HOMELAND SECURITY

23 Mar 10. The Police Forces of Buenos Aires will operate with SELEX Communications’ (a Finmeccanica company) TETRA telecommunication system. TETRA will enter into service within the first six months of 2010, featuring the supply of the service to the entire metropolitan area of the Argentinean capital with an additional indoor coverage in the city centre. The supply envisages a complete solution including both a network of 10 New-Generation Base Stations and the terminals. Counting the handheld and vehicular terminals and fixed radio base stations, the total number of the terminals exceeds the 2.000 units. This is definitely one of the most important TETRA system realized in Argentina and among the main ones in South America. The reliability and the robustness of the solution are guaranteed, aside from the redundancy of all the components, by an avant-garde architectural design. The network allows the maximum level of communications security, thanks to the sophisticated end-to-end encryption algorithms. The city of Buenos Aires benefits from a special status as federal district since 1994, with its own constitution and government. The last government of the city deliberated for the formation of a new Police Corp to face the increasing need of security in a zone that today is the second largest metropolitan area of South America: SELEX Communications will, therefore, realize the vital system of radio-communications for the new-born Police. SELEX Communications, in partnership with a local operator, has supplied a solution that represents a significant success for the company in Latin America, making TETRA gain a strategic position in a market that was dominated by competitive technologies, and creates an important record that paves the way for further ambitious opportunities in the region.