Mobile Broadband Communications for Public Safety: The Road Ahead Through LTE Technology

The Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology widely adopted in the wireless commercial domain is also being increasingly positioned as the technology of choice for the delivery of next generation PPDR communications, paving the way for a much wider range of data-centric and multimedia applications that can greatly improve the operational efficiency of PPDR organizations.

This book provides a timely and comprehensive overview of the introduction of LTE technology for PPDR communications. It describes the operational scenarios and emerging multimedia and data-centric applications in demand and discusses the main techno-economic drivers that are believed to be pivotal for an efficient and cost-effective delivery of mobile broadband PPDR communications. The capabilities and features of the LTE standard for improved support of mission-critical communications (e.g. proximity services and group communications) are covered in detail. Also, different network implementation options to deliver mobile broadband PPDR communications services over dedicated or commercial LTE-based networks are discussed, including the applicability of the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) model and other hybrid models. Radio spectrum matters are also discussed in depth, outlining spectrum needs and providing an outlook into allocated and candidate spectrum bands for PPDR communications and suitable dynamic spectrum sharing solutions in PPDR communications. Explanations are accompanied by a vast collection of references that allow the more intrigued reader to gain further insight into the addressed topics.

• Timely topic as the market of the public safety communications is undergoing a change from dedicated technologies to commercial technologies such as LTE

• Describes the application of advanced concepts like network sharing or spectrum sharing to optimize synergies between commercial and public safety networks

• Presented in a clear, logical style highlighting the context, needs, market drivers and solutions with different levels of complexity

• Both authors have on-going academic, research and industry experience, providing a wealth of cutting edge material and insights for the professional and student reader.