Zetron, a global leader in integrated mission critical communications technology, today announced it will work with Nokia, a leader in state-of-the-art communication solutions, to replace the existing analogue radio infrastructure of the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA) with a next generation communications network, including Zetron’s ACOM Command and Control platform. The agreement calls for Zetron to deploy 52 console positions across eight PTA command centres. Once implemented, the ACOM system with Nokia 4.9G/5G private wireless solutions will provide PTA operators with integrated communications across a far wider data spectrum than the current analogue system allows, enabling mission critical voice, data and video services.

PTA is headquartered in Perth and is responsible for overseeing and operating all urban and regional public transport services throughout Western Australia, including buses, road coaches, trains and ferries, providing more than 100 million passenger journeys a year. The new communications network will cover PTA’s urban rail system, spanning 250+ kilometres.

The next generation railway communications system contract is part of the METRONET infrastructure program, a collaboration across multiple government agencies in Western Australia intended to improve transport, housing and employment in the region. Under the contract, Nokia will build PTA’s new digital communications network, including more than 160 LTE/4.9G radio sites.

“Nokia has deployed mission critical networks to more than 2,600 leading enterprise customers in the transport, energy, large enterprise, manufacturing, webscale, and public sector segments around the globe,” said Rob McCabe, Head of Enterprise for Oceania at Nokia. “We have also extended our expertise to more than 560 large private wireless customers worldwide across an array of sectors, and we have been cited by numerous industry analysts as the leading provider of private wireless networking worldwide. The next generation railway communications system at PTA will be powered by Nokia’s private wireless and mission critical IP/MPLS technologies. Integrating Zetron’s mission critical solutions provides the command and control innovation, flexibility and scalability to help make PTA’s new railway communications system truly world class.”

PTA will have the first fully MCx-capable railway communications network in Australia, with highly reliable mission critical voice, data and video services managed through Zetron’s ACOM Command & Control platform.

“Zetron has forged an excellent relationship with PTA over the past 15 years, resulting in an acute understanding of their communications needs and challenges,” said Brandon Williams, Vice President, Global Sales for Zetron. “So we’re extremely excited to work with Nokia to build what will be a transformative solution for centralized and distributed mission critical communications for PTA operations personnel wherever and whenever needed.”