Past, present & future of critical communications

in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)Peter Clemons

Founder & Managing Director, Quixoticity Ltd CCMENA 2016

Dubai World Trade Centre, DubaiNovember 7th, 201607/11/2016 1

The Kingdom: Key Facts• The King is the Custodian of the 2 Holy Mosques in Mecca & Medina• In 2016, almost 2 million pilgrims took part in annual Hajj – capacity for 8m.• Oil-based economy with strong Government control over economic activity• 18% of world’s proven petroleum reserves – 97% export earnings from petroleum• 32 million pop. (up from 9m. in 1979)• Saudi Aramco – declared world’s largest company in 2005• Saudi Telecom (STC) – largest telco in Middle East

The kingdom in pictures

Abha Dammam Jeddah

Khobar Mecca Medina

Riyadh Taif Yanbu

Saudi Vision 2030• Integrated plan for future of KSA presented in April 2016 by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Chairman, Council of

Economic & Development Affairs (CEDA)• Saudi Arabia:

– Heart of the Islamic & Arabic Worlds– Investment Powerhouse– Hub connecting three continents

– A vibrant society; A thriving economy; An ambitious nation

• Executive programmes:– Saudi Aramco Strategic Transformation Programme– Public Investment Fund Restructuring Programme– Human Capital Programme– National Transformation Programme– Strategic Partnerships Programme– Privatisation Programme– Programme for Strengthening Public Sector Governance

KAEC

KAUST

Critical comms overview

 The Saudi Arabian National Guard

maintains a command structure and communication network separate

from the Ministry of Defense

National Guard

 Special Security Forces, Border

Guard, Coast Guard and others report to Ministry of Interior

and maintain a separate network

from MoD

Ministry of Interior

 Ministry of Defense maintains a network that is separate from

the Ministry of Interior and the

Ministry of National Guard

Ministry of Defense

 The Saudi Arabian Royal Guard

Regiment maintains a separate

communications network from the

regular Army

Royal Guard Regiment

GACA deployed TETRA networks in commercial airports to coordinate ground

operations and ensure public safety

of staff and passengers

General Authority of Civil Aviation

5

Isolated Mission Critical TETRA Networks in KSA

Need for Unified Network…

May 2, 2023

Source: Strategy& analysis

In case of emergencies, public safety stakeholders will struggle to coordinate ground responses

Rising threats• Tackling terrorism remains a high priority in KSA & across

the world• Rise of technology, social media, copycat attacks, greater

sophistication of attack vectors• Cybersecurity – critical national infrastructure• Increased value of organisational data – data protection • Communications cannot fail!• Unfortunately there is a long catalogue of failure in

communications systems during major incidents• It is hard to classify such systems as mission-critical when

public safety is at stake

The global picture for critical communications

• International benchmarking• Which model is best/feasible?:• Government v private enterprise own/operate• Silo v shared (VPNs/multi-sector) Open v closed• Dedicated spectrum; Dedicated network• Commercial MVNO• Hybrid networks/ICT convergence• 3GPP Releases 12, 13, 14… (5G-Ready)• Technology maturity• Cooperation/knowledge transfer• Applications • Geography, Culture• Security/Privacy/Coverage• Cellular/Tactical/Satellite• Relationship with networked society

Global standards• Standards are now obligatory for operators & users• Beware of pre-standards that smell like proprietary solutions• TETRA is here to stay for many years to come:

– Mature, efficient solution for MCVoice & Short Data– Available, reliable, resilient– Ease of integration with other ICT systems

• Mission-Critical LTE standards now maturing (3GPP SA6):– Release 12 (2014 > 2016): 1st MC Release: Group Call Enablers (GCSE); Proximity Services (ProSe)– Release 13 (2016 > 2017/18): Near complete suite of MCPTT features– Release 14 (2017 > 2019): MCData + MCVideo + MCCoRe– Release 15: (2018 > 2020): Interworking TETRA-LTE? Full MC-LTE completed? TETRA > 5G– 5G: (2016 > 2020s): NR starts with R15; evolution from LTE solution (eLTE); network slices/verticals/ mission-

critical

KSA Spectrum issues• All mobile broadband plans start with spectrum availability• Preferred short-term availability:• TETRA in 400 MHz bands (380-400 MHz – Region 1)• LTE – Bands 20, 28, 3, 68 etc. (700/800, 1800, 2.3/2.6 GHz for capacity)• KSA 800 MHz band not aligned with rest of ME region• CITC regulates spectrum, but Ministries (i.e. MoI, MoD) still control significant

