02 Sep 10. Samsung Electronics and Thales have announced the signature of a partnership agreement to jointly develop and market a mobile infrastructure and terminals solution. An innovative solution combines, for the first time, PMR (Private Mobile Radio) technology and 4G technology giving public security players to access to high speed communication services. The new offer will allow national and local public safety and security organisations such as fire brigades, police and emergency services to access critical communications (Push to Com) combining voice, video and data under perfect security for the first time. Through their partnership, Thales and Samsung Electronics are creating the first offer supporting both 4G technologies; Mobile WiMAX and LTE (Long Term Evolution) 4G standard and the TETRA European public security standard. The solution offers a full compatibility with existing PMR networks. In order to provide that ability, Thales is using its TeMax system, an innovative high speed PMR radio solution, to which Samsung’s 4G technology has now been added. This innovative solution enables Thales’s customers in public sector to improve communications by using various services such as video surveillance, multimedia data transmission while reducing the cost for network deployment and operation.
“The agreement expresses Thales’s intention to join with partners of excellence to accurately meet the security services’ needs.” explains Pascale Sourisse, Senior Vice President of Thales,
in charge of Defence and Security C4I Systems activities. “Through the partnership and our combined expertise, Thales confirms its lead position in providing high level communication solutions and thus fully meets the market’s increasingly demanding requirements.”
“This unique and innovative integration of 4G technologies and TETRA will make more advanced and efficient communications under guaranteed security. Also, it will be a significant step further to expand addressable markets.” said Mr. Woonsub Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the Telecommunication Systems Business at Samsung. “Based on the numerous experiences in communication market, Samsung will create the best-fit solution for specific client.”

08 Sep 10. Astrium Services is launching its military and government advanced Ka-band test-bed in cooperation with Avanti Communications who will be providing the satellite bandwidth. Astrium Services has entered into a pioneering agreement with Avanti Communications to use transponder capacity for Ka-band tests on the soon to be launched Hylas 1 satellite. The technology test-bed comprises a dedicated secure laboratory facility equipped with RF, modem and encryption and routing equipment which will enable government and military customers to work in close collaboration with Astrium Services’ engineers in testing and refining future Military Ka-band system requirements. System tests on the satellite will cover military use of Ka-band including tactical and comms on the move (CoTM) terminals in field locations. It will be based in Stevenage in UK and use proven in-house system and terminal capabilities supplied by Astrium Secure Satcom Systems
Astrium Services CEO Eric Beranger said: “As the world’s first provider of military grade secure satellite communications to government customers we are continually looking at how to improve our services and solutions. Our goal with the technology test-bed and the capacity lease on Hylas 1 is to test and validate potential future service opportunities to give our existing and future customers an edge over the competition. “Military Ka-band capability will play a very strong role in future Con Ops, particularly for very high data rate services to and from disadvantaged terminals in theatre. One area we are looking at is multiple Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) streaming real time surveillance data to support military or governmental operations across areas of military or political inter