By Police1 Staff
NEW YORK — Verizon Frontline today introduced a nearly 30-foot trailer that can serve as a private 5G standalone (or non-standalone) network that can be managed locally from within the trailer.
Named THOR’s (Tactical Humanitarian Operations Response) Hammer, the trailer was built to leverage the network and technology of Verizon Frontline, including Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband (UW), along with additional applications and advanced computing solutions, such as network slicing capabilities.
THOR’s Hammer was built to operate independently or in tandem with THOR, a rapid response command center vehicle. THOR could be used to extend THOR’s Hammer’s 5G standalone capabilities into areas the trailer can’t reach. For example, THOR’s Hammer could be positioned at an emergency operations center while THOR moves deep into a forest during a wildfire response effort.
THOR’s Hammer will incorporate mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT), land mobile radio (LMR) and private mobile edge compute (MEC) capabilities. Further, its 5G standalone core could enable applications requiring near-real time responsiveness, such as extended reality (XR) training or 3D mapping.
“THOR’s Hammer is yet another demonstration of Verizon Frontline’s commitment to partnering with first responders to understand and meet their evolving needs through innovative solutions that leverage the speed, reliability and security of our network,” said Maggie Hallbach, Senior Vice President of Verizon Public Sector. “We have worked side-by-side with first responders on the front lines for decades to ensure they have the communications technology they need to achieve their mission and THOR’s Hammer can now help enable game-changing capabilities for public safety agencies as they work to protect our communities during times of crisis and beyond.”
Srini Kalapala, Senior Vice President of Technology and Product Development at Verizon, added: “Verizon’s most-awarded networks provide the resilience, reliability and security that first responders need when it matters most. Innovations like THOR’s Hammer illustrate how 5G’s speed, capacity and low-latency can enable applications requiring near-real time responsiveness using technologies like extended reality, network slicing and edge computing.”
According to Verizon, network slicing, which allocates bandwidth to multiple users based on specific requirements, could provide each public safety agency operating in a city with its own dedicated network resources. Resources could then be configured to best meet the needs of the agency using them. For example, if one agency needs access to real-time video and another only needs voice and data service, a dedicated network slice could be optimized to meet each agency’s specific requirements.
Learn more about Verizon Frontline.