How GCC telcos can provide mission critical services
In recent years, governments around the world have discovered that their emergency communications cannot cope in a crisis.
In South Korea, for example, the emergency services struggled to cooperate when dealing with the April 2014 ferry disaster. First responders used many different and outdated communications systems, which meant vital time was lost.
Such communication systems, which have no margin for failure, are called mission critical. What governments need are up-to-date and fast mission critical capabilities for their public protection and disaster relief units and their critical national infrastructure operators, known as first responders or emergency services. In the past that meant radio commercial networks.
Today it means broadband with the ability to send and receive live video and data. What is required is an ability to communicate to groups, with extremely high levels of availability, reliability, and security. In particular, emergency services need an unimpeded flow of realtime information.
In the GCC, the size of the mission critical market is expected to double to $1.9 billion by 2028. GCC telecom operators are well-positioned to provide these networks and related services to governments. That is because GCC telecom operators are critical to the deployment of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) — the latest standard for high-speed wireless communications. Mission critical users depend upon LTE to provide them with the information they need at the right time.
To seize this opportunity, telecom operators have three main investment approaches available, with the possibility to combine them. First, they can upgrade their commercial network for little investment, but this may not make these systems robust and secure enough for official users.
Second, they can build a new mission critical network, which would be an expense that they might not get back. Third, they can create a hybrid network involving new and existing capabilities, which will involve important investment costs that can be recouped because this will provide the network security and robustness emergency services want.
Investment options
Telecom operators could also use all three investment options in different locations. For example, the improved commercial network would work for rural areas. Telecom operators could cover remote locations housing vital infrastructure, such as oil rigs or refineries, with a new mission critical network. Telecom operators could deploy the hybrid network in urban areas where they already have extensive LTE coverage. Once they have the network in place, telecom operators can provide different categories of mission critical services. In order of profitability, these are video, communications, and telemetry. Video involves surveillance cameras, body cameras, and cameras on drones and manned vehicles.
Communications consist of transmission of voice and data between individuals and groups — data consumption includes access to information, browsing, and transfer of files. Telemetry, the least profitable, is the automatic recording and wireless transmission of data from remote sensors, whether worn by individuals or attached to equipment, such as water or oil pipelines.
Turning these investments and services into a successful business means specific actions in terms of deployment strategy, getting services to market, and operations capabilities. Telecom operators can deploy mission critical networks according to the areas where they are needed and so maximise the impact of their investments.
The deployment strategy also involves partnerships with the government so that mission critical networks obtain the necessary parts of the spectrum and so that emergency services are fully engaged.
Getting mission critical to market means prioritising communications and then streaming video. Telecom operators should be careful at first to provide streaming video to a limited number of clients as it tends to use large amounts of bandwidth. They should also have a premium pricing approach that ensures that government customers understand they are getting a distinct, high value service. The government needs to see telecom operators as mission critical providers and natural security partners, not just another commercial firm selling the state a service.
Capabilities
Operations capabilities involve keeping commercial and mission critical services apart. Commercial services do not need the same, stringent service level agreements as mission critical services. Similarly, commercial customers do not require the high level of customer support demanded by mission critical users, such as 24 hour dedicated teams.
Telecom operators must make important strategic decisions to become mission critical providers in the GCC. If they do, they can become trusted partners of emergency services and the government.
The writer is the principal with Strategy& Middle East (formerly Booz & Company), part of the PwC network.