Hybrid Mobile Network Use in Public Safety Vehicles

The recent hot potato in the public safety discussion has been mobile broadband data. The question of how to bring the broadband to public safety vehicles has multiple opposing viewpoints and conflicts of opinion.

The first answer to implementing broadband into vehicles is to build dedicated networks for authorities. The second solution is to use a commercial provider with special deals to offer the data capacity required. The third option includes several hybrid solutions, either combining dedicated and commercial networks or using multiple commercial ones.

Tests conducted in various locations across the US and Europe prove that hybrid commercial network use is a viable solution that can be later improved by adaptation of dedicated networks. This observation has already led to implementation of a fully commercial network based solutions in Scandinavia. The fully commercial solution does not limit the usage of dedicated networks like FirstNet, but due to lack of frequencies this has been the only way in many countries so far.

The key element of this solution is a managed multichannel router system. This system enables easier, secure sharing of confidential information. It is now possible to call up a suspect’s criminal record, any outstanding/previous fines or even vehicle information. With this approach, all the needed office tasks can be performed on the spot, while required documents can be created and printed immediately.

Users claim that co-operation has been elevated to an entirely new level. Information is more transparent thanks to task handling, shared blogs and the collection of statistics. The reliability of data transmission and sharing of critical information has and continues to improve significantly. Misunderstandings are reduced because different patrols can now locate each other from a shared map resource. This has led to gains in the command and control chain, with field management proving more efficient thanks to better allocation of resources.

Authorities have been extremely satisfied with presented system. Routers have changed and continue to change field operations and management due to provided capabilities for new applications. Also the addition of a dedicated LTE network to the solution is possible whenever a new networks is implemented giving also a future proof solution. It has been already shown that this technology saves time, resources, money and lives.

Juhani Lehtonen

VP Sales and Marketing

Goodmill Systems Ltd.

The Reasons Why Link Aggregation Does Not Work for Public Safety Mobile Broadband

The use of commercial networks in public safety has been a hot topic recently. Many countries have introduced concepts to offer public safety connectivity with variable results. One hot topic in how to use commercial networks is to utilize multiple networks at the same time. The reason for this is a natural reasoning since one commercial network occasionally has capacity problems: let’s combine many to always provide a good broadband solution. However, this reasoning lacks the understanding of the basic functionality of how mobile networks function. This misunderstanding has led to bad results in tests and occasionally to abandon the concept of using commercial networks for this critical user group.

What is it we’re talking about, really?

First it is important to understand the terms. We need to differentiate load sharing from link aggregation or “bundling” as often referred to. 

Load sharing sends different data streams to different WAN links and “balances” the load between the links. It either sends always different types of traffic to different links or works with and “water flow” principle when one link is full using the second one. The problem with this is that the data sharing is application based and individual application cannot be distributed over multiple links. Usually only one application, live video streaming requires the capacity that would need multiple links. This problem cannot thus be resolved with lead sharing.

Aggregation or bundling builds one “big pipe” of data over multiple links. This enables all individual applications to treat all combined links as one. The challenge comes from when one link is cut off; the whole aggregated frame needs to be built again. One big hinder in this solution is the extremely dynamic nature of mobile data networks. Aggregation can with current technology only give always only X times the worst link capacity, X being the amount of links!

Let’s look at these challenges more closely.

 

Challenges with load sharing or load balancing

The first challenge is to consider what is the criterion to share the load? Are we just having two times normal links with separate and dedicated data for each link? Or are we using some kind of “water fall” approach with filling one link first and then directing the overflow to the other links? With dynamic mobile networks in moving vehicles the network throughput capacities change constantly. To suit the correct amount of traffic into each link and then changing traffic between links when capacities change create problems.

With load balancing approach it is impossible for any router to share the traffic over multiple links unless you have multiple VPN tunnels. IP address - based load sharing would then only be possible with multiple VPN’s and the solution would be limited to “best effort” type use.

Most importantly: if an application demands more that the primary link, it cannot be shared. This means that live video streaming would not work. For live video streaming the aggregation would be the logical solution.

Challenges with link aggregation or bundling

Link aggregation enables capacity sharing over all links.  The joint delays are always at least at the level of the worst link used.  All link interruptions need a new build for the whole frame and this would need to happen all the time, even hundreds of times a day. This creates even more delays since the rebuild of the frame needs time. It is common to have some kind of a connectivity break in any network every few minutes over any of the used links. 

