The ’Critical Communications World’ conference, held recently in Paris, has focused largely on the case for LTE standardized equipment to bring broadband access to professional users, by meeting their high demands for reliability and resilience.

Balazs Bertenyi, the 3GPP SA Chair, reported on the latest status of the first 3GPP features for public safety, in particular those covering Proximity services (Direct mode) and Group call. He spoke of the need to strike a balance between more or less customisation, to make use of commercial products while meeting the specific requirements for Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR).

To ensure that these needs are met, Balazs Bertenyi called for the wholehearted participation of the critical communications community in 3GPP groups, by sending the right people to address the technical questions and obstacles that arise during the creation of work items.

ETSI’s CTO and Head of the 3GPP Mobile Competence Centre, Adrian Scrase, presented the broader view of standardization for critical communications, stressing again the need for cooperation among various groups. He told delegates that “...If we can achieve global solutions, we will benefit from the significant economies of scale, and more efficient use of the radio spectrum.”

The ETSI presentation emphasised the role of TETRA at the heart of the sector’s operations, with Adrian Scrase predicting that the ETSI TETRA standard is set to remain so, particularly for critical voice.

Source: 3GPP