Radio Network Replacement – A Synthesised Network Approach Presented by Ian Marks File : APCO_paper_v8

Radio Network Replacement – A Synthesised Network Approach

Presented by Ian Marks

File : APCO_paper_v8

NEC ConfidentialCopyright © 2010 NEC Australia Pty Ltd

Introduction

This presentation discusses mobile radio systems for enterprise, government and public Safety organizations, suggesting an economic form for a modern network using service virtualization.

Page 2


Background – Private Networks

• Traditionally, as technology first became available it has driven the form of services and operational procedures.

• As technology advanced, it constrains the operations less until finally the technology subservient to the operational practices.

• Various instrumentalities, have relied on private networks for critical communications.

• The reasons for maintaining individual private networks may include ;o historical,o dedicated capacity, resilience,o control,o specialized network characteristics or capabilities,o Spectrum and network capacity,

Page 3


Background - Issues

• This has led to issues with ;o black spots, high cost of fill in,o network expansion (coverage and capacity) costs,o vendor “lock in”,o interoperability between instrumentalities,o technological change and obsolescence,o COST,

Page 4


Public Safety Comms Needs

• Availability, Coverage (in defined) areas.

• Security.

• Speech, data is now essential.

• Network capacity for ;o "Normal" business traffic growing exponentially. o Critical situation traffic grows linearly.

• Commercially feasible.

• Event “phases” ;o Crisis,o Aftermath,o Recovery.

• Interoperability and inter-network communications between organizations and end users.

• Where discrete alternate communications networks are available, there is a need to control "addressing", ie "who to call".

Page 5


Current Strategies

• Consolidating users or instrumentalities to particular networks.

• Changing technology to promote interoperability.

• Provide multiple radios (and control heads) to users.o Each radio has different calling procedures and addresses. o Network specific addresses for specific users for each network ?o Different Control Head and radio type (portables or mobiles) for each

network, usability.o Physical vehicle space.o User HMI "Stress" during crisis.

Page 6


Solutions

Why not PMR everywhere ?

• COST !

• Spectrum and Network Capacity.

• Base site availability and acquisition,

• Data speeds for new applications,

• Survivability, often lack coverage overlap.

Page 7


Solutions

Why not Public Cellular ?

3G cellular systems are ;o inexpensive (Cap Ex and Op Ex),o reasonably available in terms of coverage and hardware failure

resilience in urban areas,o provide most services needed,o provide widest data bandwidth,o reasonably secure "over the air",o ongoing development to improve data bandwidth (3G+, LTE)o ongoing coverage and capacity improvements,o multiple vendors with independent networks,

3G cellular systems may not provide;o QOS o priority and preemption,o availability in a crisis ; Site damage, overload,o control and management by user group,

Page 8


Service Comparison

Page 9

Service importance - Normal Operation

Service importance - Crisis Operation

Individual speech calls (contactable)

High High

"All Informed" speech calls

High High

Messages Medium Low/Medium

Data - Dispatch High High

Data - AVL High High

Data - Video or hi BW

Low Medium

Data - DB Lookup Medium Low

Security Medium Medium


Network Comparison

Page 10

PMR (Digital) PMR (Trunking)

Cellular Satellite

Individual speech calls

Good Good Good Good

"All Informed" speech calls

Good Medium Poor Poor

Messages Good Good Good Good

Data - Dispatch Good Good Good Medium

Data - AVL Good Good Good Medium

Data - Video or hi BW

Poor Poor Good Poor

Data - DB Lookup Medium Medium Good Poor

Security Good Good Good Good

Simultaneous Speech and Data

Medium-Poor Medium-Poor Good Poor

Resilience to HW failures

Good Good Good Good

Resilience to overload in crisis

Good Good Poor Good - Medium

Coverage Medium Medium Good Good

Inter-operability Poor Medium-Poor Medium-Poor Medium-Poor

Cost of capacity High Medium - High Low Medium -Low


Virtual System

• Utilize multiple networks to obtain the optimal cost and performance trade off.

• "Virtual" system can be constructed from a mix of new and available networks. These can be different combinations for different geographical areas.

Page 11

Radio Frame

Control Head

Mic

In Vehicle Repeater

SatelliteNetwork

PMRNetwork

GPS

Management Centre/

Gateway

CellularNetwork

To Data Networks

To Speech Networks

To Speech & data Networks

WiFi

Spk

To Speech Networks

Internet

External Applications

Private Networks


Virtual System Coverage

Page 12

Composite coverage encompasses all available networks

eg : Cellular

eg : Satellite

eg : Isolated PMR

eg : Metro PMR


Separate Applications from Technology

Page 13

Radio 1

Radio 2

Radio 3Single user interface across all radio networks

Multiple upstream radio networks

Technology choice is automatic – User just makes call

• Virtual system would make best use of each network type.

• Automatic Network selection call-by-call based on business rules and service type.

• Single common user interface.


Virtual System

• Virtual system would make best use of each network type.

• Automatic Network selection call-by-call based on business rules, service type and off course availability.

• PMR and Trunked networks are best suited to individual and "all informed" services. These can also have 'fixed" operating costs irrespective of the number of calls. PMR networks would also be used if public cellular is overloaded.

• 3G is well suited for high bandwidth data services and non critical speech. The cellular networks may also be used for "spill over" traffic from PMR networks.

