First stage of RAKEL system in operational use
For decades there has been a vision in Sweden of having a single radio system for all public safety authorities. This is now a reality as the RAKEL system rolls out in the Stage 1 zone, encompassing the counties of Skåne, Blekinge and Kalmar in southern Sweden. Stage 1 was officially approved on Monday April 3 and has been ready for use since April 4. The transition to full operational use is under way.
The system was delivered to the Swedish Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) by its developers, a consortium comprised of Saab, EADS and Eltel Networks. Stage 2 is now under way, encompassing Gävleborg, Kronoberg, Stockholm, Södermanland, Uppsala and Västmanland counties in eastern central Sweden.
“This means the RAKEL system is now ready to start being used, initially in Skåne, Kalmar and Blekinge counties. During the spring, SEMA will be testing the RAKEL system in close collaboration with the police in Skåne and the Coast Guard, in order to quality assure it before it goes into live use,” says Thomas Eriksson, Managing Director of Saab Communication – a new Saab business unit focusing on robust communication. Saab Communication is leading the consortium of Saab, EADS and Eltel Networks that is delivering the RAKEL system to SEMA.
SEMA expects the whole of Stage 1 of the RAKEL system to be in full operational use after the summer. The system will then be expanded in six further stages across Sweden, to be up and running nationwide by around 2010.
The police have already communicated with the system in connection with training of county-level instructors. Trial transmissions have been made between mobile hand stations and vehicle-based stations in Skåne, with excellent results. Tests have also been conducted between users in Stockholm and Skåne, also with a successful outcome. According to police information, training of county-level instructors is continuing throughout early April, training of operators will begin on April 18, and training of other police users will start on April 24.
“We are very pleased and proud to have made this delivery from the Saab, EADS and Eltel Networks consortium, and that SEMA can now bring the system into live operation. Roll-out is now continuing in Gävleborg, Kronoberg, Stockholm, Södermanland, Uppsala and Västmanland, and we plan to be able to hand over that stage to SEMA in late 2006/early 2007,” Thomas Eriksson concludes.
Saab Communication, a business unit in the Saab Group, offers qualified communication services and robust telecom-, data and radio communication solutions for defence, civil security, telecom and traffic infrastructure – nationally and internationally.
Saab is one of the world’s leading high-technology companies, with its main operations focusing on defence, aviation and space. The Group covers a broad spectrum of competence and capability in systems integration.
For further information, please contact:
Anders Engstedt, Director Marketing and Sales, Saab Communication
Tel +46 (0)589 39 71 15, mobile +46 (0)70 713 08 90
www.saabgroup.com
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