It’s time for mobile broadband

in critical communications
White paper

LTE technology for modern critical communication is emerging. This white

paper makes a comparison between LTE and TETRA, which is the leading
legacy technology for mission and business critical communications.
These technologies are analyzed mainly based on standardized features,
but other relevant aspects are discussed as well. The following high level
requirement categories have been selected for the comparison:
• Cost efficient service coverage
• Capacity (data performance & voice services)
• Security
• Prioritization
• Service availability
• User services
• Devices
The maturity and availability of LTE products and features are also accounted for
because it is a new technology being adopted in the critical communications space.
In brief, the conclusions are:
• LTE can be deployed and used immediately for new broadband applications
that greatly enhance mission and business critical processes.
• 3GPP Release 12-14 specifications enable standards compliant mission
critical group communication (voice, data and video) over LTE.
• Pre-standard group communication services can be deployed immediately
over 3GPP-compliant LTE networks to start the gradual optimization and
improvement of public safety services.

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It’s time for mobile broadband in critical communications
 Contents

Critical communications over LTE launched 3

Critical communication requirements 4
Capacity 5
Security 7
Prioritization 8
Service availability 9
User services 10
Devices 11
LTE maturity for critical communications 12
Summary 14
Acronyms 15

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Critical communications over LTE launched
The critical communications industry advocates LTE technology for next
generation mission and business critical services. While LTE is a mature
technology in commercial networks, and the first nationwide public safety
LTE (PS LTE) network deployments are being launched, there is still some
hesitation among the industry with regards to the introduction of LTE
technology to support mission and business critical communications.
This paper studies the LTE technology capabilities for critical communications
based on 3GPP standards, existing products, and the evolution plans in 2016.
This analysis is based on specific requirements that are crucial for critical
communications services. This paper examines LTE for both mission and
business critical communications. 3GPP standards use the term ‘public safety
LTE’, which refers just to mission critical communications, but this white paper
considers that 3GPP ‘public safety’ technology is also feasible for business-
critical use. For example, in private LTE networks.
LTE is commonly compared to existing narrowband professional mobile radio
(PMR) networks such as TETRA. It is important to separate a technology
comparison from a comparison of existing services. The oldest TETRA
networks were launched almost 20 years ago, so many TETRA services have
been developed and optimized for much longer than current LTE services.
Therefore, comparing for example service coverage of a TETRA network to a
recently launched commercial LTE network is not relevant from the point of
view of technology maturity.
Figure 1. Mobile broadband and group communication with rugged LTE devices
for mission and business critical requirements

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Critical communication requirements
Cost efficient service coverage
Service coverage is a critical aspect for emergency services. Incidents that
need emergency services can happen anywhere, also outside populated areas
or in indoor locations which are rarely used. Public safety users expect service
coverage everywhere all the time. Implementing the required level of coverage
in a cost-efficient way requires proper network planning before deployment
and a well-executed network implementation.
Basic outdoor coverage must be provided in populated areas and full geographic
coverage is preferred for mission critical services, while business critical
communication may have less stringent coverage requirements. Urban areas are
usually covered with a denser base station site grid and therefore indoor coverage
is also better. However, indoor coverage may require special attention to fulfill
critical communication requirements for example in tunnels or basements.
Frequency band is an important aspect to consider for building cost-
efficient and reliable coverage. Lower frequencies are considered better for
implementing wider coverage. LTE technology is currently available down to
450 MHz, the same frequency range in which the TETRA networks operate.
Globally, the preference is to use 700 MHz bands for public safety LTE
networks to benefit from better spectrum availability and capacity compared
to the 450 MHz band.
LTE technology supports very long cell range. Up to a 100-km range is
supported, which is especially useful for maritime services as well as for
potential air-to-ground networks.
It is worth noting that 700 MHz LTE can provide similar coverage as 380
MHz TETRA by utilizing the latest antenna and receiver technology as well as
feederless site solutions. Voice coverage examples in TETRA and LTE networks
are shown in Table 1 taking into account that service coverage is uplink limited.
While commercial LTE devices support power class 3 (23 dBm) maximum
output power, public safety devices will in the future support power class 1
(31 dBm), which will improve the LTE service coverage significantly.
Table 1. Uplink voice coverage estimate including 15 dB indoor loss.
TETRA Voice over LTE
Band 380 MHz 700 MHz
UE TX 30 dBm 23 dBm
UE antenna -4 dBi -2 dBi
BTW RX -115 dBm -124 dBm
BTS antenna 14.5 dBi 17 dBi
Cable loss 4 dB 0 dB
Max path loss 151.5 dB 162 dB
Cell range 2.8 km 3.5 km

