19 June 2023

NTT East has partnered with Nippon Airport Radio Services to interconnect the operator’s 5G service with the wireless infrastructure at Narita International Airport, claiming a breakthrough in integrated mission-critical communication.

NTT said that the companies used a Motorola Solutions system to integrate voice communication between 5G-enabled handsets equipped with a push-to-talk application and terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) devices in the airport’s ramp area. Trials are underway.

Interoperability between the systems is an important step, enabling airport staff to carry a single device instead of many.

The Motorola and TETRA systems consist of dedicated radio waves and closed networks, and are not affected by failures or congestion of mobile networks.

NTT East and Nippon Airport Radio Services plan to promote the deployment of 5G at other airports, along with developing new push-to-talk use cases.