Shape the first MCPTT Plugtest

October 6, 2016

The first MCPTT interop event by ETSI is being planned, seeking to test 3GPP Release 13 Mission Critical Push To Talk features in collaboration with the TETRA & Critical Communications Association (TCCA).

The series will seek to develop an interoperability Test Specification that will allow manufacturers to validate their products against the current standard, testing alongside other implementations to conduct early bug fixing.

3GPP drives GSM-R to a new track

August 5, 2016

By Juergen Merkel, Nokia, rapporteur of the FS_FRMCS study item.

At the recent 3GPP SA plenary, a study item was approved - to investigate the requirements for a new railway communication system, as a successor to the GSM-R service.

GSM-R is facing a number of challenges:

• The system life-cycle is coming to an end, with vendor support uncertain beyond 2030
• Extra capacity is required in some areas to support railway operations
• The rollout of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) has increased the strain on the GSM-R network

To have a successor technology in place by 2020 for trials and by 2022 for deployment, the International Railway Union (UIC) have published a user requirement specification in their paper “Future Railway Mobile Communication System - FRMCS” (see S1-161250).