Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs awards SAIT contract for maintaining walkie-talkie networks.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BZ) is responsible for coordinating and implementing Dutch foreign policy. In this, BZ is the hub for communication between the Dutch government and governments in other countries. To this end, BZ uses an extensive network of embassies, permanent representations and consulates general abroad.

SITUATION

To perform these tasks, it is crucial for BZ staff to be able to communicate anytime, anywhere. The communication networks available per country are not always sufficient for this purpose. Therefore, they can also use a -private- walkie-talkie network at a number of locations. For the purpose of maintaining this, BZ has seen fit to issue a new tender for the provision of consultancy, installation, implementation and maintenance services, including associated equipment, for walkie-talkie networks. Place of performance: worldwide.

CHALLENGE

The mentioned network of representations is located in very different locations, where conditions are quite different. BZ therefore places high demands on the implementation partner in terms of knowledge and flexibility. To test this, a large part of the tender therefore consisted of working out a number of fictitious cases in all kinds of situations, from fitting a mobile phone in a car to installing a network consisting of several linked repeaters.

SOLUTION

By far the most important thing when filling these situations is to make a good assessment of the situation on site beforehand for each sub-assignment. Depending on the possibilities, SAIT, in collaboration with BZ, issues a tailor-made advice per location with regard to:

  • Propagation. What are the consequences of placing a transmitter, repeater or antenna somewhere? To where does the range extend in such a situation? Knowledge of the properties of the resources in relation to the environment in which it is used is crucial here.
  • The resources used. Which repeaters are suitable in this situation? Is a digital walkie-talkie system preferred or still an analogue system? Which mobiles give the best results?
  • Linking with other systems. Is there the possibility to link to, for example, the GSM network, another (EU) walkie-talkie network or the satellite network?
  • Preparation and transport. Where will the entire setup be built and how will it be transported to the location?

Once approved, this advice is also carried out by SAIT and installed and maintained on site by experienced and specially trained people.

SUMMARY

Given the challenging issues, BZ was looking for a partner with in-depth knowledge of the use of different communication tools in specific situations, in relation to its environment. Core values it was looking for in a partner were: flexibility, knowledge and experience. Years of experience combined with its track record as a supplier of communication tools for police, fire brigade and ambulance makes SAIT a good partner for BZ.

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