Reach
Issue 8 2015
|
17
The enhancement of
Airwave’s Emergency
Services Network
®
continues
with the kilostream
replacement programme
L
ooking forward to long term
evolution (LTE), Airwave has
appointed NEC to replace
2,100 BT kilostream circuits with
high capacity microwave links.
Already under way, the
replacement programme will offer
Airwave customers a future-proof
transmission service for their critical
communications needs.
“NEC has been a supplier to
Airwave since 2006 and this deal
demonstrates our competitiveness
and expertise for building and
managing large-scale ICT
infrastructures. We are replacing a
large proportion of Airwave’s current
TETRA backhaul network with high
capacity iPASOLINK microwave radio
solutions. In addition, we will manage
the network design, site acquisition,
site construction and installation,
as well as the commissioning of
the equipment,” said Naoki Iizuka,
President and CEO, NEC Europe.
The replacement microwave
solutions are LTE-ready, which is
in line with the industry’s push for
LTE to become one of the leading
technologies for future mission
critical communications.
The first migration of sites to
the NEC microwave solution was
successfully completed in August,
with the full replacement programme
due for completion by April 2016.
Airwave COO John Lewis, CTO
Euros Evans and Paul Grainger, Head
of Network Transformation visited
NEC’s headquarters in Japan earlier
this year in order to witness first hand
future technologies that may enhance
the Airwave Service and further
develop the strategic relationship.
“The visit to NEC gave us a great
insight into how future technology
developments will help us continue to
be successful in our markets – from
core network capabilities such as small
cell deployment and transmission
capability, through to application
initiatives that could vastly differentiate
our mobile application offering. I was
particularly impressed with the work
they have been doing in biometrics and
facial recognition – work I believe, if
harnessed effectively, could bring great
benefits to our customers,” said John
Lewis, Airwave COO.
Both parties will continue to work
closely together to turn the future
technology developments into
meaningful applications that can add
value to Airwave’s customers.
Pictured: The Airwave delegation and
their NEC hosts at the NEC headquarters
in Japan
