Select FirstNet public-safety users will trial satellite-direct-to-device connectivity via AST SpaceMobile later this year, thanks to recent FCC action permitting the operations on 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum licensed to the FirstNet Authority, according to FirstNet contractor AT&T.
By Donny Jackson, Editor
Select FirstNet public-safety users will trial satellite-direct-to-device connectivity via AST SpaceMobile later this year, thanks to a recent FCC action permitting the operations on 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum licensed to the FirstNet Authority, according to FirstNet contractor AT&T.
“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week granted AST SpaceMobile, in coordination with AT&T, the ability to test direct-to-cellular connectivity on public safety’s Band 14 spectrum via their BlueBird satellites orbiting Earth,” according to a press release posted yesterday on AT&T’s website.
“With this new approval, we envision select first responders on FirstNet, Built with AT&T will trial public-safety-grade satellite communications later this year.”
This press release does not specify what public-safety-grade satellite communications” means, but Scott Agnew—president of AT&T’s FirstNet business unit—stated earlier this month that the satellite-to-device capabilities that will be provided to FirstNet customers will enable more than the text services available on the market today.
“To us, it can’t be just text messaging—it can’t be limited,” Agnew said during an interview with Urgent Communications. “When we deploy something to public safety, it has to be highly capable, it has to give them continuity of operations and consistency with what they experience [when connected to the terrestrial network].
“We’re not ready to announce [the timing of commercial availability of satellite-direct-to-device service] yet, but I can tell you that the team is working very hard to ensure that the public-safety experience translates, whether it’s on the macro network or on satellite.”
AT&T’s area vice president for FirstNet and NextGen 911 products, echoed this sentiment Matt Walsh.
“Satellite connectivity on FirstNet is being built with public safety’s unique needs in mind,” Walsh said in a prepared statement. “First responders need more than the minimum, and we are excited to continue building out our comprehensive network to serve the public-safety community.”
Satellite connectivity has long been a valued component of public-safety communications, particularly after large man-made or natural disasters that can render terrestrial networks unavailable, whether the underlying cause is destroyed network towers, cut backhaul fiber, a power-grid outage, or some other combination of issues.
In such situations, satellite is a welcome alternative to provide backhaul, and it is featured capability in most deployable communications assets, from traditional SatCoLTS that require technical expertise to smaller-form-factor solutions like Compact Rapid Deployables (CRDs) that a first responder can deploy at the push of a button—without any technical training.
But all of these satellite backhaul solutions require some sort of specialized satellite dish to send and receive signals from a satellite, whether it is 300 miles above the earth’s surface (low-Earth-orbit—or LEO—satellites) or 22,000 miles away (geosynchronous—or GEO—satellites). These solutions provide the backhaul necessary to support a permanent or temporary cellular or Wi-Fi site, which can provide connectivity to devices in the coverage area.
In contrast, the most-anticipated satellite-direct-to-device technologies do not require any special dish or other device to communicate with the satellite; users can access the satellite with their existing cellular devices, and the satellite (typically LEO satellites for more robust communications) act as “cell sites in space.” Theoretically, the satellite would act similarly to a tower for a roaming partner in the commercial sector.
Many public-safety officials—including some who typically are among the biggest skeptics of new technology in the industry—have expressed significant optimism about satellite-direct-to-device service. Some have described the broadband version of this technology as “game-changing” for public-safety operations over LTE/5G—if it works as designed, of course.
This optimism is grounded in the fact that satellite-direct-to-device promises to address some of the most significant reservations that first-responder agencies still have about depending on LTE connectivity during times of emergency.
From a reliability standpoint, allowing a user to switch automatically to a “satellite cell tower” when outside the coverage footprint of a cellular provider’s terrestrial network makes the LTE/5G offering significantly more robust to users. Previously, having a cellular device outside of terrestrial LTE/5G or Wi-Fi coverage was of little or no value; with satellite-direct-to-device services, users who are outdoors typically will be able to connect to a network of some kind.
This reality also greatly diminishes one of the biggest arguments against LTE use by public safety: the lack of a long-range direct-mode capability found in LMR handset that leverage much greater power levels and external antennas to support direct-mode communications that can transmit several miles, in some cases.
Cellular direct-mode technology like Proximity Services (ProSe) and 5G Sidelink continue to be developed and show promise, particularly with the daisy-chain capabilities in Sidelink. However, the physics associated with a cellular handset that is limited to 0.2 watts of power and usually has an internal antenna make longer-range direct-mode communications very difficult with current cellular handset designs, according to many industry sources.
But many public-safety officials note that satellite-direct-to-device technology could address this issue in most outdoor scenarios, because the user would not be off the network, so direct-mode capability would not be needed. Direct-mode capability for users located indoors still would be needed, which is why many public-safety officials are monitoring progress with the development of 5G Sidelink.
AT&T believes that satellite-direct-to-device technology can be very beneficial to first responders, who are always seeking methods to enhance the coverage and reliability of their communications systems.
“Remote areas continue to be a challenge for public safety, who need reliable and consistent coverage,” according to the AT&T press release. “This includes places like national parks, where thousands of search and rescue missions are conducted each year, according to the National Park Service. Satellite-to-cellular connectivity will be complementary to—and extend the reach of—the FirstNet network for first responders in rural or off-grid locations.”
