Southern Linc Taps Ericsson to enable mission critical push-to-talk service

Southern Linc has selected Ericsson to provide its customers – utilities, first responders, public sector entities and businesses needing highly reliable communications – the next-generation of Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) communications equipment, designed to work in the most demanding situations.

"When first responders are out in the field, seconds matter, and reliable communications can be a life-or-death issue," said Tami Barron, president and CEO of Southern Linc. "Ericsson has been a trusted partner of ours, and this solution gives our customers reliable push-to-talk services that help those dedicated to protecting and serving others."

Ericsson Group Radio MCPTT will be deployed on Southern Linc's LTE network, providing a comprehensive and dependable solution for their customers. Group Radio MCPTT will feature Multicast over eMBMS to support very large talk groups in limited geographical areas, as well as comprehensive user and service management capabilities to facilitate controlled group communication within and across large end user organizations.

MCPTT is a key component in mission-critical LTE networks and an important complement to existing Land Mobile Radio. To meet mission-critical requirements, Group Radio MCPTT is one of the cornerstones in Ericsson's overall end-to-end mission-critical communications offering.

"Mission critical push-to-talk is an important part of Ericsson's portfolio and demonstrates our committment to those whose job it is to keep us safe," said Rob Johnson, Head of Customer Unit Regional Carriers for Ericsson North America. "As a trusted partner to operators and governments around the world, our technologies ensure mobile-network services can be prioritized in critical times."

Being the sole provider of Southern Linc's LTE (Long Term Evolution)/EPC (Evolved Packet Core), IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), eMBMS (Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service) and 4G RAN (Radio Access Network), Ericsson will be able to assist Southern Linc to accomplish an optimal end-to-end mission-critical push-to-talk service.

Ericsson's proven track record, together with its ability to provide a "one-stop shop" for a mission-critical communications solution, were important criteria when issuing the award for MCPTT.

The contract includes an MCPTT solution that will evolve over time to cater for new capabilities, including the eventual transition to 5G networks.