Airbus DS Tactilon Agnet application pilot project for smartphones enhances Finnish authorities’ broadband capabilities

Airbus Defence and Space and the State Security Networks Group (Suomen Erillisverkot), the public safety operator of Finland’s national Tetra network VIRVE, will start a technical and operational pilot trial to test the Tactilon Agnet smartphone application formerly known as TSA. This application allows the seamless and secure integration of nationwide public safety Tetra radio users with those who use Tactilon Agnet on their smartphones.

The intention of the trial is to confirm the complementarity of Tactilon Agnet’s group communication capabilities with Tetra mission-critical communication. The trial will take place under the network’s standard operating conditions. During the pilot test, which will go on until the end of the year, public broadband networks and the VIRVE Tetra services will be used simultaneously. The aim is to collect information on how mission-critical Tetra communication features can be operated in an LTE environment.

“We are very pleased that Erillisverkot has decided to launch this trial with Tactilon Agnet,” explains Olivier Koczan, Head of Secure Land Communications at Airbus Defence and Space. “The fact that VIRVE users are participating in this test marks an important milestone for the development of this new technology which is tailored to the increasing demand for broadband group communication with multimedia features.”

The Tactilon Agnet application enables smartphone users to make instant group calls (Push-to-Talk feature) and send messages to Tetra users. Erillisverkot expects this functionality to significantly extend its communication service to governmental and other mission-critical organisations. By extending its portfolio, Erillisverkot aims to attract new users and user groups to the VIRVE Tetra service, thus bringing new subscribers and new business opportunities.

Finland’s public safety organisations have been using the nationwide Tetra network from Airbus Defence and Space since 1998. In 2015, Airbus Defence and Space supplied Erillisverkot with “Tactilon Secure Mobile Virtual Network Operator” (Tactilon Secure MVNO). This solution provides highly resilient and secure broadband services based on safe access to commercial LTE network services