At the TETRA World Congress in Dubai, Cassidian and Alcatel-Lucent announced a 400-MHz LTE solution that enables the use of real-time video, collaboration and data services to enhance information-sharing between control centers and field operations of security and public safety professionals.
Jean-Marc Nasr, head of secure communication solutions at Cassidian, said that the information flow is expanding rapidly beyond voice and the existing networks can't cope. LTE services such as enhanced location information and the transmission of medical records to “smart” emergency response vehicles, handheld tablet devices and control-center systems give first-responders vital information to rapidly prepare for and respond to calls. This can improve safety and security for both the public and workers.
The new offering, called Evercor, combines Alcatel-Lucent’s lightRadio LTE mobile broadband with Cassidian's TETRA-based systems to form what they say is the first end-to-end integrated LTE 400 PMR (professional mobile radio) solution for the 380- to 470-MHz band – the frequency used by public safety agencies in many parts of the world.
Evercor will help network operators in public safety, transport and energy to save money by optimizing existing assets while providing an smooth migration path to LTE.
Philippe Keryer, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s networks group, said the offering can reduce the total cost of ownership since it's COTS-based and network operators can leverage their existing assets to optimize capex and opex.
“The launch comes only a year after we announced the joint work program between Alcatel-Lucent and Cassidian and shows the progress we’ve made in enhancing operations for companies using the 400-MHz band,” said Nasr. “We are able to integrate these services with Cassidian’s collaborative suite of command-and-control applications for our public safety and defense users.”