09/18/2026
Public safety is having an important conversation about broadband’s role in mission-critical communications. At EFJohnson, we believe strong LMR infrastructure is the foundation, and that broadband can extend and enhance it in specific circumstances. Both belong in the same strategy, with responder safety guiding every investment.
Recent field testing in Grant County, Washington demonstrated that combination. Portable radios communicated over RF with vehicle-mounted radios, which bridged traffic onto broadband. Separate tests demonstrated a portable-to-vehicle connection at approximately 4.7 miles and connectivity for a deputy inside a jail without usable trunked LMR or cellular coverage. Agencies should validate these promising results under their own operating conditions.
The distinction between extending coverage and replacing infrastructure matters. Vehicle gateways can help address coverage gaps, support mutual aid, and connect responders beyond their home systems. Their performance depends on vehicle placement, available connectivity, configuration, and operational planning.
System-level integration matters, too. Properly implemented P25 ISSI connections can support interoperability between compatible radio systems and allow responders to connect to home systems when traveling beyond the engineered coverage area. Critical functions including user identification, emergency signaling, encryption, and dispatch recording must be verified across the complete communications path. A gateway enables users to talk when no system-level integration exists, and an LMR connection is needed on an ad hoc basis. It is not a feature-for-feature replacement for formal system-level integration.
Engineered LMR sites remain essential wherever agencies depend on predictable radio coverage without a nearby gateway vehicle. Evaluate broadband against those requirements before treating it as a replacement. Dedicated public safety spectrum, including 700 MHz narrowband, remains a critical resource for wide-area LMR systems and nationwide interoperability channels.
We'll keep building tools that connect LMR and broadband. We'll also keep advocating for the LMR infrastructure and spectrum that responders' safety depends on.
To learn more, download the white paper: "A Strategic Investment Framework for Public Safety Communications" posted in the comments. .