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Today, well-implemented TETRA networks can provide good coverage.
Implementing reliable indoor TETRA coverage requires specific solutions such
as active or passive repeaters. Commercial LTE networks are often deployed
based on business reasons and according to potential license requirements,
which typically means that LTE service focuses on population coverage in most
countries. With operators’ business strategies focusing on offering mobile
broadband everywhere, the geographic coverage of these networks improves
as well. Typically, commercial operators have 5 – 10 times more base station
sites than TETRA operators, resulting in better service coverage and capacity
especially in populated areas.
Certain types of service coverage requirements can be solved with rapidly
deployable, compact LTE systems. For example, large uninhabited areas can
be served using compact LTE systems when connectivity is needed instead
of building permanent network coverage. Compact LTE systems are also
discussed in the Service availability chapter.

Capacity
The driver for LTE-based critical communications is naturally the need for
modern mobile broadband performance. LTE technology supports 20 MHz
bandwidth even in a basic single carrier configuration. Commercial network
capacity is usually significantly higher at it utilizes multiple LTE frequency
layers on different bands, in which case LTE Advanced carrier aggregation (CA)
currently supports up to 600 Mbps peak rates. When deploying a dedicated
public safety network with dedicated spectrum, the minimum recommended
capacity is 2 x 10 MHz FDD as concluded in ECC Report 1991.
Commercially available LTE networks clearly exceed TETRA technology
in capacity and throughput performance. TETRA networks have typically
around 2 x 5 MHz FDD capacity. In countries that are members of European
Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), the
recommended harmonized TETRA spectrum for public safety is 2 x 4.65 MHz
when frequencies reserved for direct mode operation (DMO) and airborne
communications are subtracted.
The data rate in TETRA is 7.2 kbps per time slot and in live TETRA Enhanced
Data Service (TEDS) networks the effective data rate is up to 80 kbps with
50 kHz channels. LTE networks commonly reach over 100 Mbps and even
the average speed experienced per user with live networks is over 20 Mbps.
TETRA is optimized especially for group voice communication. One 25 kHz
TETRA carrier can support 4 voice channels (time slots) and one channel is also
shared by a talk group. A large capacity TETRA base station typically reserves
some of the time slots for control channels, which means that time slots
available for user traffic are fewer than the sum of the time slots of all carriers.

1 ECC Report 199, May 2013, User Requirements and Spectrum needs for future European broadband PPDR systems
(Wide Area Networks).

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TETRA system capacity is limited by the capabilities of the current technology
and the required frequency reuse planning to manage interference. For
interference management in TETRA, carrier frequencies of one base station
are not used in the neighbouring cell or other base stations within a certain
area in proximity.
The typical frequency re-use factor in TETRA networks is 20-302. The
frequency planning means that only a portion of the allocated spectrum
license is available per base station. In comparison, LTE is based on a reuse
factor of 1, which means that full spectrum bandwidth is available for all base
stations. Co-channel interference in LTE is managed based on interference and
channel aware scheduling.
Table 2. Spectrum availability and data performance comparison.
TETRA LTE
Typical FDD spectrum 2 x 4.5 MHz (FDD) BB-PPDR 2 x 10 MHz (FDD)
Commercial 2 x 60-80MHz (FDD)
Frequency re-use 20-30 1
PHY bit rate 36 kbps (25 kHz channel) 150 Mbps (Cat 4, 20 MHz)
600 Mbps commercial (Cat 11.4 CC)
Technical max bit rate 538 kbps (TEDS 150 kHz) Future target 25 Gbps

