NACHRICHTENTECHNIK

Gesellschaft m.b.H. Press Release

1120 Vienna, Wolfganggasse 58 – 60

Tel: +43/1/811 50-0; Fax -1319
marketing-group@frequentis.com
www.frequentis.com

Vienna, June 2002

Norway‘s coasts are safer now:

with high-tech solutions from Austria’s FREQUENTIS
Nachrichtentechnik GmbH

In addition to one of the largest fishing fleets in the world, commercial and leisure
shipping along the coast of Norway causes an enormous amount of voice and data
traffic. The Norwegian telecommunications company “Telenor Nett AS” therefore
selected, out of 12 applicants, the well-known high security communication and data
transmission system from the Austrian company FREQUENTIS Nachrichtentechnik
GmbH – and therefore chose the most modern coastal radio system in the world.

Nine manned coastal radio stations, which operate with more than 400 transmission and
reception systems, including those on the oil platforms, along the entire Norwegian coast,
have been equipped with the VCS 3020CR system (Voice and Data Communication System).
The greatest challenge was that of integrating fully GMDSS-compliant DSC functionalities –
including the ship database – with the FREQUENTIS voice and data communication system.
With the flexibility of the future-orientated system, it is now a simple matter to react to the
changing intensity in traffic volumes. The coastal radio provider can decide which of the 26
operator positions are responsible for specific traffic regions. In addition, the flexible, partial or
complete transfer of communication from one coastal radio station to another is possible and
open access to all radio stations in the network is guaranteed. In contrast to previous
solutions, all that is now needed is a single, multi-functional hardware unit. The system offers
commercial and safety services on VHF, MF and HF. Even data services such as DSC (Digital
Selective Call) and Navtex are fully integrated. Project leader Stefan Gottwald explained this
competitive advantage: “Almost all the VCS 3020CR components were developed and
integrated by us enabling our high quality level to be maintained throughout the whole system.
Besides that, the high level of integration makes it possible to smoothly operate all the system
functions even via a single terminal”. Operators can now communicate securely in a stress-
free workplace. In addition, the intuitive user interface ensures that the 26 operators
implement the right actions at the right time. In order to convert ergonomic requirements to
meet human needs, meetings were held with the users themselves to develop the human-
machine interface. This interface was then continuously improved by using a prototype

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software. The ship databases, DSC, the Routing Management Tool and Navtex were all
integrated based on Windows NT, providing even more user friendliness. This gives Telenor
an increase in efficiency of 30 percent.

The manual and automatic operation of the ship-coast communication, including cross
connection of radio communications with PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) is
another service offered by the redundant and failsafe FREQUENTIS solution. The system
allows the provider access to all possible functions in the system in order to meet its
obligations regarding monitoring of emergency channels via user friendly, multi-functional
operator positions. In addition, modifications, maintenance and software updates can be
implemented while the system is in operation.

Project management, impressive

The initial contact between Telenor Nett AS and FREQUENTIS occurred in 1998. During October 2001
and January 2002, Telenor representatives attended the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) in the
FREQUENTIS plant at Brunn am Gebirge. The normal Norwegian conditions under which the VCS
3020CR had to function were duplicated here as close to reality as possible. The control equipment from
the customer and the radio equipment from the real system were built up as a test environment so that the
radio traffic was simulated as realistically as possible. Telenor recognised that their expectations of the
system were greatly superseded even at just the test phase. And the well thought out and on-time activity
planning of the project made such a good impression that follow-up projects are expected.

Four systems have already been taken to Norway and installed there – on-site tests also went without a
hitch. The complete system will be up and running in July 2002. Then the Austrian high-tech system will
provide greater communication comfort and more safety in Norwegian waters.

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 NACHRICHTENTECHNIK
Gesellschaft m.b.H. Press Release

System Structure Description

Working positions:
Each of the 26 operator positions is connected to the voice and data communication system via duplicated
PCM30 links. Each user interface comprises one 15'' colour touchpanel and one 17'' database monitor.
The database consists of the ship database and the telephone shortlist. Billing data is also stored here and
prepared for export to the central billing database. Three speakers are located at each operator position.
Monitoring loudspeakers are located on the wall of the operator room, each of them representing several
freely configurable emergency or working channels.

Interfaces:
The FREQUENTIS voice and data communication system incorporates more than 400 interfaces to
different radios, to the PSTN and to a recording system. Based on predefined routing scenarios, access by
all 26 operator positions is possible to the complete radio infrastructure, including all remote control
functionalities, which can be operated via the touchpanels.

18 S2M Euro-ISDN Telephone Interfaces:

Each of them is equivalent to 30 telephone channels. The telephone number of the calling party or the
party called is not only indicated at the operator positions but is also automatically processed by the
database system for caller validation and billing.

517 Radio Interfaces

to VHF, MF and HF radio base stations and 9 voice logging machines.

26 Interfaces to the ship and billing database

The link to the database is decentralised to each operator working position via a serial interface.

9 database servers
One acts as the main database.

Several Remote Control Interfaces.

9 interfaces to the voice logging system

allowing instant replay of communication sequences for any radio channel to any operator position within
the network.

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1 interface to the central billing database.

9 Technical Monitoring and Control Systems (TMCS)

The task of the TMCS is the continuous monitoring of the complete system, the logging of system fault
states and the setting of system parameters.

1 Operational Monitoring and Control System (OMCS)

With the help of the OMCS, the status of the routing configuration of the entire voice and data
communication network can be monitored and the routing scenarios can be changed.

About Frequentis
For more information, please see: www.frequentis.com

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