Emergency communications leaves Rakel and takes the next secure step

The current communication system for emergency services, Rakel, has been in use since 2006 and is well established. However, the system focuses on voice communication and does not have modern support for sending messages via apps or video from drones, which is what emergency services need today.

Time for systems that can transmit data and video

That's why a new system, Swen, is being introduced that can transmit data and video as well as voice. Swen stands for The Swedish Emergency Network.

"With systems that are supposed to be very reliable, you can't have a phase where they don't work. Everything has to work right away, so you have to supplement that with testing to find any bugs before you put the systems into service. "Everything you use to give the ambulance a route, for example, has to be compatible – such as phones, drones and apps," says Peter Janevik, CEO of the AstaZero test and demonstration facility at RISE.

Parallel systems

Rakel's current users will also have to adapt their own systems and analyse what they want to get out of the new communication system.

"This requires new standards and new ways of thinking. For example, how to configure base stations for 5G, or how to ensure that a device from one company can communicate with devices from other companies," says Peter Janevik.

In the timetable from MSB, the Swedish Civil Defence Agency, 2025-2027 is dedicated to construction, testing and evaluation. In 2028, Swen will become operational, while Rakel will continue to be the basis for operations. After evaluation, there will be a transition period of two years during which Rakel and Swen will be used in parallel. The aim is that everyone currently using Rakel will have switched to Swen by 2030.

The new system uses the commercial mobile networks, and one of the MSB's requirements is that it must be possible to prioritise traffic for emergency communications in the event of major events, major accidents or terrorist attacks.

Security is central to the procurement of new equipment, and the MSB imposes strict suitability requirements on external partners.

Other requirements for the new system are that the mobile terminals must be able to withstand the Nordic weather conditions and that there must be physical buttons for alarm calls.

Possible cooperation with other countries

Swen will provide new opportunities for police and emergency services in different countries to work together.

"This is a unique opportunity for police forces in Europe, for example, to communicate with each other because the new system is based on 5G technology that everyone has access to," says Janevik.

Other sectors, such as logistics companies and ports, are also expected to want to use systems based on similar technology.

Having the expertise to test

Before new equipment and applications can be approved by the MSB, they need to be tested. RISE contributes to this through its expertise at AstaZero, but also through other test and demonstration facilities within RISE.

"The EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) facility provides component-level test facilities where you can see if the equipment meets the requirements. And at AstaZero's test track outside Gothenburg, we can then test that the entire networks work as intended, because we can configure our networks as if they were MSB's networks," says Peter Janevik.