Research and Markets: Land Mobile Radio/Professional Mobile Radio and Progress in Public Safety Communications Development

The goal of this report is to update and extend LMR/PMR-related reports. The report is written for a large audience of technical, managerial and sales staff of companies involved in the design, manufacturing and utilization of Land Mobile Radio/Professional Mobile Radio; with the emphasis on Public Safety Communications (PSC) applications.

Particular, this report includes:

1. The updated analysis of the phased development of P25 radio. The current status of the technology, markets and standards and survey of vendors are presented.

2. The updated analysis of the phased development of TETRA radio. This technology found more geographically spread market segments than P25 (and we are at the beginning of TETRA penetration into the U.S. market). Its Release II offers a combination of high-speed voice and data transmission that brings sufficient benefits to the users.

3. The updated analysis of narrow-banding LMR/PMR, including NXDN and MOTOTRBO (as well as dPMR, DMR and other). The NXDN radio development is a result of joint efforts of two companies, Icom and Kenwood and it is based on the FDMA technology. The companies developed two lines of products, IDAS (Icom) and NEXEDGE (Kenwood); these radios were implemented with many advanced technological features, including 6.25 kHz channels. At the same time, Motorola introduced its MOTOTRBO line of digital LMRs, which also utilized newer technologies and is based on the TDMA technology.

4. The analysis of the 4.9 GHz radio technology for broadband PSC. The FCC allocated the 4940-4990 MHz spectrum for broadband PSC. The technology can utilize the existing Wi-Fi ICs, and it supports long-reach communications with speeds 50 Mb/s and up. It utilizes a) OFDM, b) Multi-radio platforms, and c) Self-healing and self-organized mesh topology. One of the major 4.9 GHz radio applications for PSC is temporary fast-deployable networks.

5. The update on the role of LTE technologies in the development of Public Safety Communications. 4G LTE is increasingly recognized as the right wireless technology to evolve and standardize public safety communications. In January 2011, the Federal Communications Commission in the United States selected LTE as the data standard for a nationwide public safety network. LTE's ability to enable nationwide interoperability was a key factor in the FCC decision. The FirstNet, the U.S. nationwide broadband PSC network (has been launched in 2012-2013) is being built utilizing the LTE technology.

6. One of the goals in using LTE is utilization of most useful features from the commercial cellular world (existing base of elements) and adding specific features that are necessary to support first responders.

7. Altogether, the following major trends in the development of PSC were identified:

a) Advancing P25 and TETRA technologies, including various interoperability methods;

b) Further developing of SDR - based platforms and broadband PSC;

c) Gradual introduction of the LTE technology;

d) In the analyzed time period, standardized narrowband radio technologies (P25, TETRA, NXDN and other) will be a part of the growing markets;

e) 4G technologies (such as LTE) will introduce PSC features gradually; and expected to present competition (to P25 and TETRA) starting from 2019-2020. It is very possible that at that time the integration of these traditional PSC networks into the 4G infrastructure will start.