Will the NPSBN replace my public safety land mobile radio (LMR) system?
While there will be voice communication capability with the NPSBN when it is introduced, it will not be public safety communications “mission critical” quality. Mission-critical communications include capabilities such as point to multi-point communication, and device-to-device direct communication when not connected to a network. These capabilities are not yet part of the selected long-term evolution (LTE) technology platform. It is not anticipated that the network will have mission-critical communications capabilities for the foreseeable future, so existing public safety LMR systems must continue to be maintained. The NPSBN will supplement LMR communications for access to mission-critical data.