings in the Oslo area. And Sam Simpson, of London’s Metropolitan Police, explored plans for security at the soon-to-begin Olympic Games. 

These early presentations offered a delegates an idea of the full scope of TETRA before more specific topics were explored as the conference developed. 

Critical broadband

One of the more eagerly awaited sessions was devoted to critical broadband communications. Sebastien Sabatier from Thales highlighted some of the issues facing Europe in moving towards an LTE deployment. To show the challenges faced in other parts of the world, he cited the American model. “In the US, in less than one year they have chosen the technology, they have given the frequency band, and they have allocated the budget”, he said; “whereas in Europe, this will maybe take 10 years.”

In a call to arms for Europeans, he urged: “All users should push their governments to move and to make the right choice – first with regards to frequency band and secondly to adopt broadband PMR technology such as LTE.”

In a lively panel discussion which followed, speakers looked at the mobile broadband demands of critical communications users. Sietse Hitman, from the Dutch police, described how they were currently using 3G networks to send data. “We’ve issued over 10?000 BlackBerrys to all police officers on the street so they can do police-specific enquiries 24/7 and send videos”, he said. “At the same time I can look up on Twitter what’s going on in my area.”

Kari Junttila, a senior research specialist, compared this to the situation in Finland, saying: “On the emergency services side we use almost 100 per cent SDS [short data service over TETRA].”

‘Change is happening quicker’

But a straw poll of the audience revealed only nine delegates who were currently using data over TETRA.

Mr Hitman continued: “Technology at the moment gives us a lot of new opportunities and those opportunities are not in the TETRA market. As a police force, we have an obligation to keep up with this development in our society. We have to use the same technology as our citizens.”

Geoff McCormick, a director of consultancy firm The Alloy, added: “An incredible amount of change is taking place in the real world and that change is happening quicker and has more impact than ever before. You [TETRA users] will be left behind in the dust if you do not adopt these behaviours.”
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