The rebuild of the aggregated stream is always depending on the latency of the worst link and it is thus very difficult to use interactive communication like VoIP or video conferencing due to continuous and frequent delays. The ITU standard defines the minimum one directional latency for voice to be at the most 150 ms. This can very seldom be reached with network interruptions in aggregated solutions. Additionally aggregation always needs a dedicated back-end system that can be very expensive due to large number of needed logical ports.

What is then the best solution?

Let’s consider the possibility of having a system where the link quality is always tested and the best available link would always be used. This would mean following capacities.

Fast switch from network to another in this case provides always better capacity than link aggregation. The similar would apply to load sharing, since the allocation of capacity due to very dynamic environment disables the allocation to its full extent. 

This means that one demanding application, like live video streaming cannot be used over load sharing over multiple links and the framing of the aggregated data stream creates delays and cannot utilize the best capacities of the available networks. There is evidence that supports this statement. With a test in Scandinavia a solution with 5 aggregated 3G links was able to give only 700 Kbit/s capacity despite the existence of 3G networks. If any of the links was occasionally using Edge capacities, this would mean 5 X 128 Kbit/s approximately. Simultaneously there is several HSPA+ or even LTE networks available with multiple Mbit/s over any single link! A suitable option would thus be something like presented in the picture below. 

This scenario requires a capability to monitor the link quality and cautious proactive switching between networks. The first tests of this approach have been leading to implementations with high-end applications like VoIP and live video.

Summary

Modern networks are developing and growing fast and the capacity over one link is often tens of megabits per second generally. This is enough for all current modern applications including live video streaming, VoIP and combinations of these. Using multiple networks with always selecting the best one gives very short delay times. With quick switch over from network to another one can reach the best overall link quality, availability and resilience. Load sharing and aggregation seldom meet the requirements for public safety mobile broadband data. Proactive selection of best mobile link is thus currently the Best in Class solution for applications that demand uninterrupted broadband connectivity.

Juhani Lehtonen

juhani.lehtonen(at)goodmillsystems.com

The Pilot Results of Hybrid Commercial Network Usage in Public Safety Mobile Broadband

The current discussion concerning broadband access to public safety mobile units has been active and ongoing for years. The primary reason for discussion regarding this issue is the fact that current dedicated digital authority networks cannot provide the data capacity required for modern applications. However, capacity limitation seems to be the last point that discussion participants can agree on. The question of how to bring the broadband to these vehicles has multiple opposing viewpoints and conflicts of opinion.

The first and the most obvious answer to bringing broadband into public safety vehicles is to build dedicated networks for authorities. The main problem with this solution is the huge cost involved, along with limited available frequencies. The second solution is to use a commercial provider with special deals to offer the data capacity required. Here the main concern is the availability of the data and resilience of the network. The third option includes several hybrid solutions, either combining dedicated and commercial networks or using multiple commercial ones. The key problems with this latest solution are perceived to be resilience and availability.

Participants in this discussion are however too often lead astray by either their own personal experiences on how networks function, by operator promises regarding availabilities, or dedicated network equipment providers’ denigration of commercial networks. The only way to know with certainty the availability of any single network or selected networks together, is to test them in real life environments with the same applications used by the authorities.

This document shows the results of several selected pilots or tests conducted in Europe and the USA. The number was limited for presentation purposes, but very similar or even identical results have been seen from tens of tests around the world.

Typical testing environment

The selected testing environment included in all conducted tests contains the following set-up:

Each vehicle was equipped with a Multi-Channel Router (MCR) with selected available main operators in each case. A laptop or a tablet was attached to the router. The router created a Mobile IP tunnel to a server in the cloud and from there the connection to authorities’ back-end systems was created.

We wanted to test against the clarified customer claims. The first claim was that one network operator is enough within cities. The second was that out in remote regions there is no coverage at all.

Cities

We first present the results from using the hybrid network approach within selected cities. The cities included here are Brussels, Antwerp and Los Angeles. The test duration for each of these tests is several hours - long enough to give a clear picture of real life operation of the networks within the given cities.

