The remote-only event enabled vendors to connect via Virtual Private Network (VPN) with the ETSI HIVE and test their MCX implementations with each other. MCX is a term that collectively covers mission critical push to talk (MCPTT), mission critical data (MCDATA) and mission critical video (MCVIDEO). The equipment tested consisted of mission critical application servers, mission critical clients, multicast/broadcast service centres and IP multimedia subsystems.
Supported by TCCA, and the European Commission and endorsed by PSCE and PSTA, the MCX Plugtests series works to ensure interoperability between vendors’ implementations of the mission-critical features that have been (and continue to be) standardised in 3GPP, identify areas where the standards may be open to different interpretations (ETSI will feedback its observations made during the PlugTests to 3GPP Working groups for clarification), and work to accelerate the time to market for mission-critical products.
Over a two-month period (from 3 Dec 2018 until 31 Jan 2019), the event ran 1,000 test cases between 26 vendors and more than 150 test sessions were executed between different vendors. The first and second MCX Plugtests (referred to as ETSI MCPTT Plugtests – the naming convention was changed from MCPTT to MCX starting with the third event to signify the event series’ increased scope), achieved success rates of 85 per cent and 92 per cent, respectively.
Participating vendors included:
- Alea
- Armour Communication
- Athonet
- Beijing Jiaxun Feihong Electrical Co.
- Enesys Technologies
- Etelm
- Expway
- Frequentis
- Funkwerk Systems
- Harris Corporation
- Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay,
- Kapsch CarrierCom,
- Leonardo
- MCOP-University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
- Motorola Solutions
- Nemergent Solutions
- Nokia,
- Polaris Networks,
- Prescom
- Sansung Electronics,
- Softil,
- Sonim Technologies
- StreamWide
- Tassta
- Valid8.com
- ZTE Caltta
A full report and the test specification will be made publicly available on the ETSI website in due course. The next MCX Plugtests event, which will be a combined remote and face-to-face event, is planned for September 2019 in Europe.
