The VIRVE network to be upgraded to a new level
03.03.2010, 14:29
The software level of the VIRVE network will be increased through the VIRKE development programme. The TETRA network will be upgraded from the current level (4.0) to level 5.0 during 2010, and later to level 5.5.
“The publishing level 5.0 has been used for a long time for authorities' field purposes in several European countries, which means that its reliability has been verified,” says Janne Tarkiainen of EADS Secure Networks Oy. He works as EADS' development manager for TETRA systems.
When updating the network, availability interruptions cannot be avoided in voice and data transfer. On the other hand, the new network versions will provide the network users and operators with new flexibility and services.
Joining a VIRVE voice group with a civilian phone
“In the new network version, it will be possible to call a TETRA voice group from the ordinary telephone network. A rescue unit, for example, can include an expert in its voice group even though the expert would not have a VIRVE phone,” says Tarkiainen.
This means that the organisation's on-call person, or an on-call person at an emergency response centre, for example, calls the expert's ordinary phone, tells him or her the VIRVE number and security code, with which he or she can contact the VIRVE voice group by using his or her own phone.
Call transfer by an on-call person
Calls from authorities' TETRA networks to external commercial telephone networks have often been restricted.
After the network level update, the on-call person will be able to connect individual calls outside the TETRA network. The feature also functions the other way round, and via the on-call person, calls incoming through the public network can be forwarded to VIRVE subscribers. Moreover, during an individual call, it will be possible for an individual to receive a notification of a group call without losing his or her group traffic listening obligation.
The new network version will enable the use of the Inter System Interface (ISI), which means that two TETRA networks of two different countries, for example, would be able to function together in a certain way. However, network visits have not yet been agreed on between the authorities.
The significance of data services increases
Broadband support (TEDS) will be included in network version 6.0, which, according to EADS, will be available next summer. Tarkiainen says that the increasing availability of data services shows as the new opportunities introduced by broadband data (TEDS), for example, as terminal device integration, and as flexibility concerning the utilisation of commercial data networks parallel to the authority network.
“The TETRA must be capable of functioning together with commercial data services. However, when networks fit for critical use are required, TETRA will still remain the only one.