Nokia Siemens Networks has announced that it along with Cisco and Harris Corporation have successfully completed the initial section of the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program phase 3 Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Demonstration Network Test Plan.

The public safety LTE test plan is an important step in facilitating secure, real-time, video, voice and data communication between emergency service personnel.

The results show these companies have completed conformance and interoperability testing of their public safety LTE solutions at the Department of Commerce Boulder Laboratories in Boulder, Colorado, and support the work of the PSCR program team. The successful completion also demonstrates these companies’ continued support of the FCC’s goal of broadband network interoperability and FirstNet objectives for a nationwide multi-vendor public safety LTE network.

FirstNet is an independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) that is overseeing the development of a nationwide public safety broadband network (PSBN). The PSCR Demonstration represents another important step towards the realization of the PSBN program. This program is designed to provide a secure, reliable and dedicated public safety network for video, voice and data communications between public safety professionals such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

The PSCR phase 3 testing includes conformance assessment of the network architecture, interoperability testing, handover testing and evaluation, and focused testing for stress, performance, messaging/protocol and applications.

Nokia Siemens Networks supplied its public safety LTE radio access network solution with its partner Harris Corporation, a Cisco Gold Certified Partner. This partner solution is currently being used in 700 MHz Band 14 LTE pilot programs with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and with police officers in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

The initial PSCR testing confirmed successful interoperability between the Nokia Siemens Networks’ radio access network and the Cisco ASR 5000 series multimedia core platform. Cisco supplied the LTE evolved packet core technology on its Cisco ASR 5000 series, which combines massive performance and scale with flexibility, virtualization, and intelligence so mobile internet network resources are available exactly when needed.

The Nokia Siemens Networks and Cisco public safety LTE solutions recently proved successful in a real-time environment with national security implications. The companies were part of a consortium that successfully deployed the nation's first demonstrated multi-vendor interoperable public safety LTE network during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. This broadband network provided first responders with a highly secure way to share real-time video, voice, and data communications via smartphones and tablets.

“The momentum of our public safety LTE solution clearly demonstrates our focus on delivering a best-in-class solution that will meet the specific requirements of our customers”, said Bob Fennelly, head of public safety, Nokia Siemens Networks. "The PSCR phase 3 testing accomplishment and the successful multi-vendor implementation of the LTE solution at the RNC highlight the viability of the long-term goal to deploy a similar nationwide system. Nokia Siemens Networks is pleased to be a part of that objective."

“The successful interoperability testing of phase 3 of the Public Safety Communications Research Program reflects the overall open, standards-based and cooperative approach that Cisco and Nokia Siemens Networks are investing in to help FirstNet design and build a nationwide, broadband multi-vendor interoperable public safety LTE network”, said Paul Mankiewich, chief technology officer, Mobile Internet Technology Group, Cisco. “It is Cisco and Nokia Siemens Networks collaborating with our technologies for the purpose of interoperability.”

“This proven solution demonstrates Harris’ commitment to the FirstNet goal of a multi-vendor environment. When combined with our robust set of applications and user devices, it brings first responders what they need”, said Chuck Shaughnessy, vice president, LTE Business, Harris.