The European forum PSCE (Public Safety Communications Europe), which brings together European security and emergency agencies among others, has selected Teltronic, a Spanish company specializing in the design, manufacturing, and installation of critical communication networks, as the leader of one of the four consortia tasked with developing the first phase of a project to establish the future European Critical Communication System (EUCCS).

This initiative is part of a pan-European effort to create a private broadband communications infrastructure designed to support law enforcement, emergency response and all Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) responders across Europe, with the goal of strengthening interoperability and cross-border communication. Funded by the European Union, it involves 15 national authorities under the coordination of PSCE.

The first phase, which will extend until June 2025 and includes eight national authorities, aims to lay the groundwork for the deployment and operational use of the future EUCCS. These eight countries will work closely with the four awarded consortia, and the solutions will be tested and evaluated by a wide range of end-users from the security and emergency management sectors, who will also contribute insights into real user needs.

Teltronic will provide Mission Critical Communications Services (MCX) for the Italian Ministry of the Interior and Belgium’s national radio communications network operator, ASTRID. These systems will be able to operate independently or be interconnected, enabling the creation of international communication groups.

The systems will undergo a series of tests and evaluation activities to verify their functionality and interoperability, initially among the countries assigned to each consortium and later in conjunction with a third country operated by another consortium. Additionally, in the second phase of the contract, efforts will advance toward interconnecting deployments managed by various national authorities.

“These testbeds will then be incrementally interconnected to assess the interoperability between different systems; this will build the confidence in the technical maturity of the 3GPP MCX services and will support, in the near future, the establishment of the EUCCS”, explained PSCE in a statement.

Following the public tender launched in August 2024, the selected companies have been presented at a conference organized by PSCE in Brussels this Thursday, where the next steps of the program have been outlined.

“For Teltronic, it is a great honor to be one of the companies selected to lead the EUCCS Preparation project; it highlights our work and the company’s strategic commitment to interoperability and the development of standard technologies. We face a significant challenge, but thanks to our innovative capabilities and 50 years of experience in the sector, we feel well-prepared to tackle it,” said Teltronic’s Head of Product Management, Raquel Frisa, who represents the company within PSCE.

EUCCS Preparation

EUCCS Preparation (rebranded from BroadEU.net) is a collaborative effort between partners from several European Union member states, consisting of telecommunication companies, public safety organisations, and research institutes. Its aim is to develop a reliable and resilient mobile broadband system that can meet the needs of emergency services across Europe.

Its team is dedicated to improving communication and coordination during crises and disasters, with innovative solutions that enhance the safety and security of citizens across Europe.

The work of EUCCS Preparation builds on the work that PSCE has led alongside the EU Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) as coordinator of BroadMap, BroadWay projects and BroadEU.Net and it falls under one of the priorities highlighted by president of the European Commission, Ursula Von De Leyen, in her political guidelines.

In September 2024, the Mission Letter to Magnus Brunner, new Commissioner for Home Affairs indicates his mission “to develop and deploy a new European Critical Communication System to be used by public authorities in charge of security and safety”.

The European Commission DG Home, established the Mission critical Expert Group. Experts are engaged from all EU and Schengen Member States with the mission to assist the European Commission in the preparation of legislative proposals and policy initiatives to support the establishment of EUCCS.