2004
WIRELESS PRIORITY
SERVICE (WPS) now available in Canada
By Barry Kram
Rogers Wireless is the first service provider to respond to
Industry Canada’s call for the wireless telecomm industry to
provide this feature in support of emergency response agencies
dealing with disasters.
Background
Increased mobile phone usage by the general public in
emergency situations can result in extreme network congestion,
preventing Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (PSEP)
personnel from obtaining network access.
In emergency situations where wireline networks become damaged or congested,
mobile telephones often provide the primary means of communication. PSEP
telecommunications are critical in the event of natural or manmade disasters
that threaten the security of Canadians. To facilitate the completion of
critical calls during these high usage events, WPS allows authorized PSEP
personnel to gain access to the next available wireless radio channel while
minimizing impact on consumer access to the same wireless infrastructure.
Highlights
WPS is not intended for use by all emergency personnel and
will only be authorized for key PSEP leadership positions.
Eligible users are key Federal, Provincial, Territorial and
Municipal government and critical industry personnel who have
PSEP or continuity of government responsibilities. Priority
levels have also been established for each function. This
service, using GSM technology, is presently being offered by
Rogers Wireless within their coverage area across Canada.
Additional carriers may also offer a similar priority service
in the future.
Application process overview
Initially the PSEP user determines the need for and requests
the priority service from his/her Group/Contact manager or the
National WPS Manager. The request for such priority service
must be submitted through the Industry Canada Emergency
Telecomm Data System (ETDS) website and will be approved by a
Federal Approval Authority for employees under federal
jurisdiction and a Provincial Approval Authority for employees
under provincial, territorial and municipal jurisdiction, and
Non Government Organizations. The approval will then be
provided to Rogers Wireless service who will add the priority
service feature to the requested mobile phone. PNR Spectrum
Emergency Telecom Officers are working to establish agreements
with Provincial Approval Authorities in each province.
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