Evolution of Public Safety and Security mobile networks

The study seeks answer to the question of how to fulfil the future needs of the PSS (Public Safety and Security) mobile communication. The contemporary mainstream technology, TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio), is chosen as the scenario starting point when defining the roadmap of the communication network for the PSS agencies. The research is based on the systematic scenario planning method. Using the scenario planning method, and being based on the identified change forces, four future scenarios are defined, the timescale being the next ten years. According to the defined scenarios, alternative strategies for the network operators are proposed. The scenarios and their match with the strategies suggest the following conclusions: (1) emergency agencies need a dedicated network, the commercial BB (broadband) cellular network is a feasible solution for non-critical data transmission; (2) the radio spectrum needs to be allocated for WB (wideband) in the <470MHz area and for BB in the <1GHz area; (3) the WB data network (50...200kbit/s) is an economical high speed mobile data solution in rural areas; (4) in future, PSS networks will consist of a set of technologies with appropriate coverage and capacity and; (5) LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology is a feasible solution for PSS BB mobile communication. Further research is, however, needed in the areas of data compression, traffic loading dynamics in the shared LTE network, security as well as on the definition of the optimum return on investment ratio from the perspective of society.