LTE supports a high number of simultaneous voice calls (VoLTE) limited mainly
by control channel capacity. LTE unicast bearers are not optimal for group
calls when members of large groups are in the same cell. Therefore, enhanced
Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) broadcast technology can be
deployed to further optimize downlink traffic delivery of group calls. Although
TETRA radio interface is highly optimized for group calls, the simultaneous call
capacity is fairly small in typical TETRA base stations. Assuming an average talk
group size of 15, it is expected that a dedicated public safety LTE base station
with a 10 MHz FDD carrier can support a significantly higher number of calls
even with unicast bearers. Optimization with eMBMS enables very large groups
under the same cell or base station.
Table 3. Voice traffic comparison.
TETRA LTE (10 MHz FDD)
Radio resources for voice One call per time slot One call per bearer. Packet scheduling
in frequency and time
Group call traffic (half One time slot is shared by UL resource used only by active UE.
duplex) a group DL either with unicast per UE or one
eMBMS bearer per group
Typical base station 8 carriers. 31 calls or group 10 MHz with 3 sectors. Over 1000
capacity in public safety calls. full duplex calls. Over 70 groups with
network unicast eMBMS enables large groups.

2 ETSI TR 102 628 V1.1.1 (2010-08), Additional spectrum requirements for future Public Safety and Security (PSS)
wireless communication systems in the UHF frequency range

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Security
Critical communications networks must be secure, and sensitive
communication content must be encrypted. This means that the
communication system must be protected with reliable security solutions
covering the network, devices and applications.
Security is part of 3GPP standardized LTE systems, including, for example,
USIM-based mutual access authentication, air interface user plane encryption,
as well as Radio Resource Control (RRC) and Non-Access Stratum (NAS)
signaling protection. Additionally, backhaul transmission is commonly
protected with IP security. LTE-based critical communication applications must
also support end-to-end encryption, which is the case for mission-critical
push to talk (MCPTT) specified by 3GPP. There is separate user authentication
and authorization for MCPTT service, all signaling connections are protected,
and communication media is end-to-end encrypted.
Security in standard TETRA technology is similar to LTE, supporting mutual
authentication, air interface encryption as well as end-to-end communication
encryption.
Table 4. Overview of standardized security features
TETRA LTE
Access authentication Mutual authentication and key Mutual authentication and key
generation based on pre- generation based on pre-shared key in
shared key in MS and AuC USIM and AuC/HSS
Air interface protection Dynamic (class 3) TETRA NAS signaling and RRC signaling
encryption: TEA1, TEA2, TEA3 protection and user plane encryption:
and TEA4. TEA2 is restricted to 128 bit SNOW 3G, AES, ZUC (256 future
Europe. option supported)
Group communication End-to-end encryption for Service authentication and
protections example based on 64 bit IDEA authorization. SIP and HTTP protection.
or 128 bit AES. End-to-end secure media and floor
control with SRTP and SRTCP based on
128 bit AES-CM

Complete public safety communication system security relies on many other

capabilities beyond the features specified by 3GPP. For example:
• Network domains must be protected with carrier grade firewalls. Additionally,
the system can be protected with an intrusion detection system.
• Anti-malware solutions are mandatory with IP connected systems.
• Security must be part of the product development processes of the selected
vendors. Security vulnerabilities must be fixed with quick SW updates.
• Network operations must support secure user authentication with access
rights control.

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• Mobile device security relies on a secure operating system, encrypted
storage and certified applications. Device management is needed for
centralized configuration control and features such as remote lock and wipe.
• Stored application content such as surveillance camera videos and recorded
communication traces must be protected against unauthorized access,
modification and removal.
• Physical security of network equipment and sites must be guaranteed.
The sites can be protected with fences, cables in tubes, surveillance
cameras, electric locks with audit trails, and alarm systems.
• Personnel and subcontractors must be security checked.

