FT-PSC – Federated Testbed for Public Safety Communications

Principal Investigator: Prof. Thomas Engel
Funding source(s): CELTIC Program
Project website: FT-PSC

The Federated Test bed for Public Safety Communications (FT- PSC) CELTIC project is part of an open project initiative established jointly by PanLab (http://www.panlab.net) and Safety Research Initiative of PSCE Forum (http://www.publicsafetycommunication.eu). The FT-PSC CELTIC project is building federated European test bed for testing of public safety communication and information systems. The test bed will allow European telecom manufactures and software providers to carry out tests and evaluation of their products, results of R&D projects in international environment with participation of public safety users. The Federated test bed will make possible to test large scale heterogeneous communication systems including the heterogeneous networks simultaneously based on several standards such as GPRS, UMTS, WLAN, WiMax, PMR. The integrated - deployable and fixed networks for public safety will be part of the federated test bed. The established federated test bed will create a platform for interoperability and conformance testing of communication and information systems for public safety that will be carried out with industrial participation, participation of relevant standardization organizations, participation of TETRA association and other interested organizations. The FT PSC project will connect and use unique resources and testing facilities available in different countries. It will use and connect the relevant test bed platforms developed by European framework projects, CELCTIC projects, national projects and industry. The FT PSC project is going to provide experimental platform for experimentally driven research in several areas of communication and information systems that are considered important for public safety. The work of the project will be carried out in cooperation with activities of PanLab, PlugTest initiative of ETSI and Public Safety Communication Europe Forum (PSCE). It will work in cooperation with other Celtic, FP and regional projects such as HNPS, CHORIST, u2010, PSCE, TETRA MoU. The project will provide not only technology platform but also will establish an administrative and legal framework for permanent entity for interoperability and conformance testing in Europe for public safety. Project will develop evolutional road map for development of FT PSC, field trials and conformance testing for European public safety. FT- PSC project field trials will involve international participation of public safety user organizations and will include coordination of international disaster relief operations scenarios, testing of new applications, interoperability testing at different levels.