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Alcatel-Lucent together with EADS Defence & Security and PlantCML®, the North American subsidiary of EADS, will for the first time demonstrate interoperability between a live broadband LTE wireless network and digital land mobile radio (LMR) commonly used by local police, fire departments and other emergency responders.

The joint mission-critical communications solution will be demonstrated at the 2010 Association of Public Safety-Communications Officials (APCO) Conference in Houston, TX, from August 1-4 at Booths #345 and 1011, and will highlight a variety of voice, video and data applications.

The demonstrations will show previews of new wireless public safety applications including the latest in command and control, interoperable field communications, operations management, mobile video, identity verification and more.

Access to high-speed, broadband wireless networks enhances communications and situational awareness within and between public safety agencies while helping to streamline operations and reduce the costs associated with maintaining multiple non-interoperable networks. By using LTE, the most robust wireless technology available, the Alcatel-Lucent and EADS Defence & Security solution will deliver far more types of information including mobile video faster.

”Ultimately, it is expected that our joint solutions will deliver voice and data capabilities that are today associated with fixed public safety centers to any location, at any time,” said Darrin J. Reilly, Chief Operating Officer, PlantCML. “This will bring state and local agencies more operational capabilities, much needed interoperability, and most importantly choice and control in the solutions deployed.”

In the short term, LTE-based solutions will provide high-speed remote access to databases, report management systems, e-mail and internal/external Internet-based resources, and will eventually support rich graphics and streaming mobile video. That could give rescue teams instant access to blueprints to help them more quickly locate survivors in an earthquake. It would enable police officers to use digital imaging to catalog crime scene photos or file reports remotely, allowing them to spend more time in the field.

"Real-time access to mission-related information – anytime, anywhere – improves coordination and response time and ultimately saves lives,” said Ken Wirth, President, 4G/LTE Wireless Networks, Alcatel-Lucent. “This solution marks an important milestone in the collaboration we announced in April with EADS Defence & Security, which brings together a force in the global public safety market with a leader in 4G LTE as well as in other critical communications technologies."