Prioritization
Prioritization of users and services is important in critical communications.
Existing LTE products support prioritization of users and applications. Voice
and other Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) services are prioritized over non-GBR
data. Furthermore, imminent peril and emergency calls are prioritized over
other calls. In case of high network load, lower priority services and data
bearers can be pre-empted. Data connections are scheduled in the radio
interface according to bearer level Quality of Service (QoS) parameters
enabling higher priority users or applications to get higher throughput in
loaded cells.
One common concern is how commercial LTE networks can be used for
providing access to public safety services, as those networks can be heavily
loaded by consumers and enterprise customers. In shared environments,
public safety users and applications are prioritized over other users with
existing LTE features. Even for challenging mass events like sports venues
and concerts, mission and business critical services can be guaranteed by
limiting the access of regular subscribers for example with standard access
class barring. While dedicated public safety networks typically operate with
up to 2 x 10 MHz frequency allocations, prioritization in shared commercial
access benefits from several frequency layers with significantly more capacity.
Additionally, critical communications users have a special access class defined
in their USIMs, in which case the network prioritizes such users already in the
RRC connection request phase based on high priority access indication in the
signaling message.
TETRA networks have prioritization capabilities, which can be important if
there are different TETRA customer groups such as utility companies and
news broadcasters in addition to the first responders. In practice, however,
TETRA service providers may not use any prioritization features, while at
least basic QoS prioritization is supported in commercial LTE networks. For
critical communications, LTE networks provide a wide set of load control and
prioritization tools.

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Table 5. Prioritization in radio access
TETRA
Access control Access priority
Priority for resources Priority call
Pre-emption Pre-emptive priority calls
Bearer scheduling Circuit switched and packet
data bearers
LTE
Access class and barring
High priority access in RRC. ARP-based
admission control.
ARP-based bearer pre-emption
GBR and non-GBR QCI-based
scheduling

Service availability
The foundation for service availability is good network coverage and well
planned load control and prioritization.
Additionally, the network and services must be resilient to various failures
and outages. Many resiliency features are not LTE specific, but generic
technologies in all telecom systems. Network elements have overload
control mechanisms and redundant HW & SW units. Centralized core sites are
designed with geo-redundancy support. Resilient transport networks support
fast re-routing techniques.
LTE standards also include support for load balancing and system resiliency.
For example, intra- and inter-frequency load balancing is possible within
eNodeB and between eNodeBs. Mobility Management Entity (MME) pooling
based on S1-flex enables load balancing between MMEs and provides resilient
connectivity for eNodeBs.
Critical communication services require enhancements for resiliency, in
particular extended power backup systems at eNodeB sites. Such site
hardening is a basic requirement for public safety networks. In case of shared
access with a commercial operator, site hardening will also improve service
quality for commercial users. However, emergencies such as natural disasters
may cause major unpredicted network outages. Rapidly deployable compact
LTE systems can be used as recovery solutions in such situations. Compact
LTE systems can even operate in fully standalone mode without dependency
to the backhaul providing local communication services for public safety users.
3GPP has specified additional improvements for public safety. Isolated
E-UTRAN operation for public safety (IOPS) enables local services in cases
where the terrestrial eNodeB loses backhaul connection to the centralized
macro core. In that case, eNodeB radio access must include local Evolved
Packet Core (EPC) and selected local applications such as MCPTT for isolated
operation mode. IOPS does not change any of the existing 3GPP interfaces,
but rather defines an operating mode and the logic for switching between the
normal and IOPS modes. IOPS is already supported with existing LTE network
products such as pre-configured standalone compact LTE systems and with
dedicated subscriptions. IOPS fallback mode can be provided as a SW upgrade
and solutions are expected to be available as soon as IOPS is required by the
PS LTE network customers.

