TelestoTechnologies has developed a Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) mobile app, which provides voice call prioritization for reliable group calling establishment even in overloaded 3G/4G or Wi-Fi networks. This solution is based on the MCOP open platform. It will be offered to @S4AllCities #first-responders for group communication during city-wide man-made or natural-hazard crisis situations, which leads to the degradation of conventional wireless networks and hampers communication.
Conventional mission-critical technologies, e.g. TETRA, are not selected due to heavy infrastructure requirements, while the existing 3G/4G cellular networks fail to provide call prioritization under increased overload. The open-source Mission Critical Open Platform (MCOP) has thus been chosen to provide an interface between the user’s smartphone and the wireless networks to offer precedence in voice call establishment with minimal integration effort. This MCOP-based solution is comparable to 5G reliability and call prioritization and hence can be used as an interim solution until the full-scale deployment of 5G network capabilities, expected in late 2022 or early 2023.
The developed solution based on MCOP comprises of the following applications for Android devices:
(a) The MCOP Provisioning Tool bypasses the SIM authentication to test the app in those devices that don't have a proper SIM plugin due to privilege constraints and acts as the network configuration tool.
(b) The MCOP SDK on which the MC app was developed utilizing the MCPTT functionalities. It is responsible for MCPTT protocols and low-level plugins to access SIM cards, eMBMS, connectivity and configuration deployment.
(c) The S4AllCities MCPTT Mobile Application, a dedicated application compatible with the most widely PTT-ready phones used in operational conditions by first responders worldwide, provides access to mission-critical capabilities.
The first responders are registered in the MCOP Provisioning Tool and can use the MCPTT mobile application, which has been built using the provided MCOP SDK. The mobile application provides the easy establishment of private (one-on-one), and group (one-to-many) voice calls among different groups of first responders, firefighters, safety practitioners, city operators, LEAs and medical professionals. Even under increased network overload, it ensures precedence for voice calls through the existing cellular (3G/4G) or city-operated Wi-Fi networks.
The functionality of the mobile app is twofold. During the crisis, the first responder can gain call prioritization over a congested network through the same network to perform calls. In addition, the mobile app allows a group assignment function that enables users to be part of multiple groups and can facilitate group calls for different first responders units deployed in the field. This function will allow a more targeted and thus faster communication in the whole chain of command.
