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MISSION CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS

When Every Millisecond
Determines Whether
Someone Lives or Dies.

MCX — Mission Critical Communications over LTE/5G — replaces narrowband TETRA/P25 radio with broadband push-to-talk, video, and data services. Built on 3GPP TS 22.280. Deployed for national police, interior ministries, and emergency services across the Middle East.

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MCX vs TETRA — HEAD-TO-HEAD

Parameter
TETRA
MCX/5G
Data Throughput
28 Kbps
1 Gbps
PTT Latency
>500ms
<150ms
Live Video
❌ None
✅ 4K HD
User Capacity
~150/cell
10,000+
Indoor Penetration
Limited
Deep (700MHz)
IoT Integration
❌ None
✅ Native

3GPP STANDARDS

Three MCX Services. One Unified Platform.

3GPP Release 13–16 defined three separate mission-critical service standards. HCT deploys all three on a single private 5G infrastructure — replacing separate TETRA, video, and data systems with a unified sovereign platform.

3GPP TS 22.280

MCPTT

Mission Critical Push-To-Talk

Replaces TETRA radio. Floor arbitration <150ms. Priority pre-emption for commanders. Late call entry. Group calls, direct mode, and broadcast. QCI 65/66 guaranteed bit-rate bearers. Interworks with TETRA via gateway.

Floor arbitration <150msPriority pre-emptionTETRA interop

3GPP TS 22.281

MCVideo

Mission Critical Video

Live body camera streaming to command centre. HD/4K quality. Off-network direct video. Group video calls between tactical units. Real-time situational awareness from drones, fixed cameras, and handheld devices. QCI 69 guaranteed bearers.

4K body cam live streamDrone feed integrationQCI 69 GBR

3GPP TS 22.282

MCData

Mission Critical Data

Secure messaging, file transfer, and database access for field units. CAD/dispatch system integration. Incident report filing from the field. Biometric data transmission. SDS (Short Data Service) as TETRA replacement. Group data sharing with priority access.

CAD integrationBiometric dataTETRA SDS migration

MCX Deployed Across Every Public Safety Vertical

Police & Law Enforcement

Body cam streaming. Pursuit coordination. Tactical unit MCPTT. AI-dispatch integration. Arrest warrant data access in field. Facial recognition feed from AI cameras.

Fire & Civil Defence

Building plan access inside burning structure. Thermal camera feeds. Accountability tracking. Air quality sensor data. Medevac coordination. Priority access over public networks.

Emergency Medical Services

Patient vitals telemetry to hospital. Live video from ambulance to ER. Coordinated dispatch. Medical records access in field. Pre-hospital triage with physician video consult.

Critical Infrastructure

Utility field crew switching coordination. O&G emergency response. Border force communications. Airport security coordination. Military base operations.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is MCX?

MCX is the 3GPP family of mission critical services: MCPTT for push-to-talk voice, MCVideo for real-time video and MCData for messaging and data. It brings mission critical behaviour, including sub-second call setup and pre-emptive priority, onto LTE and 5G networks.

Should we migrate from TETRA to MCX?

TETRA remains reliable for narrowband voice but cannot carry video or high-volume data. Most authorities migrate in phases, keeping TETRA voice while moving broadband applications to MCX. HCT Group deploys both and manages the migration, and has delivered mission critical communications since 2006.

Does push-to-talk over 5G match TETRA call setup speed?

Yes. MCPTT is specified for sub-second call setup with pre-emption and priority, matching the operational behaviour users expect from TETRA while adding broadband capability.

Who uses mission critical communications from HCT Group?

Yemeni first responders and police, utilities, oil and gas operations and industrial sites, including a national police deployment referenced at 17,000 officers.