As is clear from the example, the network availabilities of individual network operators are far from the 100% claimed. Over just a few hours there may be more than 50 data interruptions. It is similarly clear that multiple networks overlap favourably. The joint coverage with just two operators is always close to 99.5% and often close to 99.9%.

What is also important is that the bundled solution practically removed all longer breaks that would have caused the user to feel an interruption to the service. Looking at the GPS data in heat maps gives a clear visual representation of the fact that the networks are full of holes when it comes to delivering broadband to moving vehicles, even in densely populated cities.

Remote locations

For remote location testing we selected a third network to ensure we get the maximum coverage. Only in Iceland did we use two networks due to fewer available operators without network sharing. We always try to select networks that have as little coverage overlap as possible. The locations tested include are some of the most remote in Europe, including Ireland, Norway and Iceland. The results were surprising.

It is understandable that single network availabilities are significantly lower than in the cities. But surprisingly they still are very seldom as low as 80%. The number of service interruptions increases with lower availability and it was noted that some of the breaks extended from tens of second to minutes and even tens of minutes when driving. Despite much lower individual network availability in these areas, the bundled uptime results were excellent. Over 99% is an excellent figure considering the places where these test routes were driven. Places so sparsely populated that there are often no inhabitants within a radius of tens of kilometers.

Even in these remote locations, the bundled solution offered uninterrupted connectivity as any longer breaks in data were reduced to zero. The user did not experience any interruptions to the service, even when some short breaks in the data stream occurred.

Availability heat maps show clearly how multiple networks combine to provide the high availability encountered.

Summary

Anecdotal evidence and personal opinions are especially misleading in this area without accurate data regarding mobile broadband data coverage. Typically individual opinions have been influenced by personal experiences and are further confused by operators marketing messages. The discussion around the need for dedicated broadband networks is manufactured to some degree by the equipment providers themselves. Opinions that are not backed up by real data and test based findings should not form the basis of decisions made in this area.

In every test made, several parallel networks have been proven to provide greater resilience than a single one. Tests conducted in various locations across the US and Europe prove two crucial points. The first is that no city can provide sufficient broadband availability for public safety vehicles over a single network. The second is that even the most remote areas can provide availability that is acceptable for public safety mobile broadband.

It is worth noting that similar tests are always needed in a new region in order to form valid conclusions. Of the tens of tests conducted so far, all have yielded very similar results regardless of locations.

Mikko Kestilä and Juhani Lehtonen

Goodmill Systems Ltd.

Police Office on the Wheels

The efficiency demands for public services are continuously increasing. Public safety operators and specifically police are heavily impacted with this. One of the most interesting improvements is to move all possible office activities in the vehicles. The benefits of this are clear.

• No work duplication
• Improved officer safety
• More time on the field
• Better customer service
• Better work satisfaction

Target is to improve the time spent on the field and show more presence to the community.  Driving is minimized due to less needed visits to the precincts and savings come through petrol and other vehicle costs, too.

The simple solution often thought of is just to have a computer in the vehicle with a broadband connection. The computers can be either fixed in the car, portables or even tablets. The connectivity is mostly a commercial broadband network or in some cases a dedicated public safety broadband network. In most of the implementations the enthusiasm after the pilots has been killed due to problems in used applications and connectivity. The problem lies in the set-up. We need to understand that if we demand office work in the vehicle, the implemented concept has to provide office quality operability.


Demands of data connectivity in the office and the mobile network functionality

The user satisfaction of mobile connectivity is a combination of many things that are illustrated below.

If we take granted that the used police office applications are at the level that gives enough user satisfaction, only what effects are the changes needed for taking the same work in the car. This all culminates to availability, resilience and capacity of the wireless connectivity.

The challenge the mobile networks create for vehicle connectivity is the amount and length of breaks in data streams. This is almost always misunderstood, since the overall network availability is based on customer experience on availability of voice service. However, mobile broadband data access to a moving vehicle is a totally different ball game. Here a well representing summary of more than 400 days of testing in Europe.

In this table are included 12 vehicles with multichannel routers. Each router monitors and examines the availability of 3 different commercial broadband network providers availability. Each color corresponds with a different provider. The availability vary a great deal between operators, but most importantly the availability of different operators in different locations varies a great deal. Additionally, the daily changes in operator availability even in the same location vary. After international tests and pilots as well as full scale implementation, it looks like the operators' availability figures are very similar all over the world.

