French fire, rescue services use Astrium, Cassidian satellite communications solution

A newly-validated remote solution from Astrium Services and Cassidian will enable satellite communications for French fire and rescue services on behalf of the French General Directorate of Civil Security and Crisis Management.

Astrium Services provided satellite communications equipment and services that will remotely link together Cassidian Tetrapol tactical cells in areas that are unreached by the PMR network or overloaded. The resulting operational solution extends the coverage of the tactical radio networks, allowing French fire and rescue services to offer civil security and public safety anywhere in range of a Tetrapol wireless communications network.

The Astrium-Cassidian solution is expected to enter operational service next spring. Cassidian will install its tactical cell 3G Independent Digital Repeater and 2G Radio Access Gate aboard the command post, light radio assistance, and communications vehicles and satellite trailers operated by the Civil Security and Crisis Management. 

Recommended additional reading:

• FDMA receives first helicopter satcom system in world from Mitsubishi Electric

InterDigital, ASOCS solutions speed up wireless product development, introduction

A strategic alliance between InterDigital and ASOCS Ltd. will develop a fully-integrated 2G and 3G modem solution for wireless products and chipsets development.

The two partners will integrate InterDigital’s SlimChip WCDMA modem IP core into ASOCS’ ModemX platform and R4 GSM/GPRS/EDGE solution. The resulting service can be embedded into wireless product platforms to expedite the release and rollouts of wireless communications products. It will also open up an upgrade path to HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, LTE, and other 4G technologies.

In addition, InterDigital and ASOCS will design another joint solution that will decrease development risk and speed up deliveries of the finished product to the market. This joint solution will support HSPA Category 10 (14.4 Mbps DL) and Category 6 (5.76 Mbps UL,) as well as GPRS/EGPRS multi-slot class 12.

The two partner companies will also offer a complete 3GPP Release 6 compliant 3G physical layer (with direct upgrade path to Release 7), Release 4 compliant 2G physical layer, and dual mode protocol stack implementation.

The InterDigital-ASOCS services target companies who want to open up new market opportunities while spending less time and money on developing new technologies, and customers who are integrating GSM/WCDMA into multi-mode design with LTE or TD-SCDMA networks.

According to Bill Miller, executive vice president of IP Sales and Services at Interdigital, companies always run risks when introducing new wireless products. Any slowdown or accident may ruin a company’s chances to penetrate new markets.

To minimize such risks, ASOCS and InterDigital based their joint solutions on proven technologies that are already in the market. Their services will improve the speed and efficiency of product rollout while also giving customers the opportunity to upgrade to 4G technologies in the future.

According to Gilad Garon, chief executive officer of ASOCS, the strategic alliance with InterDigital will help spread the Company’s ModemX technology throughout the mobile market. ASOCS’s technology has been displacing the DSP approach, especially since current low power designs are able to take full advantage of ModemX’s flexible software-programmable architecture.


Additional readings:

• DeLorme, Spacenet will deliver inReach SATCOM solution in Mexico

Comba Telecom nabs wireless solution contract with Bangkok Metro Railway

The Bangkok Metro Public Company Limited (BMCL) has tapped Comba Telecom to provide an end-to-end wireless solution for 2G and 3G voice and data communications. Comba's wireless solution will provide coverage for the entire length of the BMCL's underground railway network.

Comba Telecom is known for its multi-operator base station coverage solutions, which cover single and multiple bands. Comba solutions are designed to be rapidly rolled out and ensure high performance while keeping visual perception low.

The Company also offers a versatile ultra-wide band multiple ports solution that allow different systems and different frequency bands to share antenna systems.

The BMCL's Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) in Bangkok is comprised of 18 stations, concourses, tunnels, platforms, and the concourses' retail stores. It serves more than 240,000 passengers on a daily basis.

BMCL has complete control of all commercial activities and developments on its premises. The Thai company owns and operates its own neutral host network, which it pledged in support of updated wireless telecommunications services.

Comba Telecom will modernize and expand BMCL's legacy 2G system into a multi-system (2G/3G) active distributed antenna system (DAS) solution.

Eric Ng, general manager of Southeast Asia for Comba Telecom, explained that the Company implemented a modular DAS solution for the Bangkok MRT. The scalable system is easily expandable and future proof, allowing BMCL to open up new subway lines or implement 4G technologies according to its future requirements.

Help yourself to these recommended additional readings:

• DASAN displaying FTTx, mobile backhaul products at FTTH 2012
• Vizada presenting XChange Mobile, Pharostar VSAT at NMEC event