• Satellite is needed for remote area coverage and for communications when there is an overload or disaster situation.

• Virtual system should provide for a diversity of base stations.

Page 14


Separate Applications from Technology

Page 15

3G Sat UHF WiFi

MAC Communications Platform

Radio Access Technologies

Manages network transport,

handover, Quality of Service, etc

Specific business

applications

Vo

ice C

om

ms

Data A

ccess

GP

S T

rackin

g

Du

ress

Job

Desp

atch

Mo

bile O

ffice


Virtual System

• Multiple networks provide expanded feature sets, options and availability. New novel functions can be implemented.

• Interoperability between systems/organizations. Vehicle to endpoint directly or vehicle to endpoint via Gateway. Automated controlled access.

• Fault tolerance, one radio fault does not stop operation.

• Simpler to add new networks or change networks. Keep pace with technology and services.

• Any manufacturer's radio units can be used. Not 'tied in" to one manufacturer.

• The current cellular phone system is almost a synthesised system. GSM, 2.5G, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, Dual carrier, LTE, 850, 900, 1800, 2100MHz all in one handset

Page 16


Virtual System

• Remote and centralized management of mobiles including radio units. Locate faults and alarms remotely.

• Over the Air (OTA) software upgrades - bugs and new features, Address Books, dynamic directories.

• All radios may be housed in one frame to simplify installation and maintenance. Single Control Head and consistent user interface.

• Simpler migration process to and from other networks, lower training costs.

• QOS and SLA boundary is moved to include the mobile.

Page 17

Network

SLA boundary, Virtual system

Network

Network

SLA boundary, Single network


Virtual System

• Need to synthesize services which are not native to a network. Some compromises. eg latency versus pre-emptive connections.

• A Gateway may be required for performing the inverse of the mobile terminal network selection.

Page 18

Radio Interface

Routing and Bearer Management

Radio Interface

Internal Applications(HMI, AVL, Address Book

Management etc)

External Applications

Radio Interface

Network 1 Network 2 Network n

Service Synthesis

Group Call Message Individual call


Management Centre & Gateway

•Data Management

•AVL & remote diagnostics

•OTA software management

MAC Management Centre

AppAppApp

Management Centre

AgencyIT Systems

Vehicle Terminals

MAC Gateway

• Single number access over multiple networks

• Supports all informed groups on 3G

MAC Gateway

Seamless comms across networks.

Network A

Network B

Network C

Network D

Page 19


Management Centre & Gateway

Page 20


Virtual System Considerations

• Cap Ex cost premium, reduced Op Ex.

• Capacity can be purchased as a commodity. Whole of Enterprise/Government purchase power.

• Dissimilar network features require additional consideration.o Satellite call setup time, may require "preemptive" set up.o Band width compatibility may require fragmentation and re-assembly.o Latency differences and variations.

• Not all users need to have the same virtual system networks.

Page 21


Network Management System

• Virtual System requires additional processing capability but provides opportunity to add network management features ;

• SLA performance metrics from end users,

• AVL and Geofencing,

• Signal coverage maps and “black spots”.

• Remote management : o configuration changes,o software updates,o Address Books,o remote fault detection,

Page 22


Virtual Services

Speech Services

• Synthesize "functional" and "Location" based destinations rather than actual network addresses. Addresses automatically changed based on network, to reach destination.o For example, "Dispatcher - Northern Region", rather than "7118629".o Selects "optimum available" network according to business rules.o Gateway performs network selection to reach mobile.

Page 23

Radio 1

Radio 2

Radio 3Single user interface across all radio networks

Multiple upstream radio networks

Technology choice is automatic – User just makes call


Virtual Services

• New services more readily developed, eg IVR between networks, Inter-Working between networks, Geofencing.

• "Over the Air" update to "address books" to enable dynamic changes to inter-operability and adhoc connection to other organizations.

• True simultaneous speech and data over same or different networks as well as intra-network speech and data.

• Mobile would be "always" contactable" even if in a call.

• Synthesize message services via SMS, SDM, FSK, 5-Tone/DTMF, and IP.

Page 24


Virtual Services

Data Services

• Separate "Messages" from data sessions based on transaction size,

• Messages can be sent of different networks based on rules and availability.

• Store and forward possible.

• Guaranteed delivery (ARQ) possible.

• Transmit data on ALL networks simultaneously for Duress.

• Data sessions can be set up on "optimum available" network, considering QOS.

• Added layer of security.

• Improved availability and DOS resilience due to multiple independent networks. Probably different frequency bands.

• Data "Repeating" between networks possible. eg mobile WiFi "hot spot".

Page 25


Implementation

Page 26

• Integrated into vehicle or “add on”.

Page 27

Thank you


Technology Migration

System Upgrade Issues (what goes wrong) ;

• Typically have "feature creep".o New useful features tend to be taken up beyond initially estimated

capacity.o Specified data bandwidth is "never enough".o New and wonderful features are thought up as the project

implementation commences.o Usually "hidden" costs in training staff to a suitable level. This is

compounded by "re-training" costs as features evolve or are added.

• Network coverage expansion requires capital and spectrum.

• User Training pre-migration.

• Lost time during migration.

Page 28

Documents

Radio Network Replacement – A Synthesised Network Approach Presented by Ian Marks File : APCO_paper_v8