Motorola Solutions Extends TETRA Radio Coverage to Europe’s Northernmost Point

Motorola Solutions has completed construction and installation of Europe’s most northerly TETRA base station for the Norwegian authorities, represented by the Norwegian Directorate for Emergency Communication (DNK). Located at 71 degrees north, the Polar site is the most northern of Nødnett, Norway’s new nationwide public safety network.

With its fjords and mountains, Norway presents a complex and challenging landscape for remote site installation. As with all 2,100 of the Nødnett project base stations, the site installation at the North Cape of Norway has required thorough planning and engineering. The field teams have also received special training and climbing courses in preparation for installing at extreme heights in challenging weather and working conditions.

The steep mountain cliffs at the North Cape rise from the Arctic Ocean, marking the most northern point of the European continent. The area has 24 hours of daylight during summer, while the winter season, where the sun does not rise above the horizon, generates extreme cold and snow for three full months.

The team at the North Cape has completed installation of TETRA antennas and radio equipment up a 48 meters tall tower. The height is necessary to ensure superior radio coverage for public safety and rescue personnel serving the local population and the 250,000 tourists visiting the North Cape every year. Deployed in six geographic phases, the three counties of Northern Norway represent the final rollout stage of the nationwide TETRA radio network.

KEY FACTS

• Motorola Solutions is the prime contractor of Nødnett to the Norwegian authorities. More than 2,100 base stations, 300 tunnel sites and transmission sites in the TETRA radio network will provide nationwide secure and resilient communication for public safety and rescue agencies in Norway by 2015.
• Today, Nødnett supports more than 15,000 users. It is their primary communication tool for daily incident handling and field operations. New service areas and users groups are taking the TETRA network into operational use every month as the deployment of the Nødnett network continues across the country.
• Motorola Solutions employs a large number of subcontractors and partners in the deployment of Nødnett. The base stations in the North Cape area are built by subcontractor Netel and onsite installation by Netel’s partner, Konsing.
• The Motorola Solutions’ TETRA portfolio comprises infrastructure solutions, terminals, applications and services, which are currently used in more than 120 countries around the world. The company continues to maintain its leading position in TETRA digital radio solutions.

SUPPORTING QUOTES

Tor Helge Lyngstol, Director General, Norwegian Directorate for Emergency Communication (DNK) “To deploy Nødnett to the North Cape marks an important symbolic milestone for us. The fact that we have reached the northernmost point of the country confirms that the project has come a long way towards targeting nationwide coverage by 2015. To build sites in polar areas is a challenging task for our suppliers, and we know that they are working hard to complete activities before winter arrives. I am proud to announce the achievement of this important milestone.”

Haakon Heier, Country Manager, Motorola Solutions Norway “We have more than 500 people engaged to build Nødnett for nationwide mission critical communication. Faced with a tight schedule, the focus and commitment of our engineering and installation teams, including our subcontractors, has enabled us to complete the installation of the northernmost TETRA base station in Europe. This is an important step on the way towards nationwide TETRA coverage in Norway.”