Etelm and Nemergent join Forces on Innovative MCPTT Solution for Critical Communications

ETELM and Nemergent, a working group that specialises in the development of interoperable emergency communications solutions, have today announced they are collaborating on a Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) solution for critical communications over TETRA and LTE. The partnership marks a major step forward for PMR accessibility to multiple technologies on a single unified platform.

The new solution combines ETELM’s 4GLinked infrastructure with Nemergent’s MCPTT Application Server, one of the earliest implementations compliant with the 3GPP R13 MCPTT suite of standards. The combined solution aims to overcome traditional issues associated with legacy systems and their evolution and association to LTE, by bringing to market a fully interoperable and harmonized mission critical communications solution. The new solution fulfils the expectations of all legacy PMR users that are willing to benefit from the broadband services provided with LTE technology.

ETELM’s 4GLinked is a fully integrated platform connecting multiple critical communications technologies (TETRA, DMR, Analog, P25, LTE) over a single LTE EPC core, allowing seamless communications across technologies. The addition of Nemergent’s MCPTT Application Server to 4GLinked brings the application layer which is expected by all mission critical users.

“The arrival of LTE opens a brand-new world of possibilities for PMR users and our customers are looking for a way to benefit from broadband services without having to discard their legacy infrastructure,” said Pierre Minot, President of ETELM. “By partnering with a recognized expert and a reliable and trusted MCPTT solution provider such as Nemergent, we are not only reinforcing our active support for new standardisations, but giving our customers a fully compliant, innovative platform to connect all technologies, including narrowband and broadband, over a single LTE core that is fully compliant with 3GPP standards.”

“After the huge efforts carried out by the 3GPP to create a whole set of brand-new specifications for mission critical systems, this is the perfect time to start deploying and testing the first MCPTT system implementations,” said Jose-Oscar Fajardo, CEO of Nemergent Solutions. “End users are now well aware of the benefits of this new technology, but at the same time they care about their previous investments in PMR systems. Nemergent is honoured to strategically cooperate with recognized PMR stakeholders, such as ETELM, to ensure smooth transitions until the future broadband mission critical systems are fully deployed.”

The first deployments of the solution are planned for summer 2017. ETELM and Nemergent will both participate in the 1st MCPTT Plugtests, taking place from 19 to 23 June 2017 in France, which are being held by ETSI in partnership with the TETRA and Critical Communications Association (TCCA).