At the Critical Communication World event, Crosscall was awarded the “Best MCX Product of the Year” prize for its CORE-Z5 smartphone. This global award highlights Crosscall’s expertise in designing critical communication solutions and its ability to develop innovative products that meet the needs of public and private security professionals.
AN INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR CROSSCALL ITS CORE-Z5
Each year, Critical Communication World (CCW) brings together end users of critical communication systems, manufacturers, and suppliers for three days of inspiration, knowledge, and connections. This must-attend industry event is organized by the TCCA (The Critical Communication Association), whose mission is to develop and promote standardized critical communications solutions worldwide.
On this occasion, the TCCA organizes the International Critical Communication Awards (ICCA), a ceremony that recognizes the most innovative initiatives and products at the international level.
This year, Crosscall, the French manufacturer, stood out with its CORE-Z5 smartphone, which won the “Best MCX Product of the Year” award. This award highlights Crosscall’s expertise in designing MCX products—a new standard defined by the 3GPP that operates on 4G and 5G LTE networks, where “X” represents various mission-critical (MC) services such as PTT (push-to-talk, i.e., voice), data, video, and other services. The CORE-Z5 thus recognized at the highest level by industry professionals as a solution that meets their current and future needs.
CRITICAL COMMUNICATION: A SECTOR IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE
The world of critical communications is undergoing a major transformation. Until now, technologies equivalent to 2G have been the primary ones used in the public safety sector: TETRA, ACROPOL, TETRAPOL, P25… These technologies enable communication over private mobile networks known as PMR (Private Mobile Radio), which are independent and distinct from public mobile networks. These technologies are set to be replaced by new private networks operating on 4G and 5G networks. As a result, older portable communication devices will gradually be replaced by more modern ones. The smartphone will thus become the ideal tool for law enforcement, enabling them to access entirely new features, improve operational efficiency in the field, and achieve interoperability. In fact, in addition to voice communications, they will now be able to share data, photos, videos, and even real-time location information simultaneously with multiple people.
Nevertheless, compatibility with private networks and priority access to them remain essential for making a smartphone an MCX tool. To achieve this, smartphones must be compatible with certain specific frequency bands. This is expertise that Crosscall has developed in recent years, enabling the company, in a technological partnership with Qualcomm, to develop the CORE-Z5—the world’s first smartphone compatible with Band 68, a frequency band dedicated to public safety in most European countries. This innovation now allows the French manufacturer to stand out and receive international recognition.
"We are very proud to receive this award. It recognizes the work carried out over several years by our product development and software teams. This is a major achievement for Crosscall and recognition at the highest level, confirming our expertise in the critical communications sector."
Nicolas Zibell, CEO of Crosscall.
CROSSCALL, EUROPEAN SPECIALIST IN CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS
Crosscall has demonstrated its expertise in the critical communications sector by developing innovative products and solutions and providing professionals with solutions that meet their specific needs. The manufacturer is also helping to drive the sector forward by working on international projects such as Broadway, which aims to define, develop, and test next-generation critical communications solutions for public safety organizations across Europe.
Crosscall is one of the first manufacturers to work on supporting eMBMS (evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services), which enables point-to-multipoint content distribution. With this technology, multiple devices can receive information that the antenna sends to everyone instead of receiving this information separately.
Support for this feature complements that of Band 68. This band has a bandwidth of 5 MHz, which may be insufficient to support multiple video streams shared among several people in the event of major events or crises.
As a result, public safety forces will be better connected in the future. They will be equipped with smartphones and specialized accessories that enable them to manage all their operations from anywhere, more quickly and while minimizing risks in the field. This is a key aspect of ensuring public safety, particularly at major events where Crosscall and its products play a direct role. During COP 27, which took place in Dubai at the end of 2023, Crosscall helped ensure the smooth operation and safety of participants at this international event bringing together 196 nations to address the issue of climate change. The critical communication system put in place, relying on Crosscall’s reliable and durable devices, facilitated the coordination of the units involved and the management of incidents during these crucial days. This real-world experience will benefit the French Ministry of the Interior during another major event, the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Crosscall devices will support police officers and gendarmes mobilized to ensure a festive and safe Games for the public. This solution, which replaces conventional radios, offers officers better network quality and communication continuity, and relies on a smartphone and X-COMM remote microphone, tailored to their operational needs.