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Another 3GPP specification called proximity services (ProSe) for public safety
users enables direct communication between mobile devices. This allows
public safety users to use public safety handsets directly in case there is no
operational network infrastructure available. Such devices are not yet on
the market, but the first products are expected to be available for selected
frequency bands during 2017. It should be noted that missing terrestrial
infrastructure can also be mitigated with rapidly deployable compact LTE
systems which can be pre-installed in emergency service vehicles, thus solving
the lack of direct communication devices. 3GPP has further enhanced ProSe
with UE-to-Network relay, which can offer coverage extension for UEs out of
network coverage.
TETRA networks are generally deployed with a focus on high reliability and
they have support for features such as local trunking (similar to IOPS). TETRA
devices support direct mode operation (DMO) in case there is no network
coverage available.
Table 6. Resiliency comparison
TETRA LTE
Core network disaster Geo-redundant core sites Geo-redundant core sites, DB
synchronization
Network element failure HW and SW redundancy HW and SW redundancy, S1 flex and
pooling, automatic cloud resiliency
Transport failure Resilient IP/MPLS Resilient IP/MPLS
Backhaul failure fallback Local trunking Rel-13 IOPS
Coverage loss fallback Direct Mode Operation Rel-12/13 Direct Communication

User services
The main driver for the adoption of LTE is that it enables a wide range of
data applications that benefit from high throughput and low latency mobile
broadband. Those include, for example, various applications for accessing
central databases such as automatic license plate readers, enhancing
situational awareness with live video streaming, as well as real-time
location and navigation applications. There is already a large LTE application
ecosystem available and the increasing adoption of LTE is further driving the
development of new innovative critical communications applications.
Current narrowband PMR systems offer optimized group push-to-talk voice
and group messaging. 3GPP has specified mission critical push-to-talk
(MCPTT) recently in 3GPP release 13. Pre-standard PTT and push-to-video
(PTV) products are available, while 3GPP standards compliant end-to-end
MCPTT solutions including networks, mobile devices and applications can
be expected in 2017. Standard group messaging will be specified in 3GPP
release 14.

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Location services are essential for emergency services. LTE mobile devices
can use existing satellite based location tracking systems such as GPS and
GLONASS. LTE networks can further enhance location services with Assisted
Global Navigation Satellite System (A-GNSS) or by simply utilizing network
only based Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID) and Observed Time Difference of Arrival
(OTDOA) parameters.
The main TETRA services are group voice communication and group
messaging. GPS is commonly used for location services. The drawback is low
data performance and missing support for high quality video communication.
While TETRA uses a low bit rate narrowband voice codec, LTE enables high-
definition voice. Better voice quality can significantly improve communication
in difficult noisy environments such as a burning building.
Table 7. Comparison of key services
TETRA LTE
Voice CODEC 4.6 kbps ACELP 6.6 - 23.85 kbps AMR-WB, optional
EVS SWB
Group call Supported Pre-standard available, 3GPP Rel-13
MCPTT
Private call Supported Pre-standard available, 3GPP Rel-13
MCPTT
Emergency call Supported Pre-standard available, 3GPP Rel-13
MCPTT
Dynamic groups Supported Pre-standard available, 3GPP Rel-13
MCPTT
Status sharing Supported Pre-standard available, 3GPP Rel-14
MCData
Group messaging Supported Pre-standard available, 3GPP Rel-14
MCData
Video call (group, private) No Pre-standard available, 3GPP Rel-14
MCVideo
Telephone call Supported VoLTE available
Packet data Narrowband Broadband, low latency
Machine communication Modem modules available Broadband modems. 3GPP Rel-13
NB-IoT

Devices
Ruggedized LTE handsets with enhanced security capabilities are commercially
available today. A selection of LTE devices with ATEX certified features
also exist to meet the critical communications customer requirements for
environments with a potentially explosive atmosphere.
The first devices with 3GPP public safety QoS support will be available in 2016.
Handsets that support a separate PTT key that can be used with existing pre-
standard PTT applications are already available today. Standards-based MCPTT
clients and device-to-device support are expected to be available in 2017.

