TCCA extends critical communications broadband work with new industry collaboration

Representatives from Nokia and Ericsson have been elected to lead the new critical communications Broadband Industry Group (BIG), a TCCA Working Group formed to encourage broadband vendor cooperation in the development of common global critical communications solutions.

Philippe Agard, Nokia's global public safety and defence segment leader, will chair the BIG, supported by Jason Johur, Ericsson's market development director, mission-critical communications, as vice-chair. They were elected at the BIG inaugural meeting, hosted on 1 September by Finland’s State Security Networks, the national public safety operator.

“Nokia is very pleased to have Philippe Agard elected to chair the BIG, and looks forward to supporting Philippe in working with the broader industry ecosystem to accelerate the adoption of broadband critical communications based on latest 3GPP LTE standards. Organisations across key vertical markets such as public safety, transportation, utilities, and mining have been expressing the need for an evolution from narrowband PMR towards broadband. As the first networks are rolled out, BIG will help open up a broader worldwide ecosystem,” said a Nokia representative.

“Building on the accomplishments of the TCCA and its Critical Communications Broadband Group, and without any loss of momentum, the Broadband Industry Group will focus its attention on ensuring 3GPP-compliant products and services meet the evolving needs of all critical communication users,” said Johur.