One important additional outcome of the tests has been that the connectivity is lost from tens to hundred times over a single 12 hour shift. When the average break length over single network is from about 10 seconds to 10’s of minutes, it is clear that over a single network the required standard of office connectivity is not met. When trying to do the office tasks in the car, the users get frustrated and eventually will abandon the tasks. The inadequate user satisfaction of the system creates frustration and will eventually not be used.


Securing the user friendliness

There are four solutions considered to overcome the challenge of availability. The first one is to implement application that can tolerate the breaks. The second is to use roaming SIM-cards that switch between networks. The third one is to use dual SIM modems and the fourth is to use multichannel routers with multiple active network connections.

The first alternative, using applications that tolerate connectivity breaks, does not solve the problem when in contact with the needed databases. Despite that the sessions are not interrupted; there is no data transfer to enable the needed actions. One roaming SIM-card is also problematic. Roaming between networks needs quite a lot of time, from 15 seconds to even minutes. Two SIMs in the same modem creates similar problems than the roaming SIM. Only after the first network alternative is lost, starts the equipment to search for alternative connections. This takes same amount of time as one SIM roaming and with this the user frustration is guaranteed.

The only viable solution is to select two to even four networks for a multichannel routing solution. In this approach all the networks are monitored and their availability and performance is known to the system at all times. When the connectivity is degraded or lost, the system automatically switches to use the best network available. When network switch over times are just 1-3 seconds and the sessions persist, the outcome is availability comparable to office. The bundled availability over the 12 routers in our case was proven to be excellent.

In these tests the result of 99,70% to 99.99% have proven to provide for user friendly availability. This leads to users recognizing the help of the system for their day to day work.


The future of broadband in vehicles

The multiband approach has proven to be useful and effective in moving police work in the cars. The savings through efficiency can be calculated to have payback periods of less than 8 weeks when only working time savings are calculated. This approach also enables all the other needed public safety vehicle functionality including online Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), online streaming video and advanced operation control applications. We see that the similar approach will also be used in ambulances with less daily office applications, but improved emergency connectivity and support to the vehicles instead. Not far in the future are various utility organizations that will demand more office tasks executed in the vehicles. A common theme is to bring the office on the road.

What is very important to remember is that there are now "low end" and "high end" office on the wheels concepts. The office work quality demands determine the standard and it is the high availability that's always needed. Otherwise it will never fly!


Juhani Lehtonen
Goodmill Systems Ltd.

Blue Ocean in Public Safety Mobile Broadband

In the past there have been huge investments into public safety networks in the world. These investments into digital voice solutions with country wide coverage are factually still going on in many countries with Germany being the latest and widest implementation. The big infrastructure providers have been earning good revenues with the national roll-outs and many of the traditional ones are planning on selling the dedicated broadband networks the same way in the future. There is, however, a Blue Ocean concept that might change the whole business model for the public safety broadband. This can be good news for the tax payers, but poses a significant risk for the previous rulers of the market place. Before I’ll get here, let’s summarize what Blue Ocean in this case stands for.

Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS)

This term was invented by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne in their book “Blue Ocean Strategy:
How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant”. The idea is that you don’t only develop and enhance your offering to win markets, but you can redefine it by introducing aspects of elimination and reduction. With this one can create a new value curve that has potential to conquer the market. In this context the current incumbent approach to public safety broadband networks is to raise the capacity and to create new networks and technologies (LTE) for the market.

A Blue Ocean can be created by elimination and reduction. This is a valid concept that needs to be considered.

The dilemma of over serving the public safety communication market

Whenever talking about public safety, the argumentation for selling solutions has been around the importance of the service itself. I’ve heard arguments like “TETRA is the only technology you can trust your life on” or “the dedicated and government controlled networks are the only solutions that fulfill the availability and resilience needs of the public safety”. We all know these statements are not true. I have heard about multiple cases when TETRA networks have been down or unusable and the officers have turned to use the commercial networks to communicate. These solutions are also never 100% sure against storms or other natural catastrophes. The dedicated PMR networks get overcrowded when needed. When there’s nothing important going on, the networks are almost empty, using even as low as 2-5% of their capacity normally. This means that we have huge investments standing unused and failing often when mostly needed. Do we really need these dedicated networks also in the future? If not, we could probably save a lot of money for sure. Let’s see what commercial solutions could offer for the sector?