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Power class 1 devices (also known as High Power UE, HPUE) are already
specified for Band 14 by 3GPP. Furthermore, 3GPP has decided in September
2016 to specify power class 1 devices also for bands 3, 20 and 28.
Devices have a close link to the chosen device management solution, which
is an important component not only from an operational point of view, but
for guaranteeing device security and for protecting critical communication
services.
Various other devices such as video cameras and IoT sensors with integrated
LTE or short range radio to LTE modem are already available. This means that
device technology for new PS end-to-end solutions is available for developers.
Legacy TETRA devices cannot support broadband use cases as they are
limited by the narrowband capabilities.

LTE maturity for critical communications

LTE status in commercial networks
South Korea is one of the most advanced LTE markets and it is a good
example of advanced LTE service coverage. According to the OpenSignal
report3 from February 2016, the best network in the world is in South Korea
and it provides 99.6% geographical coverage4 in the country.
The OpenSignal report also testifies that LTE offers high speed connections
globally with the average data speed for subscribers exceeding 20 Mbps
in several commercial networks. This proves LTE network capacity and
performance.
LTE prioritization and QoS capabilities are used in today’s commercial
networks, for example, for GBR VoLTE and emergency calls as well as for
prioritized data services for enterprise customers.

LTE technology readiness for critical communications

Critical communications requirements can be solved with the existing LTE
technology. Group communications applications are available and on the way
to be fully standards compliant. Some 3GPP features for a fallback solution
such as ProSe direct communication are still under development. However, LTE
is generally ready for critical broadband communications. Taking LTE into use
for broadband services enables public safety organizations to benefit from
greatly enhanced situational awareness and other data services. It is also a
good starting point for building experience to further plan the adoption of
LTE for full-fledged critical communications services. The adoption of LTE is
not limited by technology readiness. Rather, adoption is mostly related to
the required implementation budget.

3 OpenSignal, The State of LTE, February 2016

4 Based on OpenSignal method to report coverage as proportion of time users have access to LTE signal.

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Leveraging mature commercial LTE networks can be beneficial in the
evolution to next generation mission critical communication systems. TETRA
networks are based on dedicated spectrum allocation and dedicated network
implementation. This traditional model is also a valid option with LTE, although
the dedicated spectrum allocation may in many cases turn out to be too
narrow for future broadband applications. Commercial networks can help
in many ways even when the dedicated public safety layer is planned to be
implemented. Shared access reduces the time needed to deploy dedicated
service coverage. Shared access can also offer carrier aggregation capacity for
high bandwidth applications. Commercial networks may also act as a resiliency
layer allowing mission critical users to access services via any available
network. Furthermore, international roaming is commonly implemented
between LTE operators, which means that access to services in cross-border
operations can be significantly simplified compared to legacy PMR systems.

Requirement LTE technology status Deployment enabler

Coverage • LTE ready for cost efficient coverage • Budget for nationwide coverage and
and indoor solutions indoor enhancements.
• Collaboration with MNO opens instant
access to commercial coverage.
Capacity • LTE ready for high network capacity • Spectrum available for LTE capacity.
and high data rates • Collaboration with MNO typically opens
access to high access capacity.
Security • LTE network infrastructure ready for • Budget and competences for secure
secure communication. network design.
• E2E security on application layer • E2E security included in application
products.
Prioritization • LTE network infrastructure ready for • Networks optimized for priority users
prioritization. and applications integrated in network
• Enhanced QoS available 2016. policy control

Service • LTE network infrastructure ready for
availability high availability.
• Deployable systems can provide
temporary or recovery coverage.
• 3GPP IOPS and device-to-device
direct communication expected
2017.
Applications • Applications using existing
broadband connectivity.
• Pre-standard group communication
available. 3GPP compliant group
communication in 2017-2018.
Devices • Rugged secure devices available.
• Standard critical communication
features (QoS, D2D, eMBMS, MCPTT,
power class 1, etc.) introduced
2016-2018.
• Budget and competence for resilient
network design (e.g. power backup,
resilient transport, geo-redundancy).
• 3GPP fallback features can be deployed
when ecosystem is ready.
• Collaboration with MNOs enables option
to access services via any network.
• Budget for LTE based applications.
• Applications can be deployed flexibly as
soon as available.
• Budget for LTE devices.
• Devices with new features can be taken
into use and aligned with network
support as soon as available.

