Narrowband  |   Broadband  |  2024-03-21

Technological Institute of Aragon and Teltronic Sign Agreement to Promote the digitalisation of Industry Through Private Broadband Networks

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

The ultimate goal is to carry out joint R&D&I activities on 4G and 5G private networks.

The Technological Institute of Aragon (Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón, ITA) and Teltronic have signed an agreement to promote the digitalisation of industry through private broadband networks. The agreement was signed by the second vice-president and regional minister of Economy, Employment and Industry, Mar Vaquero, and the CEO of the company, Juan Ferro.

Within the framework of the agreement between Teltronic and ITA, the company has already installed a private 5G network at the headquarters of the technological institute, establishing a laboratory to explore the multiple possibilities offered by this technology and its applications and advantages in the advancement of Industry 4.0. The system will enable advances in the study of the massive implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) in industrial environments, advanced sensors, data management and security and cybersecurity in communication networks.

The ultimate goal is to carry out joint R&D&I activities on 4G and 5G private networks as enablers of digital transformation for sectors such as industry, mass passenger and freight transport, renewable energy, intensive precision agriculture, public safety and emergencies, among others.

Teltronic continues to advance in its technological strategy, which began some years ago, to develop broadband solutions. In this way, it has been incorporating 4G and 5G solutions to its portfolio, which have been added to its traditional business on TETRA (narrowband digital radio technology for professional communications) and which has already resulted in some successfully deployed projects.

Mar Vaquero stressed that in order to implement innovation at all levels and in all sectors, public authorities and companies "cannot turn their backs on each other", but rather they must "go hand in hand" to achieve the best results. He therefore emphasised the importance of the ITA because "it puts Aragon's wealth of talent at the service of the community, companies contribute what they do best and together we improve the daily lives of our citizens".

"The industrial and critical communications sectors have been demanding new services that are only possible on broadband technology; years ago we perceived this need and began to work on our 4G and 5G proposal and now, when spectrum has been released and equipment is already available, we can go to market with a reliable and complete solution", explained Teltronic CEO Juan Ferro, who highlighted the value of this collaboration with an entity "of such recognition and prestige for its research work".

TELTRONIC, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION

Teltronic celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024 with a well-established position in the market. One of the keys to its success lies in its vocation for research, which has allowed it to always have the latest technology, as well as to be able to adapt solutions to the needs of each project. Approximately one third of the 300 employees at its Zaragoza factory work in the R&D department, to which it dedicates 30% of its budget.

Just as it pioneered the development of TETRA technology in the mid-1990s, it is now pioneering the application of broadband networks in professional environments, and has already successfully tested its 4G solutions in projects such as the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut rail corridor in India, the Sierra Gorda mining company in Chile, and Aragon's own Security and Emergency network, which also has a private 4G system for the management of the Advanced Command Post.

Broadband technologies are the cornerstone on which the company's future is built, and it currently has two R&D projects underway financed by NextGenerationEU funds: MoySEST, which aims to promote the development of critical train-to-ground communication applications through 5G technology, and Industry5.G, whose objective is to define a new operations model that improves the competitiveness of industry through its complete digitisation based on the use of private 5G networks and massive sensorisation.