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Author: Clifton McVay

 

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There’s a new cellular technology available for first responders that is flying under the radar. While 5G is a household term that everyone is hoping to incorporate in the near future, the reality is the quantity of required infrastructure upgrades and uncertain frequency allocations will create large 5G dead zones for years to come. HPUE can help fill that void.

What is High Power User Equipment?
  • The FCC sets limits on transmit power for cellular users to 200 mW per band.
  • Band 14 is unique in that it is set aside for FirstNet.
  • Last year the FCC passed a regulation 1 that allows transmit power for devices on Band 14 to go up to 1.25W (6x the Transmit power!).
  • On the back of these new regulations HPUE devices were born. 


The first applications of these regulations were more simplistic cellular devices designed to work primarily (or exclusively) on Band 14 that needed more transmit power. An example of these is body-worn or hand-carried cellular devices used by Firefighters that may have a difficult time transmitting inside a building. Six times the transmit power, no problem!

Now let’s consider a more complicated HPUE device, something similar to the offerings by Cradlepoint or Sierra Wireless. These devices typically have advanced functions and multiple components. They need to be smart enough to use other cellular bands (in case no nearby towers have FirstNet), while staying below that 200 mW threshold, but also be smart enough to ratchet up and down transmit power on Band 14. Solutions for this are starting to trickle into the emergency response and mobile command vehicle markets.

 

How can High Power User Equipment help my Agency?

Reliability is key for our emergency response customers.  Customers using HPUE devices in rural areas or locations with less-developed FirstNet towers can have cellular services where they normally wouldn’t.

Even for emergency responders that have decent FirstNet coverage, their data throughput will be noticeably increased if they have a FirstNet SIM card and a HPUE solution.

For emergency responders in urban areas, the extra power could improve services when solid obstructions (such as a tall building) sit between the mobile command vehicle and the cell tower.

Estimates vary depending on how tests were conducted (location, technology, etc). But there are examples of users seeing a 60% increase in FirstNet coverage range and 25% increase in data speeds2.

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Where can I get High Power User Equipment for my Mobile Command Vehicle?

There is no simple plug & play solution for the mobile command vehicle market, such as a Cradlepoint or Sierra Wireless device. Everything takes configuration and specialized components. At Frontline Communications, we’ve developed two affordable packages for our custom mobile command vehicles. One that uses a HPUE device as a standalone source of cellular data and another that works in conjunction with existing cellular and satellite routers.

 

Summary

The new regulations allowing for HPUE devices were passed for a reason. For most users, HPUE provides an immediate improvement to their cellular data services. It is a modestly priced emerging technology offering increased speed and reliability. Emergency responders should take advantage of all favorable regulations that make their jobs easier and safer. HPUE is a prime example of this.

 

1 FCC. (2020, June 19). 700 MHz Public Safety Spectrum. Retrieved from https://www.fcc.gov/700-mhz-public-safety-narrowband-spectrum

2 Signals Research Group, LLC. (DEC 2017). Signals Ahead: High Power User Equipment (HPUE) Benchmark Study.

 

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Posted: Sep 22, 2021 9:50:40 AM by Clifton McVay


About Frontline Communications
Frontline Communications, a division of Pierce Manufacturing, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) business, is the leading manufacturer of custom command and communications vehicles. The company’s wide range of products, including SUV’s, Vans and Heavy-Duty Custom Aluminum Bodies are valued for their quality, advanced technologies and integration capabilities that perform in the most extreme environments. Frontline Communications is an ISO 9001:2015 Registered company. Visit www.frontlinecomm.com for more information. 

About Oshkosh Corporation

At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs over 18,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common purpose: to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Pierce®, MAXIMETAL, Oshkosh® S-Series™, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™ Communications, Oshkosh® Airport Products, Oshkosh AeroTech™ and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com.

®, ™ All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the extent of supply chain and logistics disruptions, particularly as demand rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic; the Company’s ability to increase prices or impose surcharges to raise margins or to offset higher input costs, including increased raw material, labor and freight costs; the cyclical nature of the Company’s access equipment, commercial and fire & emergency markets, which are particularly impacted by the strength of U.S. and European economies and construction seasons; the Company’s estimates of access equipment demand which, among other factors, is influenced by historical customer buying patterns and rental company fleet replacement strategies; the Company’s ability to attract production labor in a timely manner; the strength of the U.S. dollar and its impact on Company exports, translation of foreign sales and the cost of purchased materials; the Company’s ability to predict the level and timing of orders for indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts with the U.S. federal government; risks related to reductions in government expenditures in light of U.S. defense budget pressures and an uncertain U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) tactical wheeled vehicle strategy; the impact of any DoD solicitation for competition for future contracts to produce military vehicles; the impacts of budget constraints facing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and continuously changing demands for postal services; the impact of severe weather, natural disasters or pandemics that may affect the Company, its suppliers or its customers; risks related to the collectability of receivables, particularly for those businesses with exposure to construction markets; the cost of any warranty campaigns related to the Company’s products; risks associated with international operations and sales, including compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; risks that a trade war and related tariffs could reduce the competitiveness of the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to comply with complex laws and regulations applicable to U.S. government contractors; cybersecurity risks and costs of defending against, mitigating and responding to data security threats and breaches impacting the Company; the Company’s ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions and to realize the anticipated benefits associated with the same; and risks related to the Company’s ability to successfully execute on its strategic road map and meet its long-term financial goals. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information contained in this news release. Investors should be aware that the Company may not update such information until the Company’s next quarterly earnings conference call, if at all.

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