Perhaps you've been an early adopter of technology without even realizing it! Maybe you purchased a car with anti-lock brakes back in the '90's, not knowing that most cars didn’t have that life-saving feature yet. Or you might have used online banking without a clue that security teams were busy protecting your money behind the internet curtain. Did you rent an apartment in a new building, never noticing the advanced fire safety design not found in older buildings?
The truth is, tremendous advancements in technology impact both personal and public safety in our day-to-day lives, often unbeknownst to us. But just wait! The 4G wireless network technology of Long Term Evolution (LTE) will improve our personal safety – and we won’t even notice!
LTE coverage from multiple network operators looks to be the norm for 2013. How does this affect the emergency communications industry? How will we participate in the next great innovation of life-saving technology – IP-enabled LTE devices?
A Quick Review of First Net
In February 2012, Congress passed the Middle Class Tax Relief Act and Jobs Creation Act. This legislation created a nationwide wireless network solely reserved for and designed to support public safety in the U.S. and LTE was selected as the radio technology to use. LTE is the best and most advanced way to harmonize a worldwide wireless IP Standard so that the communication capabilities of first responders are on par with cellular users who call 9-1-1. First Net is a resounding vote of confidence for LTE!
Over the next five years this special LTE network for first responders will take shape.
The Power of Regulated Technology
What happens when this technology is blended with emergency services’ regulatory requirements and the power to immediately or simultaneously broadcast personal situational awareness? Consumers have already shown a comfort level in using social media apps that keep friends and family aware of their personal safety. Block watches, university campuses and corporations are using social media as a means to broadcast real-time security information. IP-based 9-1-1 calls are not just the beginning and end of a request for assistance. With the broad availability of IP networks provided by LTE on a variety of portable and fixed devices, a 9-1-1 call can start a cascade of personal and private notifications to the caller’s circle of contacts.
The Value of LTE
Device choices and form factors unveiled for 2013 are growing and 4G networks across the U.S. are still expanding coverage. This is a critical factor in a new world of cellular phones, machine-to-machine communications, vehicle telemetry and fixed wireless home services planned for LTE networks.
Use of LTE in such a wide variety of devices is part of the reason this technology will serve as the next great advancement in personal and public safety. It’s the next anti-lock brake, the next secure online banking app, the next design for safer buildings entirely wrapped up in an LTE wireless network technology.
The value of wireless LTE communications for personal safety is growing exponentially. Beyond using LTE cell phones to call 9-1-1, the innovative world of IP communications comes right into our devices via the broad spectrum of personal and social networks, enabled in a mobile environment. Our society will reap the benefits of improved personal and public safety from Send to End.
