The tests took place in Malaga, southern Spain, earlier in the year, with the test scenario based around a hypothetical ferry fire. According to a statement released by Frequentis, the event involved more than 40 public safety organisations from across Europe, as well as eight local Spanish authorities.
Describing the exercise, a spokesperson said: “On a summers day in Malaga port, the temperature hit 35 degrees and the control centre began receiving several simultaneous calls to report smoke rising from a ferry. This was shortly followed by an emergency call from the crew confirming that fire had broken out onboard.
“The Horizon 2020 project - Broadway - aims to lead the way towards a common, pan-European, mission critical broadband communications network. This will enable operational mobility, including closer cooperation across political borders and help save lives.”
Head of mission critical services at Frequentis, Charlotte Rösener, said: “The integration of interoperable components [relating to BrowadWay] – from networks to terminals and applications – is a milestone for mission-critical communication in Europe. At the same time, it is also a great challenge.
“It is therefore crucial for us to test live operations with PPDR organisations. Thanks to their valuable feedback, we have been able to incorporate the experience [of first responders] into further development."
Frequentis is the leader of the BroadWay 'BroadPort' consortium. It’s counterpart leading the project’s other consortium is Airbus, which also staged its own trial. The two consortiums were furthermore involved with a joint trial, where they tested the same scenario separately in the same location.
