Cisco interoperable communications with Etherstack LTE technology

Cisco has announced a range of interoperable communications capabilities for their public safety, enterprise, utilities and transportation offerings that incorporate Etherstack's LTE25 smartphone technology.

The solution enables secure push-to-talk-style operation between 3G and 4G handset devices and government radio systems such as those used by police, fire, ambulance and other government agencies. The range also provides a similar capability to the utility, transportation and mining sectors.

Cisco and Etherstack have been collaborating on standards-based interoperability solutions since 2008, which has recently seen the initial deployments of Cisco's IPICS (IP Interoperability and Collaboration System) product incorporating Etherstack's wireless interfacing technology to various government agencies in the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Both the US and Australian governments have standardised on a digital wireless communications standard known as APCO P25 for emergency services communications and new digital radio networks for public safety and other industries are currently being built out based on this technology.

Etherstack says its LTE25 technology provides secure end-to-end encrypted calls between commercial 3G and 4G handsets to private digital radio networks operated by government agencies and industry. The company also says its solutions solve key migration issues from legacy analog networks to digital radio networks and broadband wireless networks such LTE networks.