Touchstones

The Airwave service is a secure digital radio network designed, built and maintained by Airwave and dedicated for the exclusive use of the UK’s emergency and public safety services. 

It’s designed to carry voice and data communications and the service offers enhanced levels of coverage across the whole of England, Wales and Scotland.  This means that it is much easier for users to stay in communication even in areas where radio coverage has often failed in the past.

Its ability to withstand disaster situations when standard networks have been known to fail is constantly being developed and all voice and data is secure from eavesdropping as the Airwave service uses encryption.

To enable the level of service demanded by emergency and public safety users, the Airwave service is specifically built to deliver the five operational imperative services known as touchstones, Coverage, Responsiveness, Resilience, Security and Interoperability.

Coverage

Airwave’s nationwide guaranteed coverage is extensive; it includes major and minor roads and many remote areas.  The Airwave service has been engineered to provide clear communications when normal GSM, GPRS or fixed lines may overload and fail.

Responsiveness

Airwave gives immediate data and voice communications access.  An end-to-end managed service backs up guaranteed fast response with push-to-talk communications between users.

Resilience

Resilience is built into the network at several levels, routes and key components are duplicated.  The Airwave service is not reliant on a single network management centre and has been designed to withstand even the most aggressive attack or serious failure.

Security

Airwave operates an encrypted network; criminals, malicious eavesdroppers nor the media can listen in and thwart emergency operations.

Interoperability

The Airwave service has the technical capability to allow communications between the Emergency Services (Police, Ambulance, Fire) and any public safety organisation that is approved by Ofcom to be an Airwave service user.  A pan Government committee is examining operational and administrative procedures to enable effective interoperations and will ultimately agree communication practice between the Emergency Services over the Airwave service.