06 October 2021
Rail and metro operators have a responsibility to move their passengers safely and efficiently. As a vital part of national or international critical national infrastructure, any disruption to operations can have an economic impact felt far beyond the transport organisation itself.
A well deployed critical communications network can best support safe, efficient operations, with the capability to support field users and enable quick responses to emergency situations.
Critical Communications vs. Cellular Comms
Transport organisations’ communications needs can be defined as mission critical, meaning they require “always on” communication, designed to cater for coverage when users need it. For this reason a cellular solution is inappropriate, as it does not feature some of the key elements required, such as priority calling, guaranteed coverage and robust devices.
A key difference in capability between critical comms and cellular comms solutions is the focus on group orientated services. A proven TETRA network consists of a trunked network that enables prioritisation and queuing of calls, rather than blocking. Emergency or priority calls can be made instantly to pre-selected groups based on the users’ job role, skill set or place of work. This enables efficient, effective resource deployment and improved emergency response.
Communications Security
A critical communications solution will provide a network secured to national security standards, featuring full end-to-end Critical Communications for Rail and Metro Usersencryption. Security features are enhanced by the fact that the ecosystem is controlled by user organisations rather than being an unsecured network.Additional security functionality can be deployed where required – for example the ability to remotely “kill” a radio that is known to be lost or being held by an unauthorised user.
Meeting User Requirements
Critical communications users’ top three priorities for their solution, whatever their environment, normally include:
• reliable coverage: always available in all circumstances. In the transport environment, this would mean ensuring coverage in tunnels and underground areas, across maintenance yards and in remote rural areas
• robust design: the radios must be sufficiently robust to keep working in adverse weather or environmental conditions, for example in dusty, salty or dirty locations. The devices must be tough enough to stand repeated cycles of deployment with varied users, withstand heavy kicks, drops and intensive use
• practical usability: audio must be clear and loud, so that information and instructions are heard first time, every time. This includes whilst operating in noisy, dangerous or busy environments
For users, audio accessories are a vital extension of their primary device, supporting their daily operational needs, for example eyes free usage and easy to access functions whilst using gloves or other protective equipment.Increasingly, organisations are also looking to use their comms network to share mission critical data. Typically this data joins up people, devices and systems, enabling enable better situational awareness between field users and those based in control rooms or other office based locations.
Locating, managing and protecting staff who work indoors can pose a significant challenge; Sepura can maximise safety with features such as man down, lone worker and GPS tracking even whilst underground.Data can be shared direct from the radio – for example GPS-based location data – or shared from existing systems, typically data from a database shared over existing dispatch systems.
In the rail environment, telemetry data can be shared over the existing network without a need to update the existing infrastructure. Examples of vital operational information that can be shared is locational data, fault monitoring and doors open/doors closed alerts. More complex solutions can enable interaction with signalling systems and connecting to passenger information displays.
Sepura TETRA Solutions
TETRA offers a complete, resilient and secure, service-rich communications solution for rail, proven in metro, rail, airports, sea ports and many other sectors across Asia and the world.
Sepura are a proven supplier of critical communications solution to the transport sector; their devices and applications for critical voice and data over TETRA networks drive efficiency, promote safety and give fast access to critical information when it is most needed.
For more information and to see a demonstration, visit www.sepura.com
