Nokia has created a new public safety focused communications offering with the launch of Nokia Group Communications. The LTE-backed product line will offer first responders push-to-video capabilities in the field.
Push-to-video builds on push-to-talk capabilities which are common in several public safety product lines. According to Nokia, the offering can support push-to-video for up to 1,000 users on a single server and 20,000 push-to-talk active users per single server with the ability to scale. Software licensing is offered on a number of users basis.
The service is compatible with 3G and wifi networks for areas where there is no LTE coverage. Users can also deploy the Nokia Compact Network alongside push-to-video devices to set up a small private network in emergency situations.
According to Nokia, the services are fully aligned with 3GPP standards and have been future-proofed to accommodate changes in security and communications protocols. The company is also offering end-to-end encryption at the application layer.
The product line builds on Nokia’s effort to maintain position as a market leader within public safety. In September, the company came to market with the Mission Critical Communications Alliance, a global collaboration of mobile operators, national and local-level public authorities and first response agencies to formalize standards in the use of LTE for public safety. Through the Alliance model, Nokia and Korea’s SK Telecom demonstrated use cases for Nokia’s compact networking capability.