The Blue Ocean in public safety communication

The new strategic alternative comes from elimination the need for new networks. We see solutions in the fixed internet where one builds their own dedicated more secure networks inside the commercially available one. Normal VPN tunneling or MPLS technologies are commonly used in PS sector today. The solution is to combine commercial networks, as many as one wish, and use secure tunnels inside them. One thus actually uses the infrastructure of all needed mobile operators, the resilience, availability and operational security they together can serve. And has simultaneously secure tunneling inside all of them. This means that the costs of the solution are minor compared to building a new network anywhere with any significant coverage.

One roaming SIM is not enough

There are two different scenarios how to use the multiple network approach. One has been to acquire agreements with operators to enable roaming between networks with only one SIM-card. This sounds like a viable solution at first, but will not sufficient for Public Safety needs. The problem with roaming SIM is the inability to see the status of any other networks than the one the card uses. When one loses the primary network, one can only then start to even search if the other networks are available. This can take minutes or even tens of minutes. It creates intolerable uncertainty and hampers the user friendliness required for the officers to adopt the applications. Also session persistence can be easily lost.

The benefits of multichannel routing solution

Using routers that monitor all of the used networks all the time and use them either separately or together can give what is required. Currently the switch over times can be reduced to just seconds, enabling advanced online streaming data applications. The networks’ capacities are not a problem in most areas today, and will be even less as LTE is expanding at its current rapid rate. Also the fears of commercial users jamming the networks seem to be overrated.

Summary

Let’s take FirstNet in the US as an example, since they are the only ones who have openly announced spending something like 7-9 Billion US for a country wide dedicated public safety network. If they used selected existing commercial operators with a router solution, the cost for equipping all the public safety vehicles (450 000) in the country, would be in the range of 1-2 Billion. Simultaneously the operating costs can be kept much lower due to operators’ efficient commercial organizations. With this investment every single public safety vehicle would have safe, resilient and highly available broadband in their use.

The routers using multiple networks create the Blue Ocean. The incumbents that have so far sold the digital PMR networks are naturally interested in continuing their old business model. With novel alternatives minimizing network investments the business can be switched to other players. This has happened already in Scandinavia and will certainly have its effects in other parts of the world. I hope for us taxpayers’ sake that the modern approaches get the foothold they deserve.

By Juhani Lehtonen

juhani.lehtonen(at)goodmillsystems.com

Ambulance Data Connectivity Test in Kainuu, Finland

Kainuu Health District organized a system testing for Ambulance Data Connectivity in Kainuu region (Central-Eastern Finland) during the summer 2013. This is a free to use summary of the actual tests, results and summary with suggestions. The significance of a special vehicle router system is underlined.

Test Kit

Router

• Installed in the vehicle. Goodmill w24e-RR router with external magnet antennas.
• The router used total of three networks (WAN links). Two 3G networks - Sonera and Elisa, as well as one 450CDMA network
• The connection via the router to the computer is enabled through a WIFI Access Point connection.

Computer

• Computers used in this test were 2 laptops. 
• The first tests were carried out on the Windows XP operating system and the router plus an internal 3G modem (Mokkula)
• Second tests used Effica Health Care application by Tieto on the Laptops.
• This testing was carried out on the Windows 7 operating system with 3G USB modem and the router. Both 3G modems used DNA's network.

Tested applications

Effica

• Effica testing was carried out using a test environment which had the same IT requirements as the proper usage environment Effica would have.
• The programme requires a non-stop wireless network connection and does not allow any interruptions in the Wifi connection while the registration is being carried out.

Citrix

• Citrix remote desktop enables using Effica with a suboptimal internet connection.
• Effica runs on the server and there is a desktop view on the computer of the programme. With CITRIX, Effica does not sign the user out if the internet connection is interrupted for a short period of time.

Birdstep Technology Oy, Safemove

• Safemove software is needed for creating a password secure connection and changing connection without interruption. 
• When the connection is directed from the 3G modem to the router it causes the IP address to change - which would result in losing the Effica network connection. 
• A mobile IP address is created by the Safemove software, allowing the IP address to stay the same, ensuring the internet connection does not get interrupted.

