US bounds ahead of Australia on public safety spectrum

As Australia struggles to find spectrum for its public safety network, the US is steaming ahead with its FirstNet Nationwide Network for its emergency service agencies.

The US FirstNet - set up to establish a nationwide wireless broadband network - enables law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other first responders to effectively communicate with one another during emergencies and to use new technology to improve response time, keep communities safe and essentially save lives.

The organisation has been provided with 2 x 10 MHz of nationwide spectrum (in the 700 MHz band) by the US government to create a public safety network that can be interoperable, fit with user requirements and current/future technology.

According to Chief Kevin McGinnis from FirstNet, this integrated public safety network will be set to join public safety, FirstNet, terrestrial mobile and satellite mobile network assets into a ‘supernet’ for first responders. Public safety agencies (PSAs) will be able to purchase broadband services from the dedicated public safety carrier rather than having to own and operate their own systems, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

By taking into account the advice and work from PSAs, the authority will start from a baseline of 1300 requirements and then add the full FirstNet Nationwide Network (FNN) capabilities, said Craig Farrell, acting general manager of FirstNet.

The FNN will cover all 50 states and six territories; include federal, state, tribal and local government organisations; integrate with US and public safety wireless network infrastructure; provide a band class 14 network with backup access to three to six wireless networks; establish national interoperability with existing and future mission-critical public safety systems; and use existing wireless networks and open-standards devices.

The network is planned to commence early implementations between now and 2014. So where does this leave Australia?

The Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) made the decision back in October to provide public safety agencies with 2 x 5 MHz segments of spectrum from the 800 MHz band and an additional 50 MHz from the 4.9 GHz. However, this didn’t fulfil what was originally requested by the PSAs, which was 2 x 10 MHz segments of 800 MHz spectrum, similar to what is available in the US.

The ACMA believed the original request would be largely underused, but many voiced their views against the decision. Victorian Premier Ted Bailieu said the reduced spectrum availability will put lives at risk and that the Commonwealth should be providing access fully to the spectrum as requested and shouldn’t be charging for it.

The public outcry caused the ACMA to come out and defend its decision.

“The ACMA is expert in this space and has thought very carefully about the needs of PSAs. The process to establish those needs was rigorous and exhaustive. It delivers a total solution that enables PSAs to respond to emergencies and catastrophes,” Chris Chapman, chairman of the ACMA, said at the time.

Although the fight for 20 MHz of spectrum here in Australia may continue for some time, on the other side of the world it seems public safety agencies might see an interoperable, nationwide public safety network in the near future.