APCO: Getting Behind Broadband

Public Safety delegates from North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific voted to formally support LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology as the leading standard in 4G technology in a policy statement known as 4th Generation (4G) Broadband Technologies for Emergency Services.   This decision took place at the meeting of APCO's Global Alliance in London, England.  The statement reads:

"The partner associations of the APCO Global Alliance recognize that Long Term Evolution (LTE) is emerging as the leading standard in 4G technology; being adopted worldwide by the largest mobile communications service providers. Since LTE is a global standard, it is capable of providing emergency service agencies and governmental organizations with a cost-effective way to meet their broadband communications needs and one that gives them a greater selection of devices and applications – a capability that has been sought for years."

The document goes on to cover the benefits of LTE as an international Public Safety standard, citing its "all-IP architecture, spectral efficiency, and bandwidth flexibility." 

This statement was contributed by APCO International's immediate past president, Dick Mirgon:  "The partner associations of the APCO Global Alliance endorse LTE as the global standard for 4G emergency communications broadband networks, in part, to increase our ability to influence the development of LTE standards in support of critical emergency services; and to accelerate development of suitable LTE devices in support of emergency services at reduced equipment costs, providing greater create economies of scale for manufacturing, and promotion of competition."