Told in Their Own Words: ACOM Console MCX Demonstration from Zetron

Demonstrated at: #CCW2023

Mission-critical push-to-talk over cellular is not a new concept. But supporting the capability with a non-proprietary and standards-based approach for broad interoperability is just now coming into use. At #CCW2023, Zetron demonstrated its new ACOM console support for the 3GPP-based MC-PTT technology aimed at emergency services, transport, utilities, and industry. This MC-PTT capability is one of the three forks of Mission Critical Services (MCS, sometimes called MCX) functionality specified in 3GPP standards for high-priority handling of voice, video, and data.

Earlier this year, Zetron and Nokia announced a significant contract win to supply the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA) with an MCX-capable communications network. The standards-based MC-PTT will replace an existing analog system, making the PTA one of the first rail agencies to move to MC-PTT over a private LTE/5G network supplied by Nokia.

In this demonstration, Zetron showed how mature MC-PTT clients and server products from different suppliers operate effectively, a feat made possible by adherence to open standards. In the console software, Zetron incorporated an MC-PTT client that leverages the popular SOFTIL BEEHD stack. As with the PTA deployment in Western Australia, the server software is supplied by Nokia. A CyberTel MC-PTT handset linked to Nokia's Mission Critical Services (MCS) platform rounds out the demonstration. CyberTel is important because the Korean company supplies one of the MCS server implementations as well as handsets for the pioneering SafeNet MCS deployment serving Korean emergency services.

Thanks to Brendan O'Brien, Lead Product Manager at Zetron, for the helpful demonstration of the progress being made in 3GPP-based rail transport communications.