Starhome advises EU public safety emergency communications project

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: Starhome, the leading provider and acknowledged driving force of roaming services for mobile network operators, is participating in the CELTIC FT-PSC (Federated Test bed for Public Safety Communications) Consortium. The project is focusing on public safety and disaster management and includes developing communications among national operators during emergency situations.

The FT-PSC project is addressing the lack of existing public safety communications and information systems interoperability and the effect it has on response times during an emergency situation. Currently, establishing direct roaming relations among national operators is problematic, as competitive operators do not generally have bilateral roaming relations.

However in an emergency, if one network crashes or does not have coverage in specific area, other networks should provide backup. The Starhome Roaming Broker solution for new generation networks will be developed in the project as an alternative to bi-lateral operator roaming agreements.

Shlomo Wolfman, Starhome’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, commented: “The need for international roaming in emergency situations is of paramount importance. We are excited to take part in the FT-PSC project, which will enable European carriers to use Starhome’s New Generation Roaming Broker technology as a potential life-saving tool. Starhome has contributed over 10 years of notable roaming knowledge to the industry and is always looking for ways to assist.”

Starhome’s Roaming Broker solution for new generation networks can be used on a day-to-day basis between operators who do not wish to spend time and resources in signing costly and lengthy agreements with numerous operators in order to provide sufficient services for their subscribers.

Moreover, the roaming world is dynamic and constantly becoming more complex. In the next generation IP world, the situation will be even more complex, where legacy networks will be involved with LTE (4th generation) networks, players from the WiFi/WiMAX arena, and fixed-line and cable operators. Starhome’s Roaming Broker for new generation networks takes on the hybrid scenario of legacy and new generation.

CELTIC is a European R&D programme that initiates and runs privately and publicly funded Information and Communication Technology (ICT)/telecommunications R&D projects. The FT-PSC Consortium members include: Atos Origin, ES, CREATE-NET, IT, Deltabit, FI, Innovalia Association, ES, IPv6 Forum Slovakia, SK, Ministère d'Etat, LU, Nethawk Oyj, FI, Nextel, ES, Sec-Control, FI, Securitas, FI, SES Astra, LU, Software Quality Systems (SQS), ES, Telindus, LU, University of Trencin, SK, UPV, ES and VTT, FI.