HIT-GATE

Heterogeneous Interoperable Transportable GATEway for First-Responders

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The HIT-GATE Consortium goal is to develop a generic gateway that allows communications across networks currently used by first responders in Europe. It is well known that, all over Europe, current first-responder networks use a large number of different and incompatible technologies therefore compromising efficient coordination of combined operations (such as cross-border or crisis management). It is also known that European organizations dealing with public-safety have invested in dedicated critical systems (to ensure high-availability and reliability). This includes dedicated networks of, among others, PMR (Professional Mobile Radio) and, more specifically, TETRA (TErrestrial Trunked RAdio). Moreover, with the fast development of communications technologies, new capabilities and opportunities are being adopted and exploited by early-adopters FRs, such as ad-hoc mesh broadband networks, able to provide and/or extend connectivity over affected areas (e.g., underground and destroyed area) and to deliver high data throughput (higher than 5Mbps)

Therefore, to answer FRs needs, HIT-GATE will be developed to support a mix of technologies used today by organizations involved in Public-Safety, ranging from legacy-PMR, TETRA to next-generation networks. In this way, organizations may keep their existing systems and/or adopt novel technologies, since the proposed HIT-GATE solution is future proof and ensures communications interoperability between the networks (limited, of course, to the limitations in capabilities of each network). HIT-GATE will also enable communications across heterogeneous networks between first responders during operations. By connecting HIT-GATE to their networks, FRs may continue to use their current receiver equipments, communications base-stations and communications infrastructures.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

An EU team is developing an interface for the various communication technologies of Europe's many crisis response services. The proposed system allows interoperability, and the team has so far produced a prototype architecture.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

European emergency services use numerous incompatible communication technologies, making trans-border cooperation difficult. Furthermore, the respective agencies have already invested heavily and may be reluctant to help fund a new pan-European system.

The answer is a gateway system, allowing the agencies to continue using existing equipment yet achieve full interoperability with other organisations. The EU-funded http://www.hit-gate.eu (HIT-GATE) (Heterogeneous interoperable transportable gateway for first-responders) project planned to develop such a system. The proposal was intended to seamlessly support a long list of legacy technologies, while also being able to accommodate future systems. The 11-member consortium ran between February 2012 and July 2014.

Development began with an analysis of existing materials on first-responder operations, scenarios and exercises. Results focused on interoperability issues, including legal, operational and technical. Assessment included hardware components.

The team proceeded to specify the first version of a high-level system architecture, of the TISPAN type. The architecture was compliant with LTE network architecture and suitable as a plugin for current 4G LTE networks.

HIT-GATE also made preparations for a demonstration phase, scheduled to have begun during the second reporting period.

The project yielded a gateway system for allowing legacy emergency communication networks to smoothly work together.