ASTRID receives 46 million for radio network security
Interior Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA) will invest 46 million euros during the next year in Astrid, the all emergency and security telecommunications network in Belgium. The minister has confimred this to De Tijd, a daily newspaper in Belgium.
Astrid is already 17 years the telecom company that operates the TETRA network in Belgium that is used for all emergency and security communication services. Meanwhile, over 70,000 Astrid radios terminals and pagers are in use by police, fire brigade, medical services, the Red Cross, civil defense, defense, customs and the State Security.
But in recent years the service itself regularly sent emergency messages into the world. The previous government had, as its sole shareholder, the money tap completely closed. With an accumulated loss of 50 million euros and 117 million euros of structural under-funding as a result.
Jambon has now announced that from next year, 46 million euros has been reserved for the telecom network of the emergency and security services. This amount is "concreted" in the new management agreement which he wants to close this year with Astrid.
Simultaneously there is a new, slimmed-down board, including the former CEO of Telindus.
