Dialog Enterprise, the corporate ICT solutions arm of Dialog Axiata PLC, recently deployed a customized mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT) solution for Lanka Electricity Company (Private) Limited.
The rapid-response arm of the Ceylon Electricity Board, LECO was established in 1983 to provide electrical service to underserved areas. This MCPTT project, awarded to Dialog Enterprise after a competitive bidding process had the objective of providing a radio telecommunications system based on mission-critical push-to-talk over 4G-LTE technology to cover the LECO service grids in Galle, Moratuwa, Kalutara, Negombo, Kelaniya, Kotte and Nugegoda. The solution had to be able to fulfill LECO’s current and future requirements, with radio telecommunications features and services in voice, data and video and with future-ready devices that worked right out of the box.
The hardware package that Dialog Enterprise provided consisted of a central dispatch unit with voice and video dispatching, geolocation, and recording, plus 65 vehicle-mounted and 60 hand held devices with voice, video streaming and messaging capabilities.
Mission-critical user communications have a higher priority than public user communications as per 3GPP telecommunication standards.
The MCPTT devices provided by Dialog Enterprise feature a device-to-device communication mode that functions in the absence of cellular network coverage. This failsafe feature enables LECO users to communicate with each other within a specified radius albeit if a disaster like a tsunami takes down the cellular tower infrastructure and renders the network completely unavailable.
“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,” saidAthula P. De Silva Chairman, LECO. “Because when connectivity is interrupted due to unforeseeable circumstances--like a sudden violent storm, for instance--we are the professionals whose job it is to bring the network back up. With this, our dispatchers and field engineers are in constant touch since we are in complete control of our own internal communication channel.”
“Apart from price and quality of service, one of the primary reasons why LECO chose Dialog Enterprise as their MCPTT solution provider is because this cutting-edge technology only works in 4G LTE and the best 4G coverage is with us,” said Navin Pieris, Group Chief Officer-Dialog Enterprise, Dialog Enterprise, Dialog Axiata PLC.
Dialog Enterprise’s MCPTT solution is massively scalable, with on-demand expandability depending on customer needs. It is connected through a separate Enhanced Packet Core (EPC) network and is not connected to the internet.