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Public Safety LTE (PS-LTE) is a technology for next-generation public safety communication system based on Long Term Evolution (LTE). Since 2013, LTE is considered as the "de facto" standard for the next generation mission critical mobile broadband communication. Public safety LTE device shipments over commercial networks is expected to account for nearly $7 Billion in annual revenue by the end of 2020.

Standardization work in 3GPP started since Release 11. Key building block features are defined in Release 12. In Release 13, Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) is specified. Two additional applications (Mission Critial Video (MCVideo) and Mission Critical Data (MCData)) are currently in progress under Release 14, and is expected to be completed in 2016.

Background and Motivation
Wireless communication for public safety services, such as police and fire department, has been based on built-for-purpose systems such as Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) and P25. There are also communication systems being used for specific commercial communications such as rail road (GSM-R). They are widely deployed in many countries' government agencies and other organizations, but they are bespoke systems specifically designed and implemented for public safety (and other related) usages only. These systems provide predominantly voice communication with limited data capability and limited interoperability across different systems and products.

On the other hand, wireless cellular communication systems have been developed for consumer users. Over the years, its technology has evolved from 1G (FDM-based system such as AMPS and TACS), 2G (TDM-based system such as GSM), 3G (mainly CDMA-based system such as UMTS and CDMA-2000), to 4G (OFDMA-based system such as LTE and LTE Advanced). Deployment plans for the future 5G system have been announced by various mobile operators toward 2020. As a result of this evolution, cellular system has transformed from voice-only communication to content-rich high-speed broadband service. Proliferation of smartphone and tablet in recent years has accelerated increase of data traffic in the cellular system. In the past years, the volume of data traffic has surpassed that of voice traffic, and is expected to grow even more.

Public safety communities also need to evolve to broadband communication. Doing so will allow to take full advantage of new technologies and capabilities such as high resolution video and real-time data communication in their mission critical operations.

However, their existing systems such as TETRA and P25 are slow to evolve and expensive to implement due to its nature of bespoke systems. On the other hand, commercial cellular technologies are based on international standard, primarily 3GPP, and have enjoyed commercial success in world-wide level. Standard-based systems and products have led to well-developed ecosystem ranging from chip vendor companies to system integrator companies. Such ecosystem fosters competition in the market, rapid adaption of new technologies. From service deployment perspective, it means lower price, more vendor choices, and shorter time to market of newer technologies with less amount of up-front investment to deploy the system.

The commercial success of LTE in world-wide level has exceeded that of the predecessor technologies. In October 2014, the number of LTE subscriber globally has exceeded 280 million, and it has been adopted faster than any previous generation of mobile technology such as UMTS (3G) and GSM (2G), and continue to increase. Due to its commercial success, public safety communities have decided to adopt LTE as their technology of choice for their next generation public safety system.

Government interest in PS-LTE
In recent years, multiple organizations in different countries have announced their plan to deploy the next generation public safety system based on PS-LTE. Effectively they have declared that PS-LTE is their 'technology of choice'.

Some of the representative cases are discussed below.

First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)
US Congress has created First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) in 2012 to mandate the implementation of the nationwide public safety broadband network, and allocated $7 billion as the construction fund. They have announced that this new system will be based on LTE technology. The FCC has allocated 700MHz D block spectrum to FirstNet.


 * National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
 * National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC)
 * Tetra + Critical Communications Association (TCCA)
 * Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO)
 * International Union of Railways (UIC)

Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP)
UK Home Office established Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) in 2011. Their goal is to provide a new mobile communications capability to the three Emergency Services (3ES) - police, fire and rescue, and ambulance - of Great Britain using LTE technology. They plan for a dedicated Emergency Services Network (ESN) which would “provide the next generation integrated critical voice and broadband data services for the 3ES (police, fire and rescue, and ambulance).”

The Netherlands
The police of the Netherlands

Ministry of Public Safety and Security
Tragic incident of Sewol raised the awareness in South Korean government to improve their public safety system. South Korean government has decided to allocate $1.2 billion as construction fund. In 2014, South Korean government adopted plans to build a broadband network dedicated to public safety using the LTE technology to be deployed nationwide by 2017.

Other countries
Canada, Brazil, Israel, Qatar have expressed intent to build the next generation public safety network based on LTE technology.

Deployment plans
UK government has selected Everything Everywhere (EE) to deploy public safety network in the UK.

South Korean government selected two mobile operators (KT and SK Telecom) for its public safety LTE pilot in three areas of the country.

Applications
Three types of applications (i.e. usages) of PS-LTE is defined in 3GPP:
 * Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT)
 * Mission Critical Video (MCVideo)
 * Mission Critical Data (MCData)

Technical challenges
LTE technology, or cellular mobile communication in general, has been developed for general consumer. On the other hand, public safety usage involves inherently different requirements and needs specific for their purpose. In particular, the concept of 'mission critical' voice service includes the following aspects:
 * Direct or Talk Around
 * Push-to-Talk (PTT)
 * Full duplex voice
 * Group call
 * Talker identification
 * Emergency alerting
 * Audio quality

In order to support public safety communication based on LTE technology, the following areas are addressed.

Standardization in 3GPP
Standardization work on PS-LTE started in Rel.11. Work has been decomposed into several different areas.

Improvement of MBMS operation
SC-PTM

Direct Communication (D2D)
ProSe

Standalone Operation
IOPS

Future Releases

 * License Exempt (LTE-U/LAA)
 * NetNet & SON