In a keynote session at the International Wireless Communications Expo, Raytheon declared that the right technical model for a mobile broadband public safety network is open architecture, non-proprietary, standards-based and interoperable, all of which can be found in Raytheon's Rapid Alliance solution.

In remarks to an IWCE session on the evolution from Land Mobile Radio (LMR) to Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Michael Prout, vice president of Security and Transportation Systems for Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business, described how the company's open architecture approach to critical communications improves the way public safety agencies communicate with one another.

His remarks came as Congress recently passed legislation to provide $7 billion for a dedicated, nationwide LTE network.

Raytheon also launched at IWCE its branding campaign for Rapid Alliance, the company's interoperable communications solution.

"Rapid Alliance integrates best-in-class technologies to deliver a proven, robust and reliable approach to the real-world needs of first responders," Prout said. "Looking to the future, this solution is fully interoperable for both LMR and LTE, consistent with Raytheon's vision."

Historically, cities have used a patchwork of fragmented systems to link with one another in an emergency, resulting in overlapping costs and efforts. But Rapid Alliance is a modern, integrated, wireless voice and data communications system superior to any stand-alone network a municipality could develop independently.

The open standards approach is also cost-effective, allowing users to keep existing hardware and enabling agencies to choose their own timeline for upgrading equipment.

Last year, Raytheon won the first competitive bid for an LTE network, a 15-site system in Adams County, Colo., and the adjoining neighborhoods of Denver. The program is on time and on budget.

A week ago, Raytheon opened the Public Safety Regional Technology Center in Downey, Calif. It is the only center of its kind focused solely on developing open architecture and open communications standards for the public safety market, and conducting research to answer the public safety community's technological needs.