Vodafone & Airbus Cut Mission-Critical Risks by 25%
Vodafone Business and Airbus Public Safety and Security, an Airbus Defence and Space division, have entered a strategic multi-year partnership to deliver a new class of secure critical communications services. The collaboration aims to support governments, businesses and industries operating in mission-critical European environments and global expansion plans are already in place.
Enabling secure collaboration for mission-critical operations
The newly launched solution integrates voice, instant messaging, video streaming and real-time location services to create a secure collaborative network.
By seamlessly connecting large groups of mobile users with control rooms, the service enhances worker productivity and operational safety across a range of industries, including energy, transportation, utilities and national infrastructure management.
For field personnel, the benefits are immediately practical. Workers can instantly transmit 360-degree video footage of incidents or securely share vital data with emergency services. It significantly improves situational awareness, enabling security teams and first responders to better assess and react to unfolding scenarios.
Furthermore, features such as group communication feeds and an automated lifeguard alert function, which triggers notifications if a worker falls or encounters danger, provide an additional layer of safety for personnel operating in hazardous environments.
Combining strengths: public and private networks with secure cloud solutions
The solution showcased at Critical Communications World in Brussels combines Vodafone’s extensive public and private 4G/5G mobile and fixed network infrastructure with Airbus’s Agnet secure cloud-based critical communications platform.
The result is a highly reliable, converged platform offering instant collaboration and robust connectivity for industries where operational uptime and rapid team coordination are paramount.
Speaking on the partnership, Marika Auramo, CEO of Vodafone Business, stated: “Our role is to connect employees with maintaining critical infrastructure like power stations and airports, ensuring productivity and public safety.
"Vodafone’s partnership with Airbus means we can help customers counter increased threats, meet demand and manage costs with mission-critical digital connectivity and market-leading software solutions.”
Olivier Koczan, Head of Public Safety and Security at Airbus Defence and Space, added: “This partnership brings together the best of both worlds: Airbus’s secure critical communications platform, Agnet and Vodafone’s expansive network capabilities.
"Our joint offering will empower European teams with reliable, feature-rich tools for enhanced collaboration and security in demanding environments.”
Powered by 3GPP standards and designed for operational interoperability
Built on the latest 3GPP industry standards, the solution ensures interoperability between various teams, organisations and emergency services. Responder units can share live video streams, drone footage and geo-tagged information directly from smartphones or rugged devices in real-time.
Supervisors in the field benefit from live mapping capabilities, allowing for dynamic oversight of personnel and mission-critical assets.
The level of real-time coordination is particularly valuable for government agencies, energy providers, airports, transportation hubs and national events that require synchronised efforts across multiple stakeholders.
Extending coverage with direct-to-mobile satellite connectivity
Vodafone’s deployment strategy includes leveraging low-earth orbit (LEO) direct-to-mobile satellites, ensuring connectivity even in remote or maritime locations traditionally underserved by terrestrial networks. The capability provides organisations unprecedented geographic coverage for mission-critical communications, ensuring that operational teams remain connected wherever they are deployed.
Flexible SaaS model for rapid deployment
Following successful proof-of-concept trials in Ireland and the UK, Vodafone customers will access Airbus’s Agnet platform via a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) model, available on Vodafone’s digital marketplace starting in 2025. The flexible model allows organisations to rapidly scale the service according to evolving operational needs, adding or reconfiguring user groups in response to incidents or changing missions.
- Vodafone Business collaborative worker with Airbus – providing secure push-to-talk, messaging, and collaboration tools for standard smartphones.
- Vodafone business collaborative and safe worker with Airbus – adding video, emergency call functionality, and real-time location tracking for environments with heightened safety requirements.
Initially launching across Europe with Germany as the first market, the service will gradually expand to additional territories.
Vodafone will offer dedicated managed connectivity solutions, including Mobile Private Networks (MPNs) for enhanced security and remote device management services to ensure device integrity. The solution supports iOS and selected Android smartphones and specially adapted rugged devices for use in more extreme environments.
By merging Vodafone’s connectivity leadership with Airbus’s critical communications expertise, the partnership sets a new benchmark for secure, scalable and interoperable mission-critical communications across Europe and beyond.
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