Astrium to supply
Belgium’s security
forces with the core of
their first secure 3G
network
21
May 2013
Astrium, Europe’s has
won a contract to
provide Belgium’s
emergency and security
services with Blue Light
Mobile, their first
secure mobile 3G
network. The five-year
contract has been
signed with ASTRID,
which is Belgium’s
mobile
telecommunications
network operator for the
nation’s local and
federal police forces,
its fire, civil defence,
customs, state security,
national defence and air
and sea rescue services,
and some of its
hospitals and ambulance
services.
To be
deployed from early
2014, Blue Light Mobile
will allow the security
forces to exchange vital
information during
missions on the ground:
enriched mapping of
selected areas; real
time videos and
pictures; and access to
state
security files and
databases. Thanks to
this private, secure
mobile virtual network,
Belgium’s security
services will be able to
exchange data on
smartphones, tablets and
computers on operations.
ASTRID, which currently
operates the security
forces’ TETRA-type radio
networks, will therefore
reinforce its commercial
offer with a 3G
solution. Thanks in the
main to the operating
and billing tools built
into the mobile network
used by Astrium
Services, ASTRID will
become a Mobile Virtual
Network Operator (MVNO).
Astrium Services has
drawn on Cisco’s
equipment and solutions
in making use of the
latest IP broadband
technologies offered by
commercial networks in
line with mobile 3G and
4G standards.
Astrium Services
specialises in
telecommunications
systems designed for
critical missions. It
has also designed and
developed new GSM
services that link up
with satellites to
overcome possible mobile
network saturation and
thereby guarantee
fast
response, security and
interoperability
whenever crises or major
incidents arise. Astrium
Services’ customers
include some of the
world’s most advanced
armed forces (the USA,
the UK, France, Germany
and NATO) as well as the
French, British and now
Belgian security forces.
Astrium Services is also
the world’s number one
supplier of satellite
telecommunications in
the maritime sector
(transport, oil & gas,
offshore platforms,
etc), another area in
which communications are
vitally important.
