Science and Technology to Enable Mobile Wireless Communications for the Safety and Security Community

Abstract

AbstractThe dramatic growth of mobile broadband wireless networks worldwide has massively transformed the way society communicates, and accesses and exchanges information anytime, anywhere. This certainly is the case in Canada, where “as of 2020 there were 36.1 million mobile subscribers who used 3.4 GB of data per month on average” (Radio-Television, Canadian in radio 2014Canadian (2022)). Mobile broadband communications are at the foundation of a vast ecosystem that allows users (users includes human users and machine users) to ubiquitously connect to the Internet and the seemingly limitless information, applications and services contained therein, while using a variety of devices ranging from smartphones, tablets and laptops, watches, drones, the Internet of Things and autonomous vehicles to name a few. Despite the wide proliferation of broadband mobile wireless in global industries and society, the safety and security community has unique requirements related to reliability, interoperability and security that have resulted in the need for mobile networks designed specifically to address these requirements. This chapter will describe the DRDC Center for Security Science’s (DRDC CSS) contributions to Canada’s efforts to enable wireless mobile broadband communications for the safety and security community while addressing their distinct and essential needs, with interoperability at the forefront of these. This will include describing how CSS contributed to the Communications Interoperability Strategy for Canada, established the Communications Interoperability Research, Test and Evaluation Centre (CIRTEC), studied implementation and service delivery models for the Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) in Canada, developed the reference architecture and design, enabled important wireless communication advancements with the US in the area of safety and security, conducted sophisticated experimentation, and in doing so, delivered key science and technology (S&T) advice in these areas. The goal of each of these elements was, and remains, to offer advice and best practices on approaches and methodologies to enable effective wireless communications for the safety and security community. This chapter will also describe the CSS initiatives moving forward, including the delivery of a series of reports on the future of wireless communications for public safety and security while considering emerging technologies, the establishment of a next-generation wireless communications test and evaluation platform anchored by 5G mobile technology (5G is the fifth generation of mobile communications as specified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the global standards body that develops the specifications for mobile communications), and upcoming experiments that demonstrate the near unlimited capabilities enabled by next-generation wireless technologies.KeywordsWireless communicationsPSBNBroadband communications