# Presentation: 699999

## Wireless Priority Service (WPS)

***Wireless Priority Service (WPS)***
***Overcoming  Wireless Congestion in Emergencies***
***Kathy Blasco***
***WPS Operations, NCS***
***blascok@ncs.gov***
***(703) 607-6131***
***www.ncs.gov***
**	**

## Agenda

**Network Congestion**
**9/11 and Wireless Demand**
**WPS Overview**
**WPS Availability**
**How to Order WPS**
**WPS Milestones**
**WPS Contacts**** **

## The Fundamental Issue:Network Congestion

***The Fundamental Issue:******Network Congestion***

***Congestion,******at ***_***many***_*** points, can block a call !***

**AT&T **
**WorldCom**
**SPRINT**

**Local Exchange**
**Networks**

**Mobile**
** ****Switch**

**Wireless Priority Service *****addresses ******wireless ******congestion at***

**Government Emergency Telecommunications Service *****addresses ******wireline ******congestion***

**Local Exchange**
**Networks**

**Mobile**

**Switch**

***call origination***

***and                 call termination***

**Notes:**
The NCS has two NS/EP programs that contend with the PSN network congestion to assure NS/EP communications remain viable during NS/EP events.  The Government Emergency Telecommunications Service or GETS overcomes the congestion in the landline local exchange and interexchange carrier networks.  
The Wireless Priority Service augments the GETS landline capabilities by addressing the wireless congestion experienced on the radio channels.

## September 11, 2001

**One wireless carrier’s traffic ballooned by ****400**** percent in Washington and ****1,000**** percent in a NY area switching center**
**Urgent requirement for wireless priority access**
**Wireless congestion reported everywhere, not just in WTC and Pentagon areas**

***ATTACK ON AMERICA***
***September 11, 2001***

## Immediate Action
“NCS will move forward on implementing an immediate solution (target:  within 60 days) using channel reservation capability from one vendor for the Washington, DC area; based on lessons learned in DC, NCS will make a recommendation on whether to expand the immediate solution to other metro areas.”

Longer-Term
“In parallel, the NCS will proceed with deploying a priority access queuing system for wireless nationwide (target: within one year).”

**National Security Council**
**October 2001**

**National Security Council Memorandum, October 9, 2001,*****  ****SUBJECT: Minutes from October 5, 2001 Meeting on Select NS/EP Telecommunications Projects*

***Immediate Action***
**“****NCS will move forward on implementing an immediate solution (target:  within 60 days) using channel reservation capability from one vendor for the Washington, DC area; based on lessons learned in DC, NCS will make a recommendation on whether to expand the immediate solution to other metro areas.”**
***Longer-Term***
**“****In parallel, the NCS will proceed with deploying a priority access queuing system for wireless nationwide (target: within one year).”**

***Wireless Priority Service*****  **

## What is WPS?

**An enhancement to basic wireless service that allows your National Security/Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) calls to queue for  priority service in order to complete the call**** **
**Together with GETS, WPS dramatically improves “end-to-end” call completion during emergencies**

## Why Do You Need WPS?

**Disasters, terrorist attacks, and major accidents trigger tremendous telephone traffic in the landline and wireless networks**
**NS/EP personnel at all levels of government compete with the public for these congested landline and wireless resources**
**GETS provides the means to get your landline call through**
**WPS provides the means to get your wireless call through **

## Who Is Eligible?
Persons in NS/EP leadership positions
Applicable at all levels: Federal, State, Regional, Municipal

**Persons in NS/EP leadership positions**
**Applicable at all levels: Federal, State, Regional, Municipal**

| User Classification | Examples |
| --- | --- |
| Category #1: Executive Leadership/Policy Makers | President, Governors, Lt Governors, City/County leaders, Cabinet officers, key senior staff |
| Category #2: Disaster Response / Military Command & Control | Continuity of government and national security leadership; EOC coordinators/directors |
| Category #3: Public Health, Safety, Law Enforcement | Senior command levels of law enforcement, fire and public safety functions |
| Category #4: Public Services/Utilities and Public Welfare | COE leadership; water/Sewage/ telecomm/transportation leadership |
| Category #5: Disaster Recovery | Medical resources; sheltering; infrastructure damage assessment; DFO  |

***Eligibility and Priority Assignment***

**Notes:**
Who is eligible for WPS service?  
The FCC in their R&O has laid out the eligibility criteria for WPS.
The NCS provides the day to day administration of the WPS, including authorizing users for WPS based on the FCC criteria.  

## Typical WPS Users

**President, Governor, Mayor, County Executive**
**Cabinet Secretary at Federal or State Level**
**Chief of Staff – Military or Civilian**
**Emergency Management Director**
**Chief of Police, Fire Chief**
**Director of Emergency Medical Services**
**Chief Operating Officer of a Public Utility**
**Director, Incident Command Center**** **

## Typical WPS User Functions

**Managing the initial response to an emergency at the local, state,                                                  regional and federal levels**
**Leadership of departments and agencies including key support staff **
**Insuring reconstruction of the basic infrastructure **
**Essential Continuity of Government (COG) and national security                         functions**
**Operations critical to life, property, and maintenance of law and order immediately after an event**
**Managing public works, utility infrastructure damage assessment, restoration efforts and transportation to accomplish emergency response activities**
**Managing medical resources**
**Managing a variety of recovery operations after the initial response**
**Establishing and sustaining shelters**
**Obtaining detailed damage assessments**

