What more can we ask of our mobile networks

Are our mobile networks up to this?

When you are lucky enough to get a good mobile signal and you are not in an area highly congested with mobile devices the service can be excellent. It can and does lead you into a false sense of security believing that the mobile service will be a cure all for on-demand connectivity requirements.

There are a number of factors that can and do prevent mobile devices from working. In highly congested areas where this is massive demand on the mobile network it is inevitable that the network will be pushed to its limits. For example, if you are at a very large venue or stadium such as Twickenham at half-time when tens of thousands of people in the stadium send texts, Tweets, Whatsapp or Facebook updates with their photos you are likely to see a massive drop in service to the point where your apps will not work. The loss of service could be due to lack of RF capacity to the mobile Access Point, a lack of available bandwidth from the mast into the network or even further on.

“…the service is non-existent in some areas due to a simple lack of mobile masts.”

Some of the mobile router solutions we work with do a great job at managing multiple mobile networks to get the best out of the available mobile networks in the area. But even with the ability to identify the best available mobile service these routers are severely challenged at times of very heavy congestion.

As we move away from the major cities and towns the challenges change completely. So much of the UK is beyond 3G mobile reach let alone 4G. Some locations may be able to achieve a connection using an array of high gain antennas but this requires specialist equipment. Other areas may be able to achieve connectivity on a site specific basis by combining an antenna array with bespoke engineering.

I have been testing a prototype mobile solution for several months to the point where I was carrying the unit around me wherever I went. It worked extremely well in urban areas where the mobile network was not being stressed. But as soon as we test it around the country the service is non-existent in some areas due to a simple lack of mobile masts.

“…whatever is done with the design, there has to be sufficient mobile cover to make this work.”

In previous blogs I have raised the point about the move of the Emergency Services Network onto the commercial 4G network. When I last looked EE were the only mobile provider left in the tender process. One of my concerns is that the emergency services need mobile cover across the UK. They need to stay in contact wherever they are, be that in the middle of the city, halfway up a mountain or on a coastal path. To achieve this much work needs to be done. There is also the issue that when there is a major incident it is inevitable there will be a demand for mobile services. The emergency services could bee competing for bandwidth with the media and the general consumers.

Provided there is mobile connectivity the emergency services network traffic could be prioritised as they will have their own APN (Access Point Network) to keep their traffic separate. But whatever is done with the design, there has to be sufficient mobile cover to make this work.

“One of the key research facts behind the decision is the potential to reduce response times by half especially in rural areas.”

To add to the complexity, earlier this year the European Parliament voted on an automated emergency alert system for road vehicles to span the EU. The intention is that new cars and light vans will be equipped with ‘eCall’ devices as early as 2018 Q1 although at the time of the announcement the UK Government was opposed the scheme on the grounds of cost. Other MPs are concerned about privacy issues as it will be possible for organisations and government agencies to track vehicles via their eCall devices.

The main driver for the eCall service is to cut down on emergency services response times to serious accidents which will save lives and reduce the impact of serious injuries. It will also remove the complications of language issues in the event of accidents involving tourists travelling across European boundaries. One of the key research facts behind the decision is the potential to reduce response times by half especially in rural areas.

“Although I live in hope I will not be holding my breath.”

‘Especially in rural areas’. Anyone involved in an accident in some of the rural areas I have been working in will have to wait until the mobile masts are commissioned before their eCall message can get through. Maybe the resistance from our government is not because of the cost per vehicle to implement the eCall solution, which is expected to be around £72. Could the lack of appetite be the investment required to provide true nationwide mobile cover to support the service?

My hope is that the Emergency Services Network (ESN) and possibly the eCall network (if it is adopted in the UK) will lead to a greater investment in the mobile network across the UK and this will lead to better mobile cover for all. The time scale for the ESN was for all services to be migrated by 2020. Mobile providers are likely to be occupied with 5G development over this period which will undoubtedly result in serious competition for the investment pound so we will have to wait and see. Although I live in hope I will not be holding my breath.