Ericsson's Device and Network Testing Lab and RISE's (Research Institutes of Sweden) AstaZero testing infrastructure are now officially recognized as IOP-RTOs (Recognized Test Organizations) and can offer testing services to the industry. This was made possible through industry collaboration between GCF and TCCA members in the Critical Services Working Group (MCS-WS).
Vendors can now test their products in controlled environments with live 4G and 5G networks supporting mission-critical services, without having to test on live mission-critical networks that are at various stages of deployment worldwide. Interoperability testing provides an additional level of confidence to mission-critical communications operators seeking to acquire certified solutions for their services.
The MCS-WS, with significant support from Frequentis and Eviden, has been actively developing a testing scheme for MCS product certification to verify the functional interoperability of MCS clients and devices against various commercial MCS network servers over operational 4G and 5G private networks. All product manufacturers wishing to certify their MCS implementation must successfully pass both the conformance and interoperability tests to obtain GCF MCS certification.
Freddie Södergren, Director of Mission Critical Networks and Defense at Ericsson:
“The launch of interoperability testing for the GCF’s mission critical certification program marks a significant milestone for the entire public safety ecosystem. As one of the first testing organizations recognized by the GCF for MCS interoperability testing, Ericsson’s Devices and Networks Testing Lab is proud to help our customers validate that their MCS clients and devices meet both 3GPP standards and real-world interoperability requirements.”
Ultimately, the GCF certification program helps build a truly interoperable ecosystem, where devices, networks, and applications can connect and operate consistently under the most demanding conditions, supporting first responders and critical infrastructure operators with secure, reliable, and standards-based communications when it matters most.
Peter Janevik, CEO of RISE AstaZero Test Infrastructure: “We are proud to contribute to the advancement of interoperable MCS solutions alongside our industry partners. Looking ahead, we can now support our customers throughout their MCS compliance journey by providing knowledge transfer, GCF conformance testing, and now, GCF interoperability testing as well. This work also complements our broader focus on mission-critical communications, connected transport, and larger-scale, resilient systems-of-systems that rely on 3GPP connectivity.”
Charlotte Roesener, MCX Product and Technology Director at Frequentis: “This advancement is clear proof of the power of global collaboration. The rapid progress we are seeing highlights the industry’s shared commitment. IOP testing marks the next critical milestone in ensuring true interoperability between systems from different vendors.”
Markus Hofbauer, MCX Architecture Director at Frequentis: “Frequentis makes a significant contribution to MCS’s compliance and interoperability (IOP) activities, actively shaping the evolution of open ecosystems at the MCS application layer. Protecting customers’ long-term investments and preventing vendor lock-in are deeply ingrained in Frequentis’ philosophy.”
Christian Heinrich, Director of MCS CNI at Eviden, said: “The introduction of interoperability testing into the GCF’s mission-critical certification program is a key step toward building a truly open and reliable MCS ecosystem. At Eviden, we firmly believe that ensuring end-to-end interoperability between devices, networks, and applications is essential to supporting mission-critical users in real-world operational environments. Through our globally leading client MCX and our active contribution to the MCS working group, we remain committed to advancing standardized, secure, and resilient mission-critical communications for public safety and critical infrastructure operators worldwide.”
Ensuring the interoperability of mission-critical devices and networks is a vital part of GCF and TCCA to enable high-quality, reliable, and secure wireless communications worldwide. GCF's certification process, developed in close collaboration with TCCA, ensures that 5G/LTE broadband devices and mission-critical applications are interoperable with mission-critical networks and services. Collectively known as MCS, these applications include Mission-Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT), Mission-Critical Video (MCVideo), and Mission-Critical Data (MCData).
