I guess that's my biggest fear of the future LTE network for First Responders. If everything (CAD's AVL's and Radios) are on the same network, all it takes is one site to go offline for any reason to expose issues.
As much as the telecom cartels would LOVE to have all PS on PTT over LTE, it will not happen.
Look at AFRRCS: 300-ish sites for mobile coverage on primary and secondary highways.
Think about how many sites would be needed for a 600mW device, even for JUST primary and secondary highway coverage. Never mind coverage 'everywhere'
I remember working WAY up North where I carried my iDEN dispatch phone, and the 50w in my rig, there were times were I was responding to John d'Or, or Fox Creek for assaults that we had to get the RCMP to call our dispatch to tell them we were on scene.
Welcome to AHS acquiring a whole bunch of repeaters when they took over EMS. Before nobody cared about providing coverage where they did not go.
The current radio system(not AFRRCS) is a joke. At Least BC has always(since I can remember) had dedicated repeater system. Even Yukon had MDMRS (replaced in the mid 2000's). AHS just half assed it with ROIP.
When we flew into BC or the Yukon my partner would only bring their iDEN phones and I would always keep my CDMA cell on me. Most times it was our only lifeline in a lot of areas.
iDEN was never deployed in Yukon, and had very limited deployment in BC. There was nothing north of the 3 Kamloops sites. Nothing east of Armstrong(northern most site was between Armstrong and Vernon). It was built out in the Okanagan from Penticton to Armstrong, the Kamloops area, and the lower mainland. I do not even think there was continuous coverage from the Okanagan to the lower mainland.
Even on ground ambulance our satellite phone failed continuously.
Are you referring to the MSAT terminal? (Satcom link?) I would expect it to not be overly reliable. It is looking for a single satellite in a geosynchronous orbit. Get into trees, or any sort of terrain that blocks your view towards the satellite, and you are screwed. As far as Globalstar and Irridium, Irridium is the one to have, way better coverage at the farther north you go. I was just north of 60 degrees latitude 2 summers ago, and the Irridium phone in the helicopter worked fine, but my Globalstar phone was really hit or miss.
(If I had a small HF rig I would have kept it in my flight bag as a hail-marry if we went down in the plane because the Alberta Health provided sat phone never worked quite right...)
Outside of the issue being really far north, my Globalstar phone has come in handy in Alberta on more than a few occasions. Usually along the FTR between Nordegg and Robb. There are a couple of places I go there every now and again that are not in cellular coverage, that I have needed to make phone calls out of.
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