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Summary
It can be concluded that LTE technology is a mature, reliable and widely
deployed technology and that LTE technology is ready for critical mobile
broadband communications.
It can be noted that the existing LTE networks globally are used for commercial
consumer and enterprise services. Those LTE networks are not currently
optimized for critical communications. However, Nokia LTE network products
can provide critical mobile broadband services if this is enabled by operators.
The same LTE technology from Nokia is now also available for dedicated LTE
networks.
Mission critical voice group communication is standardized and becoming
commercially ready as a standards compliant solution. All the new network
features for a standards-based MCPTT solution can be easily provided as
software upgrades. Commercial standards-compliant end-to-end solutions
are expected to be ready in early 2017. It is already possible to offer services
with pre-standard group communication applications and LTE smartphones.
LTE network deployments for mission critical communication are ongoing
or planned in Asia, Europe, the US and the Middle East. This means that
the first government agencies and mission critical service providers have
concluded that LTE maturity is on the right level to start modernizing critical
communications systems.
Taking into account the key TETRA services (voice and messaging) and
assuming that TETRA replacement is acceptable only with a fully standard
mission critical LTE system, 3GPP Release 14 enhancements are needed. This
means that the first 3GPP standards compliant LTE systems supporting all
relevant mission critical services could be available in 2018. At that time, any
existing TETRA user can switch to LTE-only based critical communications
services. Alternatively, proprietary group communication applications can
be used on the server and device side over a 3GPP compliant network.
This enables TETRA level services right now with full access to cost-efficient
commercial device and infrastructure platforms.
In brief:
• LTE can be deployed and used immediately for new broadband applications
that help mission and business critical processes
• 3GPP Release 12-14 specifications enable standards compliant mission
critical group communication (voice, data and video) over LTE.
• Pre-standard group communication services can be deployed immediately
over 3GPP compliant LTE networks in order to start the gradual optimization
and improvement of public safety services.

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Acronyms
ACELP Algebraic Code-Excited Linear Prediction (codec)
AES, (AES-CM) Advance Encryption Standard, (Counter Mode)
A-GNSS Assisted Global Navigation Satellite System
AMR-WB Adaptive Multi-Rate (codec), wideband
ATEX Directive for equipment used in explosive atmosphere
BTS Base Station
CA Carrier Aggregation
CC Component Carrier
D2D Device-to-device
DMO Direct Mode Operation
E2E End-to-end
E-CID Enhanced Cell ID
eNodeB, eNB Evolved NodeB (LTE base station)
EVS SWB Enhanced Voice Services (codec), super-wideband
FDD Frequency Division Duplex
GBR Guaranteed Bit Rate
GLONASS GLObal NAvigation Satellite System
GPS Global Positioning System
HW Hardware
IOPS Isolated E-UTRAN Operation for Public Safety
IoT Internet of Things
LTE Long Term Evolution
MBMS Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service
MCData Mission Critical Data
MCPTT Mission Critical Push To Talk
MCVideo Mission Critical Video
MME Mobility Management Entity
NAS Non-Access Stratum (signaling between UE and MME)
NB-IoT Narrowband Internet of Things
OTDOA Observed Time Difference Of Arrival
PMR Professional Mobile Radio

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ProSe Proximity Services
PS Public Safety
PTT Push To Talk
PTV Push To Video (group call with video)s
QoS Quality of Service
RAN Radio Access Network
RRC Radio Resource Control (signaling between UE and eNodeB)
S1 3GPP reference point (interface) between eNB and core network
SDS Short Data Service
SNOW 3G Stream cipher for 3GPP
SRTCP Secure Real Time Control Protocol
SRTP Secure Real-time Transport Protocol
SW Software
TEA1, 2, 3, 4 TETRA Encryption Algorithms
TETRA Terrestrial Trunked Radio
UE User Equipment
USIM Universal Subscriber Identity Module
VoLTE Voice over LTE
Wi-Fi Wireless fidelity
ZUC Stream cipher for 3GPP

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