1. Information about the procurement
ICT Solution: mobile radio interoperability
This project from the Dutch Ministery of Defence seeks the procurement of R&D services for radical innovation in radio interoperability, which is a requirement for an effective mobile communication in the security –military and non-military- ecosystem. Interoperability is a vital component for the establishment of a functional network. The aim is to achieve a combined civil-military solution for an effective cooperation. The present situation:
- The radio systems made available to the military do not have the ability to communicate with military and non-military partners, unless the partner is available on the same radio system obtained from the same supplier. This is because the providers keep their own proprietary standard and do not undertake the development of radio systems based on international standards.
- Due to different standards, internal and external cooperation is a huge challenge. Each unit has its own radio system with its own manufacturer default. The current solution is to literally take (physically carry it on a person, in the vehicle or provide it to partners) multiple radio systems simultaneously, from different suppliers, nationalities / partners so as to enable connectivity between the partners. This solution is very costly and, in the case of the individual soldier, extremely heavy!
The goal of the project is:
- To overcome the current situation by inviting the market, in cooperation with the Defense sector, to focus on the creation of value based on an open and transparent cooperation. Consequently, a mix of means of communication are jointly created and acquired for the necessary communications which support the Defense action within the security ecosystem. The military dependence on radio systems is great and communication is vital to guarantee safety and security.
- Develop breakthrough innovation in radio interoperability overcoming a lock-in situation in the actual imperfect military market in mobile communication. Enormous operational accelerator for partners in the security eco-system.
Key technologies:
- Next generation mobile communication interoperability. The military wants to communicate data (video, photos, structured and unstructured text). The available radio systems must be part of a wireless infrastructure on which to communicate various types of data, voice and images.
