Hytera Communications, a global provider of professional communications technologies and solutions, received the award of “Best use of critical communications in utilities” with its entry “LECO Electricity MCPTT” at the International Critical Communications Awards (ICCA) 2023 ceremony in Helsinki, Finland recently.
The ICCA, presented by the Critical Communications Association (TCCA), recognises the success of products, organisations, and individuals that have pushed boundaries and abilities within the field of critical communications. Earlier in April, Hytera’s seven entries were shortlisted by ICCA.
This Mission-critical Push-to-talk (MCPTT) deployment highlights a clear path for the migration of the private communications network in the utility sector.
Working with local partner Dialog Enterprise, Hytera has deployed a customised MCPTT system for LECO, Lanka Electricity Company (Private) Limited. As the rapid-response arm of the Ceylon Electricity Board, LECO provides electrical services to underserved areas and now works with a state-of-the-art radio communications system based on MCPTT over 4G-LTE technology to cover service grids in Galle, Moratuwa, Kalutara, Negombo, Kelaniya, Kotte, and Nugegoda.
In the extreme scenario where cellular network coverage is not available, Hytera’s dual-mode rugged radios support device-to-device (D2D) communication empowered by Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) technology. While it proves the versatility of MCPTT to serve utility companies, the project also demonstrates how product innovations, such as dual-mode radios, can win the users’ buy-ins in technology adoption.
Chairman of LECO, Athula P. de Silva, “This MCPTT solution operates at a higher priority than Internet services, and also having a device-to-device communication mode are huge pluses for LECO.
“When connectivity is interrupted due to unforeseeable circumstances – such as a sudden violent storm, for instance – we are the professionals whose job it is to bring the network back up. With this, our despatchers and field engineers are in constant touch since we are in complete control of our own internal communication channel. “In the event of an outage, power can be restored much faster. If we had chosen the generic mobile voice service or Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) instead, our rapid response team’s communications would have been vulnerable to the same disruptive factors and service interruptions as the general public–and that was totally unacceptable. We are the first line of defense against power outages. MCPTT solution is a perfect fit for our requirements,” he said.
Hytera HyTalk MC Mission Critical Services (MCS) system is a multimedia mission-critical communication solution designed for sectors such as public safety, utilities, and transportation.
Priority Quality of Service (QoS) of HyTalk MC is guaranteed on the servers of the MCPTT platform provider and on the mobile operator’s network. This end-to-end QoS ensures that critical communications users are given the highest priority available over any other commercial users. HyTalk MC also enables Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) to LTE interoperability, so that it allows connections among different task forces.
Deputy GM of Hytera overseas business, Ming Kam Wong said, “The award is a great recognition to all the stakeholders of this project, including LECO and Dialog. This case epitomizes how technological advancements are introduced and adopted to empower professionals from the utility sector.”