London emergency responders during a staged simulation exercise. Photo: London Fire Brigade.

Thales and EchoStar Mobile, a subsidiary of EchoStar, announced that they are collaborating to develop mobile satellite voice and data services to meet the growing public safety needs of security forces and first responders dealing with emergency situations in France and throughout Europe.

According to the two companies, this collaboration will focus on developing end-to-end mobile satellite and terrestrial solutions for Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR), as well as the development of specialized mobile satellite and terrestrial terminals. The companies will also collaborate in the exploration and development of solutions to enhance the performance and robustness of PPDR connectivity using S-band spectrum, including a possible complementary ground component. The EchoStar 21 satellite, launched in June, is the core of EchoStar’s S-band mobile satellite network that covers Europe.