Broadband  |  2026-02-09

ACMOSS Puts RRF Mobile Vehicle Repeater To the Test

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

The vehicle repeater's plug-and-play capabilities were also tested by connecting it to the BMSC's Starlink satellite.

During controlled burns conducted by the French Civil Security Military Brigade (BMSC), a national resource of the Directorate General for Civil Security and Crisis Management (DGSCGC), in the Pyrénées-Orientales department to reduce the risk of fires during the summer season, the ACMOSS teams (the innovation laboratory of the Technical Directorate and the User and Deployment Directorate) simultaneously carried out tests of Vehicle Repeater 1 (RV1) in a gray zone, characterized by degraded network coverage.

RV1: A solution for gray zones

Vehicle Repeater 1 enables the establishment of a 4G connection and the broadcasting of a high-speed Wi-Fi network up to 150 meters (without obstacles). In gray areas, where smartphones struggle to maintain stable communication, the RV1 aggregates RRF smartphones by providing them with a single point of attachment, thus restoring functional network access.

Simple to deploy and efficient to operate, the RV is a strategic component of the RRF network.

The exercise demonstrated the usefulness of vehicular repeaters in the field, through their various configurations. The basic solution, deployable in gray areas and available for purchase since November, underwent successful testing.

ACMOSS pushed the vehicular repeater beyond its limits by positioning it in a white zone, without operator coverage for RRF mobiles. In this configuration, the RV1 maintained communication quality, demonstrating its ability to function even in the complete absence of a public network.

Where network access for a standard mobile phone would have been limited, the RV1 demonstrated its capabilities:

  • Continuous maintenance of RRF services while mobile, from the command center to the controlled burn site 36 km away.
  • Continuous maintenance of RRF services (loud and clear voice) while mobile between two crisis zones.
  • Maintenance of full RRF services (voice, data, video) for the local command post and team leaders in the crisis management zone.

The vehicle repeater's plug-and-play capabilities were also tested by connecting it to the BMSC's Starlink satellite. Thanks to this connection, RRF services were accessible within the Wi-Fi bubble provided by the RV in areas with no coverage, thus ensuring critical communications everywhere.

Resilience: The Vehicular Repeater, a Strategic Link in the RRF

The vehicular repeater is fully integrated into the RRF's resilience strategy. Connected to the gateway mode of the Micro Poire Mode Direct (MPMD), it maintains critical communications in gray or white zones across the entire crisis management area. The RV, coupled with the MPMD, provides a resilient solution for relaying communications to the command center, regardless of coverage conditions.

A Collaborative Approach Serving RRF Subscribers

These trials are part of a broader collaborative approach, where ACMOSS develops its systems in conjunction with security, rescue, and emergency medical services. This approach allows for the development of operational solutions directly linked to the needs expressed by users in the field.

The feedback gathered during these trials will significantly contribute to the continuous improvement process of the vehicular repeaters, ensuring their suitability for operational realities.