Airbus Defence and Space Spearheads the Future of Belgium’s National ASTRID TETRA Radio Network

The positive prospects of Belgium’s national Tetra network were a major subject of this year’s ASTRID User Days, which took place on October 5th and 6th near Brussels. Airbus Defence and Space and its partners presented their radio communications solutions to improve the security and the capacity of the ASTRID network. Airbus Defence and Space also expressed its willingness to contribute to a successful network modernisation. In addition, the Belgian Minister of the Interior, Jan Jambon, and the Minister of Justice, Koen Geens, stressed that plans for the network’s upgrade were ready to be implemented.

Olivier Koczan, Head of Secure Land Communications at Airbus Defence and Space, who was also present at the event, said: “We are designing the ASTRID network of the future in close cooperation with Belgian authorities. This approach was highlighted at the ASTRID User Days 2016. Consequently, ASTRID will become more efficient and user-friendly.”

Roughly 1,500 visitors, including policemen, firefighters and other PMR end users, attended the forward-looking User Days to gather information about the latest technical developments. The event offered seminars and various product presentations at manufacturer stands. Leading Airbus Defence and Space managers organised workshops to display radio functions and other Tetra equipment. Thus, the event showcased the success and the future potential of the ASTRID network.

Furthermore, Airbus Defence and Space demonstrated its newest products: the Tactilon Dabat, a Tetra handheld radio and a smartphone in one device, Tactilon Suite, which integrates broadband services such as Tactilon Agnet, a secure group call application for smartphones, and Viewcor, a system to monitor the status of Tetra networks.