Images courtesy DNK and MSB
INTEROPERABILITY
SCANDINAVIAN SYNERGY Jonathan Nally
Swedish and Norwegian emergency services personnel can now communicate across each other’s national TETRA networks.
I
n a demonstration of the way in which positive international cooperation can be achieved, the national emergency radio networks of Sweden and Norway have been made crossborder interoperable through the implementation of a TETRA Inter-System Interface (ISI) system.
The EU-funded effort, known as the Inter-System Interoperability for TETRA-TETRApol Networks (ISITEP) project, means that operators on the Sweden’s Rakel and Norway’s Nødnett TETRA networks can communicate with each other along the two countries’ 1619 km-long land border. The ISI project began almost three years ago and culminated in several tests during 2016, including a final one on 16 November. In the latter trial, emergency services operators gathered in the towns of Meråker (Norway) and Storlien (Sweden) to put the system to the test. During development, the ISITEP group comprised 15 companies and academic institutions from 10 countries, with additional involvement from the TETRA and Critical Communications Association. The EU provided €10 million in funding.
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The project has involved considering and delivering: • legal aspects and templates for agreements • performance requirements linked to scenarios and collaboration • voice group structure and numbering • analysis and preparation of methods for collaboration • training and instruction • planning and implementation of exercises • production of handbooks/guidelines for cross-border collaboration. Now that the testing phase has been completed and all technical requirements have been met, the system will be ready for binational operational use in early 2017 with the following functionalities: • Terminals can be registered and function in both networks. • Group calls can be made with participants from both countries. • International voice groups can be created. • One-to-one calls can be made across national borders. • Individual and group SDS (text messages) can be sent across national borders. • Emergency calls can be made across national borders. • Complete authentication and encryption will be assured. • Calls can be made to the telephone network, irrespective of country.
Jan/Feb 2017 - Critical Comms
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