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LTE technology is adopted as the international public safety broadband standard
APCO Global Alliance recognises Long Term Evolution as the leading standard in 4G.
A formal policy statement titled “4G Broadband Technologies for Emergency Services” has been passed unanimously by delegates representing public safety professionals from Europe – including strong support from BAPCO – North America, Asia Pacific and elsewhere around the world at a recent APCO Global Alliance meeting.
The Alliance’s new policy statement reads: “The partner associations of the APCO Global Alliance recognize that Long Term Evolution (LTE) is emerging as the leading standard in 4G technology; being adopted worldwide by the largest mobile communications service providers. Since LTE is a global standard, it is capable of providing emergency service agencies and governmental organisations with a cost-effective way to meet their broadband communications needs and one that gives them a greater selection of devices and applications – a capability that has been sought for years.”
According to the Global Alliance’s policy statement, the benefits of LTE include the technology’s all-IP architecture, spectral efficiency, and bandwidth flexibility to improve overall network economics.
The policy statement explains that as commercial carriers build their own LTE networks, emergency service organisations (ESOs) that adopt LTE as the global standard for emergency broadband networks will be able to capitalize on research and development currently underway. “The Global Alliance’s actions today will further attract, stabilise and accelerate commercial development and investment in public safety broadband markets worldwide,” said George Rice, Executive Director of APCO International.
“The benefits of global standardisation for emergency broadband networks will create a rich ecosystem of devices spurred by the standards-based designs, open intellectual property environments, commitments from chipset manufacturers, large communities of developers and interest from consumer electronics manufacturers,” he continued.
“As a partner association of the APCO Global Alliance, APCO Australasia is pleased to endorse LTE as the global standard for 4G emergency communications broadband networks,” said Des Bahr, Chief Executive Officer of APCO Australasia.
Dick Mirgon, Past President of APCO International, explained that the endorsement allows the Global Alliance “to influence the development of LTE standards in support of critical emergency services; and to accelerate development of suitable LTE devices in support of emergency services at reduced equipment costs, providing greater economies of scale for manufacturing, and promotion of competition.”
For more information, contact BAPCO on +44 (0)1522 548325.
