The FirstNet(tm) Responder Authority have produced a document outlining a roadmap for FirstNet(tm) deployment, and it’s clear they are planning for solutions to the problems that Catalyst is addressing through our DHS funded research and development for an Interworking solution. Specifically, the roadmap expresses what the FirstNet(tm) Authority will do to evolve and advance the FirstNet(tm) Experience, and identifies a framework for progress in 6 key domains:
- The Core
- Coverage and Capacity
- Situational Awareness
- Voice Communications
- Secure Information Exchange
- User Experience
Readers can view the Roadmap at https://www.firstnet.gov/network/roadmap
Catalyst is most active today in the area of Voice Communications, as the key technologies to support this domain include:
• Mission-critical Push-to-talk (MCPTT): A standards-based, group-enabled PTT function that is designed for public safety’s use of mission-critical voice communications.
• MCPTT to LMR Interworking: Ability for interworking of LMR systems with the FirstNet MCPTT solution
Interworking is key for FirstNet(tm) deployment and Catalyst intends to lead the deployment of LMR LTE Interworking solutions under our IntelliLink(tm) brand of interoperability solutions. We’re developing these solutions as part of a Department of Homeland Security funded project to define and develop this needed capability.
Going forward, Catalyst expects to also impact the Situational Awareness domain. Location is a key technology for Situational Awareness and our Location Services solution InterLoc(tm) is positioned to integrate seamlessly into both our FirstNet(tm) interface and our Dispatch solutions. When you consider the data capacity of FirstNet(tm) and it’s ability to not only capture the location of First Responders but also present the location of nearby First Responders to other via a map application on a LTE mobile device, the advantages of integrated locations services into the FirstNet(tm) solutions matrix is obvious.