Safemove software has vehicle router installed in as a priority connection to enable connectivity inside and close to the vehicle. When the WiFi connection to the vehicle is cut, the computer automatically starts using the 3G modem.

Test set up in Kainuu

Testing Methods Stage 1

In the first stage only the connection speed and the reliability was tested for Effica. At this stage only a router and a computer with a Windows XP operating system was used.

Road Test

The road test was mainly done using a moving vehicle. When the connection was poor the vehicle was brought to a halt.

The reliability of the connection was tested simply by running continuous ping-tests. Ping is a TCP/IP protocol tool which tests the reachability of a certain specified device. Ping sends an ICMP echo request package to the device, which the remote computer responds to with its own echo reply package. Ping tests were sent to the Google server address 8.8.8.8 using the Windows command line.

The upload/download connection tests were carried out using http://speedtest.net.

Apartment Test 

The testing methods were the same as in the road test. In each test situation the vehicle was parked about 10-20 metres outside the entrance.

The test locations were:

• A second floor of Kainuu First Aid’s building
• The Central Hospital Patient Tower; a concrete block of flats in Kajaani City Centre 
• A wood-insulated detached house in Kajaani's Pärsänsuo
• A tiled detached house in Vuolijoki.

Testing Methods Stage 2

During the second stage the suitability of Effica for First Responders was tested.

Stage 1 Test Results

Road test with router

The reliability of the internet connection was very good. The connection was not offline for more than ten seconds at a time even in the most remote areas. When the connection was poor the car was stopped which brought the connection speed up again. The minimum connection speed was 1Mbit which is high enough for Effica to function well.

The connection speed was also periodically tested using a single 3G modem without the router. This showed that connection speed was very low outside suburban areas. Effica would not work in these areas.

First Aid Building connectivity

The WiFi connectivity was tested from laptop to the vehicle. The connection to the vehicle router was not interrupted during the whole test period. The vehicle was parked ~10 metres from the main entrance.

Connection speed from the laptop near the building inside the car:

• Download  7,68 Mbit/s 
• Upload  2,01 Mbit/s
• Ping 74 ms

Connection speed inside the apartment:

• Download  2.84 Mbit/s
• Upload  1,53 Mbit/s 
• Ping 75 ms 

These both connection speeds are sufficient for Effica.

Patient Tower building connectivity

The vehicle was parked right by the patient tower, the distance to the car was ~20 metres. The WiFi connection from laptop to the router was cut almost instantly when entering the building.

Stone-built Block of Flats in Kajaani City Center

The vehicle was parked ~10 meters from the main entrance. The connection was lost when entering the building, ~10 meters from the building’s entrance.

Detached house, wood-paneling inside

Vehicle was parked ~10 meters from the main door. The connection was lost in the bathroom as this was farthest from the car. This was likely due to the concrete bathroom wall. The connection was also tested using a single 3G modem.

Connection speeds using a router:

• Download variable: 2.5-0.3 Mbit/s
• Upload variable: 1.5-0.1 Mbit/s
• Ping variable: 80-100 ms

Connection speeds using a 3G modem:

• Download Variable: 4.5-0.3 Mbit/s 

The connection speeds were better using a 3G modem in the laptop inside the flat.

Tiled detached house in Vuolijoki 

The vehicle was parked circa 10 meters from the main door. The laptop WiFi connection remained uninterrupted. Not much variation on the connection speed.

• Download 3.0 Mbit/s 
• Upload 2.0 MBit/s
• Ping 88 ms 

Stage 1 Test Summary

The connection cannot be guaranteed in all locations, but when in the near vicinity of the vehicle the CDMA450 connection is very comprehensive nationwide and therefore the connection is fairly reliable.

A router fixed inside the vehicle is needed when using Effica. This enables a reliable and comprehensive network. An additional laptop 3G modem connection is needed when using Effica in tall buildings and far away from the vehicle when in suburban areas.

Stage 2 Test Results

Road Test 

The Effica test environment stayed active and recordable throughout the route. The WiFi connection was active and operational the whole time. Downloading and uploading information went smoothly and without any major interruptions or twitching. The same Effica session was used throughout the road test. At one test point along the Lahnasjärven Road Effica was working even at ~100 metres from the car. For test reasons there was an inbuilt WiFi antenna in the car which probably shortened the range. A normal setup would be an outside antenna.

