Viewpoints FirstNet has asked every state and territory to develop a viewpoint on several complex topics. This package represents a strawman in each area. August 3rd, 2015

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Disclaimer

The following pages are purely illustrative. The do not represent a set of recommendations. They are intended simply to show the types of decisions we will need to make over the next two months.

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Key Questions •  What geographic areas (conceptually and in a map) need to be covered? •  What five phases of deployment should dictate the rollout of the network? •  What minimum performance specifications (e.g. quality of coverage) are appropriate? •  What hardening is appropriate to ensure that the network is “public safety grade”? These are all extremely important questions. None of questions is trivial. It is important to arrive at an approximately correct answer for each, if FirstNet is to succeed and maximally benefit first responders.

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Map of Colorado – by Morphology

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Map of Colorado – by Morphology

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Concept – Coverage that Follows a Road

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What Geographic Areas Should Be Covered? • 

By Morphology: –  100% of Dense Urban –  100% of Urban –  100% of Suburban –  90% of Rural Cluttered

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In Rural Open Areas: –  All populated areas –  95% of Interstates (+/- 2.0 miles) –  90% of State Roads (+/- 2.0 miles) –  80% of Rural Open POPS (based on census blocks and clutter) –  Critical infrastructure (power plants, dams, etc.) –  All areas showing high historical incident counts –  All areas important to skiers, hikers, bikers, and river rafters

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Discretionary Areas –  Mountain tops –  Areas with no indication of human activity –  SOME coverage is needed for fire fighting. This might be designed around a different set of specifications (e.g. assuming high powered UEs, drone repeaters, etc.)

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Phases of Coverage Phase

Objective

Notes

I

Coverage of all interstate and state highways

•  All road segments, especially in rural areas, that do not have consistent commercial LTE coverage today must be covered, with a 2.0 mile collar

II

Coverage of small towns and recreational areas (skiing, hiking) that do not have consistent commercial LTE coverage today

•  Towns and villages that are on the “wrong side” of the digital divide. Commercial operators may neglect them because they are marginally economic to serve. •  Areas where tourists and outdoors enthusiasts (skiers, hikers, river rafters, etc.) gather or enjoy the outdoors •  Areas where search and rescue operations are common

III

Coverage of public gathering points

•  Sports stadiums, concert halls, airports •  Outdoor areas in populated regions where parades, celebrations, and political demonstrations typically occur •  If the public gathers in large numbers to potentially overwhelm the capacity of a commercial LTE network then these areas should be covered with Band 14 LTE.

IV

Populated areas

•  Commercial operators already cover these areas well – so the value of a new network is modest •  There is a strong economic incentive for any bidder of the FirstNet RFP to invest heavily in these areas, because the “excess capacity” is extremely valuable. Populated areas, will therefore automatically be covered.

V

Remote areas untouched by any human presence

•  There areas may be important to fire fighters •  A combination of boomer cells, high powered UEs, and deployables provide coverage

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How Should We Specify the Quality of Coverage? • 

Here are several options: –  Option #1 (If we care about in-building performance) •  90% probability over area of cell •  Measured inside the building •  640 kbps downlink / 64 kbps uplink –  Option #2 •  80% probability over area of cell •  Holding device in hand, standing outside of a vehicle •  5 Mbps downlink / .5 Mbps uplink –  Option #3 •  90% probability over area of cell •  Installed transceiver, vehicle-mounted antenna •  20 Mbps downlink / 2 Mbps uplink

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These three choices are very similar: –  Option #1 is the most robust –  Option #2 and #3 sound much more exciting –  FirstNet has selected a watered down version of Option #2 (756kbps down, 256kbps up, with 50% probability of coverage at edge of cell)

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In each case we should assume a 3dB noise rise, and suitable venue-specific loss margins (e.g. body loss, windshield loss, etc. where appropriate)

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What Hardening Is Required? • 

Average Cell Site (90%) –  Battery backup •  12 - 24 hours of battery backup, separate from the backup associated with any co-located commercial radios •  The battery backup must support transmission (fiber / microwave), switches / routers, and air conditioning. •  Microwave repeater sites (if any) must have a comparable or greater number of hours of battery backup. –  Wind / Structural Integrity. Able to withstand strong wind (up to ____ MPH) –  Lightning / Masthead Electronics •  In the case of towers, no masthead electronics, or a mixture of passive and active elements (resulting in only a partial loss in the event of a direct lightning strike) •  In the case of buildings with easy roof access: no restrictions on masthead electronics

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Important Cell Sites (10%) –  7 days of backup, including a mixture of batteries and generators –  Enhanced Wind / Structural Integrity (up to _____ MPH) –  Redundant Backhaul (two fully documented independent paths, either of which could sustain 70% of the requirements of the site) –  Lightning / Masthead Electronics •  Avoidance of all lightning sensitive masthead elements •  All active electronics, including backhaul must be serviceable without climbing

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Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This slide deck was prepared by the State of Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology using funds under award 08-10S13008 from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NTIA, DOC or FirstNet.

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