ExCel London – 18 June 2026, RugGear, a global leader in rugged mobile devices with manufacturing and operations in Germany, has officially joined the established partnership between Vodafone and Airbus Public Safety and Security, strengthening the delivery of next-generation mission-critical communications across Europe.

The collaboration brings together three complementary capabilities to support emergency services, public safety organisations, and critical industries including transport, energy, utilities, and infrastructure operators.

Through this enhanced partnership, Vodafone will deliver a bundled mission-critical solution combining its advanced Mission Critical Communications (MCX) service with Airbus’s secure collaboration platform Agnet, alongside RugGear’s purpose-built rugged devices designed for extreme operational environments.

MCX enables prioritised voice, messaging, and data over 4G and 5G networks, with future support for direct-to-device satellite connectivity. Airbus Agnet provides secure group communication and real-time collaboration between field teams and control rooms, including live video streaming, situational awareness tools, and operational coordination capabilities.

RugGear’s 3GPP-standard devices are purpose-built for frontline operations, combining military-grade ruggedness with long battery life and advanced Qualcomm chipsets. They support mission-critical functions including MCPTT, MCData and MCVideo. Engineered for demanding environments, these devices deliver reliable and consistent performance in conditions where conventional radio and consumer smartphones are not suitable.

Marika Auramo, CEO of Vodafone Business, said:“Together with Airbus and RugGear, we can provide organisations a complete mission-critical communications solution, combining secure, resilient connectivity, collaborative applications and rugged devices. This helps customers protect their people and the public, whether they are operating critical infrastructure, first responders or managing major transport hubs.”

Maverick Chen, President of RugGear, said:"Our rugged and durable devices harness the power of 4G and 5G networks to deliver safe, reliable and efficient mission-critical communications. Together with Vodafone and Airbus, we ensure frontline teams can fully leverage Vodafone's MCx prioritization and Airbus's secure collaboration layers in the most demanding real-world scenarios."

Unveiled at Critical Communications World (CCW) 2026 in London, the expanded partnership builds on the existing Vodafone–Airbus collaboration announced last year. Organisations, including governments, airports, transport operators, energy providers, and essential utilities will be able to access the integrated solution via Vodafone’s digital marketplace.

Three Core Components of the Solution:

• Secure Mission-Critical Connectivity (MCx): Built on global 3GPP standards, enabling prioritised and encrypted voice, messaging, and video communications for emergency response teams.

• Secure Collaboration via Airbus Agnet: Real-time communication between field teams and command centres, enabling live situational awareness through video and data sharing.

• Rugged MCX Ready Devices: RugGear devices certified to military-grade standards, enabling reliable operation in extreme conditions with integrated mission-critical features.

By combining secure connectivity, intelligent collaboration, and ultra-durable hardware, Vodafone, Airbus, and RugGear are enabling a new standard for mission-critical communications across Europe—supporting faster response, improved safety, and enhanced operational resilience.