SNS Research predicts huge investment in public safety LTE

The annual amount invested in public safety LTE infrastructure is expected to surpass $800 million by the end of the year, according to a new SNS Research report.

A number of dedicated public safety LTE networks are already operational across the globe, ranging from nationwide systems in the oil-rich GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region to citywide networks in Spain, China, Pakistan, Laos and Kenya.

Until recently, LTE has predominantly been considered a supplementary mobile broadband technology in the public safety sector, to provide high-bandwidth data applications that cannot be delivered over existing narrowband LMR (land mobile radio) systems.

However, with the standardisation of capabilities such as MCPTT (mission-critical PTT) by the 3GPP, LTE is increasingly being viewed as an all-inclusive critical communications platform for the delivery of multiple mission-critical services ranging from PTT group communications to real-time video surveillance.

Driven by demand for both dedicated and secure MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) networks, SNS Research estimates that annual investments in public safety LTE infrastructure will surpass $800 million by the end of 2017, supporting ongoing deployments in multiple frequency bands across the 400/450 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz and higher frequency ranges.

The market — which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport network equipment — is further expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 45% over the next three years. By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by up to 3.8 million LTE device shipments, ranging from smartphones and ruggedised handheld terminals to vehicular routers and IoT modules.

However, the use of LTE in the public safety sector is not restricted to dedicated networks alone. For example, the United Kingdom Home Office is in the process of deploying an ESN (emergency services network) that will use British mobile operator EE’s commercial LTE RAN and a dedicated mobile core to eventually replace the country’s existing nationwide TETRA system. The secure MVNO model is already being used in multiple European countries, albeit at a smaller scale — to complement existing TETRA networks with broadband capabilities.

The ‘Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: 2017–2030 — Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts’ report presents an in-depth assessment of the global public safety LTE market, besides touching on the wider LMR and mobile broadband industries. In addition to covering the business case, market drivers, challenges, enabling technologies, applications, key trends, standardisation, spectrum availability/allocation, regulatory landscape, deployment case studies, opportunities, future roadmap, value chain, ecosystem player profiles and strategies for public safety LTE, the report presents comprehensive forecasts for mobile broadband, LMR and public safety LTE subscriptions from 2017–2030. Also covered are unit shipment and revenue forecasts for public safety LTE infrastructure, devices, integration services and management solutions. In addition, the report tracks public safety LTE service revenues, over both private and commercial networks.

The report will be of value to current and future potential investors into the public safety LTE ecosystem, as well as enabling technology providers, LTE infrastructure and device vendors, critical communications system integrators, mobile operators and other ecosystem players who wish to broaden their knowledge of the ecosystem.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/itestro

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