Los Angeles ready to take LTE step

The Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority (LA-RICS) looks set to acquire an LTE network for first responders. Following consideration of two bids, LA-RICS has now opened negotiations with an unnamed vendor to supply the system.

The 232-site LA-RICS network, which will include both LTE and P25 technology, will need to integrate with the national FirstNet system. The plan is to unload non-mission-critical voice to LTE and keep mission-critical voice on the 700 MHz band. The authority styles its project as ‘two networks, one mission’. The P25 system will:

• provide day-to-day radio communications service for individual public safety agencies;
• enable interoperability among member agencies and mutual aid providers;
• support communication with regional, state and federal agencies in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

The LTE system will:

• provide day-to-day data communication service for individual public safety agencies;
• give emergency responders high-speed access to lifesaving multimedia information;
• support the National Broadband Initiative (www.broadband.gov).

In August, LA-RICS contracted Motorola Solutions to build the P25 system, at a cost of around US$150 million.