TCCA News
Fourth ETSI MCX Plugtests conclude
The fourth ETSI MCX Plugtests event,
which began preparation in April,
carried out remote testing during
the summer and concluded with a fi ve-day
face-to-face session at the end of September in
Kuopio, Finland at the Savonia University of
Applied Sciences, has fi nished.
It achieved a 95 per cent success rate in the
validation of 3GPP mission-critical services
vendor operability, up slightly from the 92 per
cent reported for the second and third events
in the series (the latter took place remotely).
Th e ETSI MCX (the collective term for
MCPTT, MCVideo and MCData services)
Plugtests event programme works to ensure
seamless access to mission-critical services
over 4G networks across diff erent vendors’
products and implementations. Observations
from the events provide essential feedback to
3GPP Working Groups as work continues on
mission-critical communication specifi cations,
allowing any areas of ambiguity to be
addressed thereby reducing the chance that
a vendor will implement a 3GPP-defi ned
function in a diff erent way from its peers –
though it should be noted that the high success
rate points to the already high-quality nature of
the standards in this regard.
Th e tests were based on 3GPP Release 14
and vendors carried out more than 1,800
tests between them across more than 210
sessions. Th e observers created scenarios, which
will be added to the Test Specifi cation ETSI
TS 103 564 – the updated version will be
published following its approval by the ETSI
Technical Committee TETRA and Critical
Communications Evolution.
In addition to MCX application servers
and clients, user equipment, LTE networks
with eNodeBs, evolved packet core, IMS (IP
multimedia system) and eMBMS (evolved
multimedia broadcast multicast services)
components were tested. Testing of fl oor
control, affi liation, mission-critical bearers
handling, multicast and server-to-server
communication also took place.
ETSI organised the event with Erillisverkot
(State Security Networks Group Finland) and
with the support of TCCA and the European
Commission. ETSI has started organising the
fi fth MCX Plugtests event and is discussing
venues and dates with potential hosts.
TCCA Young Engineer winner to attend WE19
TCCA’s Young Engineer of the Year,
Angelene Koid from Motorola Solutions
Penang research and development
centre in Malaysia, will attend a major
conference in the US as a result of her
success in the 2019 International Critical
Communications Awards (ICCAs).
TCCA’s Young Engineer of the Year
award is given to an individual who
embodies the skills, insight and personal
qualities that will help drive our industry
forward. Recognised by the judges both
for her technical achievements as well
as strong leadership skills, Koid is using
the funds awarded by TCCA to help
her attend WE19 – the world’s largest
conference for women engineers, run
by the Society of Women Engineers.
The event takes place in California
in November. Koid’s visit will also be
supported by Motorola Solutions.
“I believe this will be a great networking
opportunity, and will enable me to
listen and learn from experiences from
women engineers around the world,”
said Koid. “A key part of my role at
Motorola Solutions is to train and nurture
new women engineers in the fi eld and
I am hopeful that this recognition will
further encourage women to enter the
engineering profession.”
“We are delighted that Angelene’s
remarkable work has been recognised on
the international stage,” said Tony Gray,
TCCA chief executive. “It is essential that
new young talent becomes involved in
critical communications, and Angelene
is an inspiration to anyone considering a
career in engineering.”
Koid’s career began under the
Graduate Training Programme with
Motorola Solutions in 2013. Initially placed
in an established team developing DMR,
she was chosen as part of a new team
to develop TETRA radios. Koid has been
instrumental in helping the team grow
from just three support engineers to 120.
She is the technical lead and feature
architect for several features in her team,
including the Norway-Sweden common
cross-border feature that won an ICCA
award in 2018. Koid is the key subject
matter expert in the areas of mobility
management and signalling and is also
the key liaison architect for Motorola
Solutions Penang for standardisation
and certifi cation issues. She is now
recognised as one of the key software
architects for the team and has published
several technical papers.
The 2020 ICCAs will be held on 17
June during Critical Communications
World in Madrid.
October 2019 @CritCommsToday 9