Will Multiband Radio Replace PS Network Build-Out?
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate just announced the 14 lead organizations that will participate in the testing and evaluation phase of the multiband radio project. It’s the final step before manufacturers start inundating the marketplace with their own version of the radio. The eventual widespread availability of the radios makes me wonder: If multiband radios hit the market next year and public-safety agencies nationwide adopt them, why do we need to build out a broadband, public-safety network?
I’ve seen an early version of the multiband radio from Thales Communications, which was demonstrated nearly at the 2008 International Wireless Communications Expo. The Thales radio has been used throughout the pilot because the company landed a hefty $6.275 million DHS contract to develop it. The radio operates in the 136–174 MHz, 360–400 MHz, 402–420 MHz, 450–512 MHz, 700 MHz and 800 MHz frequencies — letting command-and-control personnel communicate across bands during a large-scale, cross-jurisdictional incident. The radio also is capable of tapping into to other channels, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather channel. As a result, it has the capability to be the crucial technology to solve the nation’s communication interoperability issues.
The radios seem to solve the issue of interoperability. They work across frequencies and agencies. It’s a technology that can be used now for cross-agency communications without public-safety folks waiting and waiting for D.C. insiders and the FCC to work out the details of a nationwide, broadband public-safety network. But Dr. David Boyd — director of command, control and interoperability for the directorate — disagreed with me, saying he doesn’t believe multiband radios will make the buildout of the network obsolete. Instead, it helps with the migration from one type of network to another.
"This becomes the bridge device [to interoperability]. So if you are going to build out a public safety network you would expect commanders and so on to want a multiband radio for the build-out so they can communicate with the new network as they build it out," Boyd said. "And, interesting enough, it would let users work between the new and the old network as it is happening."
Boyd said the final pilot will test how the radio can be used in day-to-day operations. After the pilot program, the DHS expects the data to be used in two ways: Industry will use it to determine areas of improvement on their version of the multiband radio and users will be able to look at the key lessons learned from the pilot program. Results will be documented at the conclusion of the test, and all findings and lessons learned will be published in a report that is expected to be posted on the SAFECOM program Web site in early 2010, Boyd said.
But I still wonder: Once public-safety agencies get their hands on a multiband radio, will they still clamor for a public-safety network or will they let it go as yet another bureaucratic debacle that’s years from fruition? Only time will tell.
What do you think? Tell us in the comment box below.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Mary Rose: Broadband is more than voice and will enable other safety features useful to the profession in day-to-day circumstances as well as surge. REL
July 16th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
All one has to do is look at the dismal failure of the New York State inter-agency wireless system to realize one system will NEVER serve the needs of multiple types of agencies in different terrains and densities of population and/or buildings to know it will never come to fruition. Also, the cost of radios is too much for agencies that can purchase three to four times as many radios of “standard” design for the same money. No one alive will ever see it done statewide or nationally in most areas.
July 17th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
It is kinda interesting that just creating a cost effective radio that can work multiband (the technology of which has really existed for a long time) could successfully threaten the P25 interoperability effort, with its big money and the nationwide public safety network efforts. I think that it means that agencies want to own and run their own radio networks, not be part of large bureacratically operated ones!!!
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