Austin, Texas - 16 Feb 2016

ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, forecasts that the evolution to LTE-based public safety from the current narrowband systems will grow at double-digit rates over the next five years with public safety platforms doubling their DAS spend by 2021. According to ABI Research estimates, the in-building wireless public safety system revenue will grow to reach US$1.7 billion in 2021. The region with the largest spend is North America, followed by Asia-Pacific, then Europe.

“During this transition period, public safety agencies will use LTE in parallel with their legacy narrowband systems,” says Nick Marshall, Research Director at ABI Research. “Typically, this will entail agencies relying on TETRA or P25 to supply mission critical voice and using LTE to supply enhanced data services. Over the next 5 years, in-building communications systems, such as DAS, will be used to distribute public safety coverage and capacity in buildings.”

The evolution to wideband public safety networks and platforms will be given a major boost by the 3GPP’s upcoming LTE Advanced Pro specification due to be finalized in 2016. Government organizations like the U.S.’s FirstNet and the UK’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) are all poised to start nationwide public safety network buildouts. Other regions and countries, including South Korea and China, all have similar plans to migrate to broadband for public safety.

“Indoor public safety networks are more stringently specified than commercial indoor networks and must respond to the public safety imperatives of high availability and reliability,” concludes Marshall. “Public safety communications must also be made available in areas not traditionally covered by commercial cellular communications such as stair wells, equipment rooms and underground locations.”