Rohill to Upgrade C3 TETRA Network

Rohill has been awarded for the upgrade of the C3 (Critical Communication Caribbean) TETRA network, the existing mission-critical TETRA network in the Antilles operated by Critical Communications Caribbean (C3), formerly known as Zenitel Caribbean. The C3 TETRA network, formerly known as the Chuchubi network, is operational since 2004 and will now be modernised to continue secure mission-critical communications for several clients in theDutch Caribbean, such as emergency services, prisons, customs and coastguard. The renewal of the network will commence in the first half of 2017.

The C3 TETRA network is a digital radio system that connects Curaçao with Bonaire, Aruba, St Maarten, Anguilla, Saba and St Eustatius. It is a TetraNode TETRA network especially developed for professionals who have to rely on their communication equipment. The redundant network is designed and built to operate under heavy conditions, during power failures, storms, flooding and extreme high usage.

The C3 TETRA network has base station sites on several key locations on all islands. The radios work on one network, which means that all radios can contact each other anywhere on the island. The C3 TETRA network today serves over 8.000 demanding customers with mixed clear, encrypted and end-to-end encrypted communications.

The modernisation of the C3 TETRA Network will exist of a replacement of hardware of base stations to the latest generation TETRA carriers, as well as a complete transition to TetraNode Industrial. Beside this, geo-redundancy of TETRA switches will increase network resilience in cases of for example a flooded switch location or lightning strike.

The migration of the network will commence in the first half of 2017 and is scheduled to be completed the first of July 2017.

Bert Schreuders, Managing Director of C3, states: “The Rohill solution perfectly fits our needs and is very favourable because of the lower initial investment, lowest cost of ownership over the next 10 years and the fact that the solution is future-proof through interaction with LTE. On top of this, we will benefit of a risk free phased migration. But most of all we will benefit of the TetraNode knowledge already available, as well as our longstanding relationship with Rohill.”

Harry Muter, Chief Operations Officer of Rohill, comments: “We are proud for being awarded this project for the renewal of the C3 TETRA network. We are extremely pleased to continue our long-term cooperation with C3 and to build with C3 the best-in-class TETRA network offering reliable mission critical communication to its users, with coverage throughout the islands of the Dutch Caribbean.