First responders and emergency vehicles require secure and reliable communications with the control room.

When a major incident occurs demand for cellular services can be high and if there is no priority emergency access, performance will degrade significantly.

Problem

Dedicated radio services like TETRA have limited data rates and although satellite links can address lack of cellular coverage they require line of sight. As the location of the incident cannot be predetermined, it is not feasible to depend on a single network technology or service provider.

Security is a very important factor but the impact of VPN based technology on overheads and performance makes this a very challenging problem.

Solution

RazorLink is a Software Defined Networking (SDN) solution that can agnostically utilise any service, combining networks for additional bandwidth, accelerating data transfer and securing the link between the emergency vehicle and the control room.

RazorLink software can be deployed on bespoke or certified COTS hardware that is capable of running Linux or a real time OS such as VXWorks. RazorLink can support Ethernet and USB3 architectures offering flexibility and extensibility, making it possible to integrate 8 or more cellular modems; satellite terminals or custom interfaces to radio data services. Similarly, the latest generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi and gigabit Ethernet can be used to present the communications services to incident staff and associated equipment.

RazorLink can support different priority levels and provide control room staff with remote access to systems such as IP cameras, medical equipment or even facilitating OTA updates without involving on-site personnel.

Result

RazorLink can deliver reliable communications when and where needed. Offering security without compromising performance and a flexible, scalable, solution that can readily accommodate current and future networks.