Article Posted on : - Nov 26, 2010

LEIDEN (BNS): Cassidian's TETRA radio network has provided a cross-border communication solution for German and Swedish authorities in the world’s first operational trial of its kind.

The trial was conducted during a cooperation exercise between German and Swedish authorities on the southern Baltic Sea. The German BOS radio network and the Swedish RAKEL network were interconnected.

The interconnection meant that the German users were able to continue radio communications with their colleagues, using BOS radios, while they were in the Swedish RAKEL network area.

In addition, participants experienced the interoperability between the two radio networks: German and Swedish operators were able to use radios and dispatchers to easily talk to each other during the exercise.

The trial was held to demonstrate the usability, functionality and security of TETRA radio systems in cross-border communication in operational scenarios.

Technically, the trial demonstrated cross-network connectivity adhering to TETRA standards and maintaining the networks' functionality.

Cassidian said in a release that it was responsible for overall technical programme management in cooperation with both countries' representatives and their project managers.

As a result, both networks were connected according to scenarios and operational requirements. The responsibility for this operational trial lay with the authorities of both countries.

This success means that TETRA networks no longer need to be interconnected through a collection of analogue and PABX interfaces. Giving up on the majority of TETRA services to achieve interconnectivity is not necessary either, it said.