Problem
When Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas in 2019, it leveled cellular and land mobile radio towers and repeaters. With no towers standing, there were no communications for quite some time. As you can imagine, this posed a massive problem for the Royal Bahamas Defense Force responsible for disaster relief in the wake of the destruction.
Even under normal circumstances, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force was plagued with gaps in coverage. Radio and cellular networks only cover sections of the islands the Royal Bahamas Defense Force patrol which causes inefficiencies and vulnerabilities. In the chaos following Hurricane Dorian, it became even more important to find a way to provide reliable, consistent push-to-talk (PTT) communications.
The solution to the disaster relief nightmare and the gaps in coverage also needed to link various radios and cellular devices used by the forces. Disparate hardware often left teams unable to communicate efficiently – or sometimes at all.
Devices
Like so many involved in disaster relief, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force was using Motorola equipment. Linking the following devices was critical for workflow and safety:
- Motorola APX P25 – an APCO™ mobile PTT radio
- Motorola Mototrbo XPR – a MOTOTRBO™ portable PTT radio
- Motorola Wave™ – a smartphone PTT app
Each of these devices provided critical communication functions and needed to be seamlessly integrated into the new, resilient radio network.
In other words, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force needed a radio system that was hardened against catastrophes to provide reliable communication during disaster relief efforts. This meant they could no longer rely on terrestrial infrastructure and needed to create interoperability between all of the PTT equipment in use.
Solution
Enter RoIP (radio over IP). Skymira’s RoIP solution integrated Cobham’s Explorer Mobile Gateway and Explorer 323 BGAN terminal, and Inmarsat’s new PTT service to provide an ideal solution by creating fail-safe communications that:
- survive natural disasters like hurricanes,
- eliminate network gaps, and
- provide seamless interoperability between radios, smartphones, and other PTT devices.
These RoIP gateways automatically switch between radio, cellular, and satellite networks for seamless, efficient communication wherever you go.
Deploying Cobham’s RoIP gateways has transformed communication workflow for the Royal Bahamas Defense Force. Because of affordable RoIP satellite connections, they no longer have to make decisions based on the risks of leaving areas with radio and cellular coverage. The ability to seamlessly connect across networks, devices, and teams using whichever PTT devices make the most sense for each operation also provides a huge advantage. And when the next hurricane or disaster hits, they will be prepared to provide world-class disaster relief services because their communications will be unaffected by the damage and outages.
See them testing the new system and the interoperability between each of the different radios and phones:
If you are experiencing similar challenges with your commercial PTT network, Skymira’s RoIP experts can provide a simple, affordable solution. With disaster-proof resilience, incredible interoperability, and no coverage gaps, RoIP increases safety and productivity and makes it possible to communicate anytime, anywhere.
Contact a Skymira expert today to find out more about how RoIP can transform your communication workflow to enhance operational efficiency and performance.