parts of key frequency bands• Mission-critical communications is a fundamental public service that generates

massive social value & does not focus exclusively on economic return/gain

Country Allocations

1 Qatar LTE Band 20 (791-821MHz for DL, 832-862MHz for UL)

2 Oman LTE Band 20 (791-821MHz for DL, 832-862MHz for UL)

3 UAE(*) LTE Band 20 (791-821MHz for DL, 832-862MHz for UL)

4 Yemen No national allocation of the band

5 Jordan No national allocation of the band

6 Iraq LTE Band 20 (791-821MHz for DL, 832-862MHz for UL)

7 Kuwait LTE Band 20 (791-821MHz for DL, 832-862MHz for UL)

Current security environment

10May 2, 2023

• Defend borders security and nation interests in neighboring conflicts

• Ensure security of Holy City of Makkah and safety of pilgrims with coordinated operations of first responders in case of stampede events

• Prevent terrorism threats, immigrations and smuggling activities on borders

• Protect Oil & Gas platforms from hazardous events (e.g. fire) and security threatsYEMEN

Aseer

Makkah

OMAN

UAE

BAHRAIN

IRAQ

JORDAN

Najran

EmptyQuarter

NorthernBorders

Tabouk

Source: Strategy& analysis

Hajj Season Border Control and National Security

Oil & Gas PlatformsTactical MilitaryCapabilities

Growing user requirements• Key User Groups: Public safety & emergency services; other Government;

Transport; Oil & Gas; business-critical• Increase use of data & video• Need for situational awareness• Next-generation control rooms (mobility/security)• Driverless/Autonomous Vehicles/Trains• Monitoring of personnel• Body-Worn Video for Evidence Gathering• Drones, robotics – remote access; O&M; safety• Sensors; IoT > Safe Cities > Fully-Integrated Wide-Area Systems• Big data; analytics; predictive policing• VR/AR; Wearables; Artificial intelligence; Next-generation MMIs• Who can guess what comes next?

Best mission-critical model for KSA?• Hybrid model based on global standards – TETRA + 3GPP LTE+• Long-term goal: nationwide mission-critical broadband network• Short-term goal: Key customers require TETRA• Keep CAPEX under control – build one dedicated network with dedicated spectrum

for all mission-critical users• Network built with mission-critical in mind from Day 1• Synergies with nationwide commercial LTE operator where advisable• Strong focus on mission-critical organisations, but also critical users from other

segments who require mission-critical• Wide-area cellular-based network, but also tactical & satellite capacity taking into

account KSA’s unique geography• Strong focus on user requirements; user testing of network; user applications• Close cooperation/partnership with suppliers & users• Manage customer expectations during network roll-out• Return on investment focuses on the long-term with huge social value• Saudi Vision 2030 – Government/stakeholder buy-in to fulfil the vision

Critical comms best practice

13

Consolidated Mission Critical Network – TETRA + Mission-Critical LTE (3GPP R13 +)

May 2, 2023

Source: Strategy& analysis

One Nationwide Mission Critical Network

National Guard

Ministry of Interior

Ministry of Defense

Royal Guard Regiment

In case of emergencies, a ground response can be efficiently coordinated

thanks to a consolidated mission critical network connecting all national

security, public safety and business critical

stakeholders

In line with Saudi Vision 2030, CEDA Optimization (LABs Delivery Program) and MoEP Privatization (Private Sector Partnership Program) Efforts in KSA

GACA

The future?• Consolidated TETRA capabilities across KSA• Nationwide mission-critical LTE network• Single, specialised mission-critical operator across KSA• Long-term focus on 3GPP evolution towards 5G & beyond• Network functions virtualisation (NFV) & Software-defined networks (SDN)• Next-generation, secure-by-design, multi-tier Internet (RINA or other)• Evolution of working practices/greater automation/greater receptivity/faster response times/better

levels of service across society• New business/operational models• Global standards allow MC operator to implement new features & applications as they become

available• Saudi Vision 2030 drives future development of public safety, society & economy in KSA

Aiming high….

…with security in mind

05/02/23 17

For more in-depth analysis & commentary on the critical communications landscape, please contact:Peter ClemonsFounder & Managing Director, Quixoticity Ltd.+44-7951-289934peter@quixoticity.comSkype: peterclemonsLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/peter-clemons-041845