Orangea subsidiary of the MasOrange telecommunications operator group, has deployed a 5G Stand Alone (SA) tactical bubble for the Madrid City Council, a private 5G network which will allow the Security and Emergency Corps to communicate reliably, safely and effectively, even in critical situations such as natural disasters or fires.
This new network, one of the first in Europe, represents progress in the digitalization of critical communications in essential services because this type of 5G SA network guarantees high availability, low latency and maximum security communications. The solution is based on the existing network and is reinforced, when necessary, through mobile units with satellite connectivity. These are capable of maintaining service even if the base stations have been destroyed by fire.
The collaboration between Orange and the Madrid City Council has been carried out through a public tender in which the technical capacity of the operator has been taken into account. The project, supported by technological partners such as Ericsson and Nemergent Solutions, specialists in secure communications and private network management, has been financed by Next Generation funds of the European Union managed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Public Service, within the framework of the modernization and digitalization initiatives of public services.
This initiative, a benchmark in the use of 5G technologies to manage emergencies, opens the door to future applications in urban mobility, civil protection and large events. Orange’s solution, which allows communications to be maintained even in large fires, allows communications to be quickly reestablished in the event of a disaster, with rapid intervention vehicles equipped with 5G SA technology and satellite connectivity.
In this way, the operation of emergency services is ensured in any scenario. These vehicles, in addition to operating on commercial frequencies, include bands reserved for emergencies (B68), which guarantees an exclusive channel for security forces, even in situations where there is high network congestion.
The private 5G network deployed in Madrid uses the 700MHZ (n28) and 3.5 GHz (n78) bands, and incorporates advanced functions, such as network slicing and emergency traffic prioritization. This allows both the municipal police and the Saur and the City Hall firefighters to maintain their critical communications even in mass events or extreme emergency situations.
Thus, for example, firefighters will be able to retransmit video in real time from the cameras of their helmets or vehicles, which would allow the command center to receive live images of interiors affected by fires or areas that are difficult to access and would facilitate immediate risk assessment, location of victims and critical decision making for the safety of personnel and the efficiency of rescues.
In addition, the low latency and high availability of the network ensure that audiovisual communication is not interrupted, even in situations of high congestion or damaged infrastructure. The infrastructure already contemplates, and will also eventually make effective, the remote control of drones in BVLOS operations, which are those that occur beyond the visual range of the pilot.
In this way, it will be possible to broadcast video in real time from areas that are difficult to access. For example, during a fire. This improves quick decision making in the field.
This solution that has been deployed in Madrid can be replicated in other autonomous communities and regions, with the aim of solving the difficulties posed by the lack of coverage and connectivity, especially in sparsely inhabited areas or in rural populations. Its rapid deployment capacity and satellite connectivity can be key to improving response to forest fires, rescues or natural disasters.
Director General B2B in MasOrangehighlighted about the project that «marks a milestone in the modernization of emergency services in Spain since it guarantees secure and uninterrupted communications in the most demanding scenarios and places Madrid at the European forefront in innovation at the service of citizen security. “We are committed to offering robust, scalable solutions prepared to save lives, thus reinforcing our role as a strategic ally of public administrations.”