## Wireless Priority Service (WPS)  

***Air ***

***Interface***

***Wireline ***

***Network ***

***Interface***

***Air ***

***Interface***

***Wireline ***

***Network ***

***Interface***

**AT&T **

**Worldcom**

**SPRINT**

**Local**

**Networks**

**Local**

**Networks**

**Local**

**Networks**

**Local**

**Networks**

**Wireless**

**Networks**

**Wireless**

**Networks**

**Wireless**

**Networks**

***Wireless Priority Service (WPS)*****  **

_***OMNCS will:***_
**  ****Engineer, fund, and acquire services**
**  ****Restrict service to NS/EP events on call-by-call basis**
**  ****Administer WPS authorization priority assignments**
**  ****Manage program**

**Interexchange**

**Carrier **
**Networks**

## Salt Lake City (successful Support for Olympics):  February 2002
GlobalStar Satellite service with increased trunking
Commercial Verizon Wireless service programmed on GlobalStar handset
Service availability ended after Olympics
DC and NYC:  May 2002
VoiceStream (now T-Mobile) solution to use the GSM standards-based enhanced Multi-Level Precedence and Preemption (eMLPP)
Augment with GlobalStar Satellite service
Required FCC waiver from “call-by-call” restriction (waiver granted April 3, 2002)
Does not preempt calls in progress

**GlobalStar Satellite service with increased trunking**
**Commercial Verizon Wireless service programmed on GlobalStar handset**
**Service availability ended after Olympics**
**DC and NYC:  May 2002**
**VoiceStream (now T-Mobile) solution to use the GSM standards-based enhanced Multi-Level Precedence and Preemption (eMLPP)**
**Augment with GlobalStar Satellite service**
**Required FCC waiver from “call-by-call” restriction (waiver granted April 3, 2002)**
**Does not preempt calls in progress**

***Immediate WPS Solution:***
***Salt Lake City / Washington, DC / NYC***

## GSM carriers only
T-Mobile (the “immediate” carrier/first nationwide carrier) 
AT&T Wireless
Cingular
Nextel

**T-Mobile (the “immediate” carrier/first nationwide carrier) **
**AT&T Wireless**
**Cingular**
**Nextel**

**Any GSM telephone will work for WPS**
**NCS receives and approves/disapproves requests – notifies carriers of approvals for service**
**NCS pays infrastructure costs; users pay initiation fee, monthly feature charge, usage charges**
**CDMA Carriers to be added later – development funding begins in FY04 under Department of Homeland Security**

***Nationwide WPS Program***

## WPS Users Receive High 

**Expected WPS Performance and Public Impact**

**0%**

**10%**

**20%**

**30%**

**40%**

**50%**

**60%**

**70%**

**80%**

**90%**

**100%**

**1**

**2**

**3**

**4**

**5**

**6**

**7**

**8**

**9**

**Probability of Radio Channel Access**

**Current Baseline**

**NS/EP After WPS Implementation**

**Public Impact With WPS**

**Multiple of Engineered Traffic Load**

**... ****with minimal impact to Public User**

**WPS queuing gives high performance benefit to NS/EP Users...**

***WPS Users Receive High ***
***Performance at the Radio Channel***

## Where is WPS Available

**WPS is currently available in the following T-Mobile service areas:**
**Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Hawaii**
**Eastern Pennsylvania, Florida except Central portion, Southwest Ohio, Southern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Milwaukee area of Wisconsin, Wichita area of Kansas, Central, North and West Texas, and Southern Idaho**
**Other markets will be available during next few months **
**For T-Mobile coverage map see “Carriers” on wps.ncs.gov**

## Slide 16

## Satellite Backup

**Satellite phones provide additional backup when cellular service is not available for any reason**
**Carriers include Globalstar, Iridium, Inmarsat, etc.**

## How Do You Use WPS?

**When you need to make an official call, and you encounter congestion, simply retry your call but prefix your dialed number with “*272”**
**e.g. *272 703 555-1234**
**Everything else is automatic – your call will queue for up to 30 seconds and “grab” the next available path for your use**
**If landline networks are also congested, utilize *272 plus the GETS access number to get priority in both wireless and landline networks**

## How Much Does WPS Cost?

**WPS feature fixed subscription rate:**
**$10 one-time activation fee**
**$4.50 monthly service fee**
**$0.****75 per minute for WPS calls (*272)**
**WPS minutes are not**** charged against your basic service**** **
**WPS charges are in addition to your commercial plan charges**

## How Do You Order WPS?

**Your organization Point of Contact (POC) applies for WPS for all users within organization**
**WPS website:  wps.ncs.gov**
**Telephone 866-NCS-CALL Option 2 for WPS**
**Upon approval, if user does not already have****T-Mobile service, user acquires basic commercial service**
**POC forwards T-Mobile account activation information to the NCS**
**NCS orders WPS feature added to user’s basic service**

## WPS Homepage

**Use easy to follow process to sign up for WPS**

***WPS Homepage***
***http://wps.ncs.gov***

## Summary

**WPS Available in Many Markets**
**WPS Expanding in Additional T-Mobile Markets in July 2003**
**Additional GSM Carriers are Planned **
**CDMA Development and Implementation being Planned**
**Satellite Backup Available for Additional Robustness**
**Contact the NCS to obtain WPS authorization**

## For More Information

**Telephone:  866-NCS-CALL [866-627-2255]**
**Email:*****  ******wps@ncs.gov***
**Web site:*****  ***_**[http://wps.ncs.gov](http://wps.ncs.gov/)**_
**T-Mobile Point of Contact:  Stan Mayper**
**Telephone: (917) 770-6332 **
**Email: stanley.mayper@t-mobile.com**** **
**Web site:  ****http://*****www.t-mobile.com***

***For More Information***