Responsibility for building and operating Norway’s nationwide TETRA network, Nødnett (‘Emergency Network’, featured in Issue 5 of TETRA TODAY), is to be transferred at the end of February 2012 from Nokia Siemens Networks to Motorola Solutions.

Nødnett is a multi-agency digital radio communication system owned by a Norwegian government body, (DNK, the Directorate for Emergency Communication), which is responsible to the Ministry of Justice.

After an extended trial in the Oslo region, Norway’s parliament voted last June to expand Nødnett to full national coverage by the end of 2015 – an ambitious programme calling for a total of around 2000 base stations. The project is the first to have TEDS advanced wireless data services written into its specification.

Hitherto, Motorola has been the supplier of the core TETRA infrastructure for Nødnett, but it will now also become the prime contractor, providing all managed services for the rollout and implementation of the system.

‘Positive change’

“The process leading up to change of turnkey supplier has been going on for a long time”, commented Tor Helge Lyngstøl, director of DNK. “In this period there has naturally been uncertainty about who will be our contract partner for the years to come. We are now very satisfied that this agreement between NSN and Motorola Solutions has been signed, as it will bring clarity in the vendor situation.

“We regard the change as a positive change. Mission-critical radio solutions are a core area for Motorola, and we are therefore pleased that Motorola’s role in the project is being expanded. Motorola has been a key supplier of the core technology in the Nødnett Project from Day One. This change of contractor therefore entails few changes for the Norwegian government.

“It is important for DNK that the change of contractor does not have a negative effect of the rollout, implementation and operation of Nødnett. Motorola is already an experienced part of the Nødnett project, and has together with NSN and DNK participated in the planning of the rollout of Nødnett.”

‘Best fit’

Esa Harju, of Nokia Siemens Networks, said of Motorola Solutions: “We believe it has the best fit to take over responsibility for the Nødnett project, as Nokia Siemens Networks continues to build a sharper focus on its new strategy around mobile broadband with leading commercial operators. We believe that working with a leading TETRA technology supplier will also benefit the overall project, and offer excellent opportunities for employees working on it.”

• Picture: Tor Helge Lyngstøl, director of DNK: “We regard the change as a positive change”, he said