Cellular Network Continuity of Operations

Jon R. Marcy

Sr. I.T. Consultant

Jon Marcy Consulting Services

March 4, 2013

jonmarcy@ucnetmaker.net

Jon R. Marcy

Sr. I.T. Consultant

Jon Marcy Consulting Services

March 4, 2013

jonmarcy@ucnetmaker.net

Cellular Continuity of Operations Option

Cellular Continuity of Operations Option

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 2

Requirements Definition 3

Solution Option 3

GDIT Sectera Handset Compatibility 6

Antennas 6

Applications scenarios 6

Portable GSM System Subscriber Grabbing Feature 6

Portable GSM system with no/limited connectivity to PSTN 7

Portable GSM system connected to PSTN and Internet 8

Portable GSM system as a roaming GSM network 9

Past Performance Examples 10

Summary 12

Executive Summary

With the growing dependency on mobile communications with the United States and abroad, comes an emerging risk in the advent of a manmade or natural disaster. Commercial cellular networks are designed to support normal business type operations, and are not equipped to support sudden surges in use or meet the survivability requirements that come with event that interrupts or destroys these services.

This paper provides for a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) capability that has a proven track record in support of both the Tsunami relief effort in Indonesia and the Hurricane relief effort in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina.

The technology is based on COTS Global System for Mobile (GSM) 3G technology that is operational in over 80% of the globe today. Within the USA, companies such as AT&T and T-Mobile both operate national GSM networks, and most 4G handsets today are dual-band and work with 3G GSM frequencies. There are Enhanced Voice Data Only (EVDO) options to the technology being presented in this paper, however EVDO technology is primarily limited to use within the USA by companies such as Verizon and Sprint, and thus don’t represent an option that can be deployed globally in support of emergency communications.

While many...