Airbus wins international TETRA award

Airbus Defence and Space, as part of the European research consortium SALUS, was one of the winners for the ‘Best Evolution to Future Broadband’ category at the International Critical Communications Awards 2016 (ICCA), held in London on 26 February.

The SALUS project took out the category against stiff competition such as Huawei’s eLTE Solution and  Panorama Antennas’ Great White 4G MiMo Antenna.

Airbus Defence and Space was a major contributor to the SALUS project, which began in 2013 with 17 members, particularly in spectrum requirements and frequency allocations for mission-critical solutions.

The goal of SALUS is to design, implement and evaluate a next-generation communication network concept for public protection and disaster relief agencies (PPDR), setting the ground for future public safety communication networks used by responders such as police or firefighters.

Within the project’s framework, Airbus Defence and Space is providing a Tetrapol solution allowing voice interoperability with certain broadband systems at the final demonstration in summer 2016.

“Shaping the future of LTE-based technology for public safety, we are proud of our skills in the field of mission-critical communications,” said Olivier Koczan, head of secure land communications at Airbus Defence and Space.

SALUS is funded by the European Union, with a total budget of €4.8 million. It is due to finish by the end of the year.

Among the consortium are representatives of the PMR industry, such as research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as end users.

Image credits: (Top) ICCA Awards 2016, courtesy of Airbus Defence and Space. (Bottom) The SALUS consortium, image courtesy of MA Business Ltd.