Issue link: https://securitytechnologyexecutive.epubxp.com/i/618378
20 SECURITY TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE • November/December 2015 www.SecurityInfoWatch.com 2015 SECURITY INNOVATION AWARDS – PLATINUM WINNER to incorporate four types of data into the data- casting transport stream: • Real-Time Streamed Data: Live video streams such as helicopter or surveillance video are the most commonly streamed data. Other streamed information might include audio monitoring, weather information, news broad- casts or other live sources. • File-Based Information: This informa- tion includes static documents and images, which may also include pre-recorded audio and video clips. It can include other types of digital information including software and firmware updates. Forward error correction (FEC) and "carouseling" are used to assure all packets are received, even in degraded reception environments. • Message Based Information: Generally, the messages are Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) compliant messaging, allowing messages and notifications to be processed by any CAP com- pliant alerting platform. • Access Control Information: File-based data is used to control registration and access. This information includes receiver registration, receiver group assignments, protocol assign- ments, key list assignments, and other back- ground data required to authenticate users and manage decryption. Datacasting reception begins with reception of the signal by a receiver connected to a comput- er, not a television set. The receiver can be a USB "dongle", or Linux based appliance. Any properly tuned UHF or VHF antenna can capture the sig- nal. However, only devices with the required soft- ware, decryption, and registration will actually be able to convert the signal and process the embed- ded data into useful information. Receivers can be designated as individual unique registered recipi- ents or as part of a group registration. When a device is authorized to receive data, the encrypted IP packets are decrypted for processing by the appropriate application software in the device. Additionally, datacasting can be integrated into other systems to create a return path for two- way communication and services. Next Generation Broadcast Standard Television technology continues to evolve and there are changes on the horizon that will provide even more benefits to public safety including: • Higher data capacity • Enhanced mobile reception • Direct reception on enabled phones and tablets • Enhanced robustness for building penetration • Native IP transport eliminating IP encapsulation • Support for interactivity utilizing a separate return path • New flexible modulation scheme that enables multipath to enhance reception • Support for multiple transmitters (single fre- quency networks) to improve coverage • Hybrid content delivery (combining broadcast and broadband content) • Built-in advanced public emergency alerting • Extensible framework to support seamless future upgrades Conclusion FirstNet will be a welcomed addition to public safety communications. But, based upon what we know about its implementation, it will be under- standably several years away from widespread implementation. It will likely use the current cel- lular unicast technology for distributing video and potentially have coverage limitations in rural areas. Datacasting can provide valuable support in each of these locations: with a limited invest- ment it is available now using existing infrastruc- ture, uses broadcast (one-to-many) technology, and covers 97 percent of the of the US popula- tion, including territories. Datacasting is not an alternative to FirstNet, it enhances their mission by providing new licensed spectrum with unique capabilities. The public safety grade attributes of broadcast television can be deployed today and continue to enhance com- munications in the future. While most consumers currently get televi- sion programming from cable providers, broad- casters continue to offer over-the-air content at significant operational expense. Public television stations believe that serving their community involves going beyond offering educational and entertainment television programming. ■ On July20-24, 2015, multiple public safety users including the City of Houston, Houston PD, the University of Houston, Texas Medical Center, NRG Stadium, Metro PD and the Harris County Sheriff's Office participated in a joint exercise to demonstrate the ability of datacasting to support public safety communications in an operational environment.