BUCHAREST, Romania-A new digital technology for public access mobile radio and private mobile radio users has seen interest from numerous wireless carriers in Europe and Asia since it was first presented at the CeBIT exhibition in 1998.
The technology, GSM Pro from Ericsson, targets end users in vertical industries, such as transportation, utilities and nonemergency municipal services.
Tore Smedman, Ericsson manager of strategic product management for GSM Pro, said: “Today there are 15 carriers that have deployed or are deploying GSM Pro worldwide. We expect this number to continue increasing.”
GSM 900 MHz and 1800 MHz carriers are implementing GSM Pro as a new value-added service. “Making GSM Pro work with the other cellular standards will be a matter for future consideration,” said Smedman.
Many small and medium-sized companies need private communications, but due to the fact that a two-way radio network requires an investment in infrastructure, frequencies and terminals, the majority of companies use cellular handsets instead.
GSM Pro allows a radio dispatch system to be integrated into a mobile carrier’s core GSM network, allowing GSM operators to offer organizations, companies, and families or groups of friends, group communications based on the new service.
“While there is an immediate market for GSM Pro among users of two-way radio services, there is also a large potential market among group professionals who have never used PMR and for families and groups of friends,” said Johan Bergh, general manager of Ericsson GSM Pro.
The advantage of such communications is that the network is not limited to a citywide or a countywide range like most two-way radio networks, but customers can use the service nationally or internationally through roaming agreements.
In general, PAMR and PMR networks can offer customers advantages that a usual GSM system cannot offer, including group calls, a push-to-talk capability, dispatch functions and emergency call functions.
GSM Pro terminals are designed to be used in harsh environments and have microbrowsers for Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) applications. They also allow group communications with many people or a private conversation between just two people. Up to 16 people can be included in a talk group, and up to 50,000 talk groups can be established.
Consoles permit a user’s operator to monitor the company’s communications among users. A GSM Pro server is implemented in a dedicated node and connected to a GSM network.
“The end users subscribing to the GSM Pro service will not only enjoy the GSM Pro capabilities themselves, but also all the benefits that GSM technology brings, such as coverage, capacity, short message service (SMS), positioning, data and excellent voice services,” said Smedman.
The International Wireless Telecommunications Association (IWTA) estimates the combined Western and Eastern European markets for just PAMR services include about 170,000 users. Ericsson said Western Europe has about 7 million PAMR and PMR users, with Eastern Europe totalling almost 1 million users.
Carrier uptake
Ericsson has sold three European operators GSM Pro systems: Swisscom, Hungary’s Westel 900 and Lithuanian operator Bite GSM. Romanian operator Connex GSM last year had plans to introduce the service, but the company has indefinitely postponed its service introduction. According to Ruxandra Voda, Connex spokeswoman, the company will introduce the system in the future as a new service for its customers.
Westel 900 last year ordered GSM Pro network servers, dispatch consoles and R250s Pro handsets, and after a short experimental period, the operator began offering commercial GSM Pro services.
“One of the enormous advantages of the GSM Pro system is that the user doesn’t need investments in order to create his own network for using such communications services as group and circular calls, emergency calls or dispatch services,” said Andr s Sug r, Westel 900 chief executive officer.
The water management facilities of the Lower Tisza area, the Central Tisza area, northern Hungary and the K”r”s area are using the GSM Pro commercial service from Westel. The Civil Emergency Agency and the Central Special Ambulance Service use the system for performing flood control and emergency services.
Westel has also installed GSM Pro infrastructure in the regions of Toszeg, Tiszasully, Tiszajen” and Tiszaug and has provided GSM Pro handsets to the Hungarian Army, Knights of Malta and the local governments of several towns and villages.
Lithuanian operator Bite GSM launched commercial GSM Pro services in April, and many customers have ordered the service for a trial period.
“Industries like building management, courier services, transportation, gasoline and security-mainly big companies that have mobile working groups and need coverage throughout the country,” are subscribing to this service, said Saulius Kiskis, marketing director for Bite GSM.
Bite GSM promotes the new service mainly through direct mail, presentations and trials targeting potential user segments.
“The main benefit of GSM Pro for Bite is that there are not such products in the market, and it is a specific product that meets the special demand in some industries,” said Kiskis. “It is an additional tool to satisfy the needs of our large customers and provide full solutions to their needs.”
Neither Westel 900 nor Bite GSM would disclose current GSM Pro subscriber numbers.
Offering the new service to previous users of two-way radio systems could mean additional profit opportunities from increased airtime traffic for Eastern Europe’s mobile operators. The service is also a good alternative for users who do not wish to build out their own two-way radio infrastructure.
One big challenge to GSM Pro technology is the Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) standard, which also is targeted at the PAMR and PMR industries. In addition, GSM users expect small phones, and while the GSM Pro handsets are rugged, they are larger than regular GSM phones.
