Broadband Push-to-talk Interoperability Platform (SBIR DHS221-004)

Broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT) services are offered by a diverse group of vendors and are being used on multiple cellular carriers in the US and internationally. These PTT services provide important communications tools for the first responder community during public safety incidents and events. U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) governments are using different PTT services which can result in obstacles to interoperable communications, which can in turn endanger life and property. This Phase II project continues our Phase I research and creates a prototype solution that will combine these diverse communication platforms while maintaining critical meta data that is needed to insure that first responders maintain interoperable communications during critical incidents and planned events, while protecting the confidentiality of that information. It implements an approach that mitigates conflicting commercial interests from various companies that have created and offer these disparate services and can be quickly brought to market. Upon the completion of this Phase II, Catalyst Communications Technologies, www.catcomtec.com, plans to commercialize this solution.Catalyst is a leader in the Mission Critical Communications industry and will leverage its extensive technology and expertise creating commercial products for SLTT agencies to expediently provide solutions to this pressing problem.