Co-Analysis of Connectivity, Location, and Situation in Mission-Critical Hybrid Communication Networks

Abstract

Mission-critical communication (MCC) enables and supports operations by providing reliable connectivity and interoperability, facilitating operational continuity and allows mission-performers to focus on mission goals and objectives. Any communication technology used in isolation may fail. For instance, land mobile radio (LMR) networks may provide poor coverage to tactical "push-to-talk" radio devices within stone buildings, while cellular devices may not satisfy strict performance criteria (e.g. setup and response time). An alternative approach would be dynamic orchestration of such hybrid communication networks, which also involve Bluetooth, cellular, and cloud-based networking technologies. We propose an integrated approach that accounts for situation, location, and connectivity considerations to enhance MCC network availability, and mission-performers’ connectivity and readiness, by harnessing communication, location, and situational awareness in networking technologies, applications, and users. This framework provides a holistic cyber-physical perspective on the problem. Our approach is useful in various real-life applications for operational connectivity of first responders, e.g. when breaking into a scene of an emergency, in which LMR coverage is expected to deteriorate significantly.