Stage two road test route

When tested outside the WiFi range, the laptop used Effica using 3G modem although connection was in this case very slow. A speed test for the 3G modem resulted in ping 875 ms and download 0,02 Mbit/s, whereas the router received ping was 85 ms and download 1.08 Mbit/s.

Kainuu road test data

A Detached House with a wood-paneling inside

The car was parked in the same spot as in the speed tests, ~10 metres from the main door. When entering the room that was furthest from the car, the connection automatically switched over to the 3G connection. There was virtually no difference in the recording once this happened. 

Patient tower (Kaks potilastorni)

The connection automatically switched to the 3G modem and recordability remained the same. The testing continued in the stairwell up to the 4th floor and recording of Effica was also working inside the lift going down.

Test 2 Summary

Effica works faultlessly using this setup. Switching between connections is unnoticeable to the user and it is likely to be sufficient for Effica over the whole Kainuu region. The connection to Citrix was lost a couple of times but this was due to the user. The same session was still open after logging back into Citrix. So even though the connection was lost in the middle of recording, the data was not lost.

End Result and Summary

It is possible to get the Effica patient database working reliably in ambulances. The router reliability and connection speeds are sufficient in and around Kainuu region. On top of the router, a 3G modem connection is needed because the WiFi connection does not work through thick walls or at distances greater than 100-300 meters from the vehicle.

The Safemove software from Birdstep Technologies Oy is also needed, as this enables the switching of the router and 3G modem connection to ensure that the Citrix connection is not lost.

You can read more about Kainuun sote, the organisation conducting the by clicking the link:

Modified from Finnish report by Juhani Lehtonen

Mobile Healthcare: Mallu Case Study by Eksote in Finland

The Mallu vehicle is a new type of mobile healthcare service that is used in remote regions where these services don’t exist. The objective is to introduce more advanced services to locations that don’t have a dedicated healthcare center.

The targets for the Mallu system are:

• To answer the healthcare needs of people living far away from stationary service locations 
• To secure and develop the basic services of people in remote locations 
• To enhance wellbeing and health as well as to prevent illness 
• To support the health and wellbeing of the elderly and to support independent living 
• To produce new and reliable mobile services 

The customers include all community members, but the largest customer group is elderly people that have problems of travelling to the locations of stationary services. The first pilot tests in 2011 showed that as many as 65% of the customers were aged 65 or older.

The services

The Mallu vehicle provides primary nurse and pharmacy services. Special health related theme days are also organized using the vehicle. 

The vehicle has a fixed route and the target is to visit each dedicated site every fortnight. The time the vehicle is in one location varies from one hour upwards, depending on the need. The nurses provide services like ear rinsing, stitch removal, prescription renewals, vaccinations and other injections. Blood pressure monitoring, blood sugar level sampling and related advice are also included, while some quick sampling like INR is also performed in the van.

The broadband connection in the vehicle enables the usage of Eksote's regional health district patient register, so that all patient specific health issues can be monitored and reported online. Some dental services can be included depending on the equipment installed in the vehicle. 

The route of the vehicle in Southern Carelia, Finland 

The connectivity solution

One of the main requirements for the services is an always online data connection that is guaranteed to function in more remote locations. The Goodmill managed router system meets the challenge. The Mallu vehicle is equipped with a router that includes up to four different commercial mobile broadband connections. In current operations along the predefined routes, Eksote uses two SIM-cards from the two main operators in Finland.

The system overview of the Mallu healthcare vehicle 

The solution brings all the health district’s databases to the vehicle over secured VPN tunneling. The van then operates like any other connection inside the hospital or healthcare center with similar rights and capabilities. This also enables more modern services like live video streaming from the van, enabling doctors consultation on demand.

The costs

The total cost for the vehicle including salaries, vehicle rental and IT infrastructure are €115,000 per year. With a single customer’s cost between €52 - €104 per visit, the all costs of the service can be covered. This is obviously a very interesting value proposition for Eksote.

The summary

As the costs of health care are rising in general, a mobile service unit is a way to deliver services to more remote locations. A modern IT infrastructure is needed to support the service, which requires secure access to databases for medical records, electronic prescription databases and so on. The Goodmill managed router solution is a perfect building block and enabler for this. With always online broadband, imagination is only the limit to expand and upgrade the services in the future.