Nokia enables faster adoption of mission-critical LTE, improves advanced communications for first responders

• Nokia to expand ViTrust critical communications portfolio with new services to help public safety agencies rapidly take advantage of mission-critical broadband LTE

• Device software customization service to enable first responders to use smart devices intuitively, while assuring performance and security of applications

• Care for public safety to offer professional expert services to ensure the resiliency and high operational availability of mission-critical communications

25 September 2017

Espoo, Finland - Nokia is expanding its ViTrust critical communications portfolio with new services to help first responders take advantage of reliable and secure high-performance applications on their public safety devices. The services provide trouble-free continuity of operations for public safety agencies across a multi-vendor, multi-technology mission critical communications environment.

Nokia's device software customization service will help accelerate agency adoption of new Android^TM -based devices for first responders. Nokia's experts design and develop secure custom device firmware with tailor-made user experience adaptations and enhancements for public safety operations. First responders benefit from a familiar interface designed to provide vital information at a glance, saving time in emergency situations when every second counts.

Nokia's expertise in end-to-end LTE solutions across devices, operating systems, applications and network nodes assures extreme performance and reliability for real-time video and other mission-critical broadband applications, integrated with custom-built firmware. The build is hardened for security and incorporates features like device data encryption and controlled access to external sources like application stores.

Care for public safety is a service to ensure that the most demanding communications needs of public safety organizations are fulfilled. Nokia ensures that new network functionality and services interworking with multivendor LTE networks are available from day one. Leveraging its extensive services expertise, Nokia will provide enhanced local and launch support, compliant with regulatory, security and confidentiality requirements while ensuring the rapid, low-risk deployment of new technologies and skills. One European operator is already using this service and seeing the benefits of reduced operational and downtime risks, with service levels stabilizing faster than before and fulfilling public safety requirements.

In addition to these two new services, Nokia's innovations for public safety also include rapid verification of mission-critical network coverage levels along major roads and railway tracks by mining crowd-sourced performance data using the Nokia AVA platform.

Asad Rizvi, head of Nokia's global business development in Global Services, said:

"The success of moving to broadband-based critical communications requires deep technological and operational expertise. Nokia has both, from our long history of working with agencies to our global service expertise in broadband. We understand the need for smooth evolution, field-proven usability, assured reliability and performance with comprehensive security measures. Leveraging our systems experience, technical expertise and in-house tools, these new services address agency specific requirements to help public safety agencies rapidly adopt and take advantage of the possibilities of mission critical broadband."