During the initial pilot phase, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and Telefónica have chosen the Crosscall Core-X5 smartphone to test communication capabilities on the new SIRDEE network. 

This effort involves select State security forces and bodies. In collaboration with Crosscall, this project aims to transition the SIRDEE (Integrated State Emergency Radiocommunications System) network to LTE technology. The primary objective is to enhance the communication capabilities of network users, enabling new functionalities such as the transmission of images and videos in group communications.

As part of the project’s initial pilot phase, Telefónica has provided a select group of State Security Forces (FCSE) with Crosscall Core-X5 smartphones. Supported by cutting-edge communication technologies, these devices will improve mission coordination and ensure operability under all conditions.

María Jesús Tamayo, Country Manager Iberia at Crosscall, stated, “As part of our strategy to innovate in mission-critical communication environments, Crosscall is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Ministry of the Interior and Telefónica on this groundbreaking project, contributing our expertise and technical capabilities.”

SIRDEE Network

Operational since 2000, the SIRDEE emergency network primarily serves the National Police and the Civil Guard. It is based on narrowband TETRAPOL technology, which, despite its high reliability, limits advanced use cases beyond secure voice communications.

Telefónica, the holder of the SIRDEE Contract, is leading the initiative to deploy a new private SIRDEE network as requested by the Ministry of the Interior. This modernization seeks to enhance critical communications and leverage new technologies, allowing the FCSE to share real-time data (images, videos, geolocation) and benefit from the broadband ecosystem's operational advantages.

Key Technology: eMBMS

A crucial technology in this project is eMBMS (Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service), which optimizes the use of the 3MHz dedicated to public safety in band 28. The SIRDEE broadband service is pioneering the operational implementation of eMBMS technology to maximize radio resource efficiency. This "point-to-multipoint" communication technology has been integrated into devices since the project's initial proof-of-concept trials, ensuring optimal bandwidth usage and high-quality audio/video broadcasts.

Integration of Private and Public Networks

The new private SIRDEE network will be gradually deployed, with the public network also in use where the private network is out of coverage. This adds complexity to the project, requiring seamless connectivity transfers between SIMs in minimal time.

In collaboration with Telefónica and other partners, the devices have developed an ad-hoc solution to quickly switch between the private network using eMBMS and the public network using unicast, ensuring continuous video or audio streaming during the transition.