Background
Abu Dhabi is the capital and the second most populous city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the center of the country’s political and industrial activities, particularly those associated with its huge reserves of oil and gas. It is also a major cultural and commercial center bringing large numbers of business travelers and tourists to the city. This puts a lot of pressure on the Abu Dhabi Police when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of citizens and visitors.
The Challenge
Although the public LTE network supports both voice and broadband data services, the coverage is not adequate enough to meet the daily demands of the police. The need to carry more than one communication device is inconvenient for officers. Furthermore, security is paramount for the police, but the public LTE network is not highly secure in the way the TETRA network is.
The Solution
The decision was made to adopt a converged narrowband and broadband solution. The police invested in the Hytera PTC760 multi-mode advanced radio, which integrates TETRA, cellular 2G/3G/4G LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This provided the police officers with a converged radio and smartphone supporting both narrowband and broadband technologies. The PTC760 delivers key voice services through the built-in TETRA module, thereby guaranteeing the reliability and security of the Abu Dhabi Police’s daily voice communications. The LTE and Wi-Fi part of the radio provides the broadband data services and application software to support multimedia services and ‘mobile office’ services, such as video calling, interrogation of databases and real-time video and data upload.
The Results
The PTC760 smart radio enables the Abu Dhabi police to migrate from single voice communication to multi-media broadband applications using a single device. The device supports a number of key functions including the ability to support customized third party applications based on both the TETRA and the Android platforms to deliver business integration features and enable the police to work more efficiently. For example, video recording enables police officers to conduct interviews away from the police station. Digital forms for different types of incident can be filled in accurately and details such as someone’s address can be checked at the scene. The police can issue forms, court summonses and fines on the spot. At the same time, the terminal enables the interviews, data, images and video recorded at the scene to be uploaded in real-time to police databases in the command center. Accessories allow the PTC760 to be mounted in the police vehicle via Carkit, for example. When attached to a programming cable the terminal display can be projected onto other large-screen devices such as tablets or laptops to provide an enhanced vehicle-based mobile office. In-built GPS location functionality combined with integrated mapping systems and compasses display the quickest route from the vehicle or foot patrol’s current location to their destination. Users can also forward their current location or destination to colleagues to enable multi-party location information sharing. The device is compatible with AirWatch Console mobile device management, which allows supervisors to add new devices and users to the radio fleet, manage profiles, and configure system settings. The platform also supports the delivery of schedule notifications, distribution of official documents and other diverse business capabilities to be sent to the terminals. This enables the police to integrate and protect existing investments, while improving productivity and reducing maintenance costs.
