Three questions about… 4G for security forces
What is 4G?
4G is a high-speed wireless communication technology. It is currently being rolled out by the various commercial operators, such as Orange, SFR and Bouygues in France. It enables users to share or download photos, videos and other multimedia data much faster than with 3G. Operators are talking about speeds as high as 100 Mbps.
Why do security forces need 4G?
Law enforcement and public security agencies today use radio systems for voice communications. But they urgently need multimedia services to improve situation awareness and enable faster and more informed decisions. This applies equally to command post personnel and users in the field:
- Streaming video from the field to a command post, for example to monitor a vehicle attending an incident in a city suburb, gives commanders a clearer picture of the situation and enables them to anticipate the need for backup if needed.
- Exchanging photos between mobile users can make all the difference. If a suspect is identified on a surveillance camera feed, for example, the picture can be sent to all officers in a given geographic area in a matter of seconds to enable searches and arrest.
- Real-time database access for information on wanted persons, stolen vehicles, etc., avoids the need to bring a suspect to the police station for further identification.
Why is Thales moving into 4G with the Nexium Wireless offering?
Law enforcement and public security users are not ordinary consumers:
- They need a resilient, high-availability solution, with guaranteed quality of service, particularly in crisis situations.
- They need added security. If a police device is lost, its contents must not be stolen and it must not be used to access the police intranet. The Teopad solution, for example, protects smartphone data in use, in transit and at rest.
- They need to run dedicated operational applications.
In particular, law enforcement and security forces work in user groups, so their data solutions must be based on this mode of operation.
Our solutions and credentials
Nexium Wireless provides law enforcement and public security users with a resilient, secure 4G/LTE solution. The TeSquad ruggedised LTE smartphone is specially designed for use in hostile environments and offers customers a dedicated suite of applications.
Thales is currently deploying a pilot 4G/LTE network in Jordan to help the customer assess the technology and further develop its concepts of operations. Many other customers in France, the United Kingdom, the United States and elsewhere are also working with Thales to plan their migration to 4G/LTE.