The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded a total of $4,479,195.95 in competitive research contracts to 30 small businesses across the United States to participate in Phase I of the DHS Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. These awards, which were competitively sourced, were developed in collaboration with program managers and stakeholders across DHS to address homeland security research and development needs.
Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of Radio Control over IP solutions to the Push-to-Talk marketplace, was awarded a contract to research the feasibility of a Broadband Push-to-Talk Interoperability Platform. Catalyst had previously been awarded contracts from DHS S&T in 2018 and 2020 to research and develop a platform for communications between land mobile radio (LMR) subscriber devices and smartphones on LTE networks, including FirstNet™ built by AT&T, using a standards compliant Mission Critical Push to Talk (MCPTT) Application. With the proliferation of different push to talk over Broadband systems, there is now a need to research how these different LTE based systems might interoperate together.
Company president Robin Grier stated, “We have broad and significant domain expertise in the area of LTE and LMR technology and interoperability requirements, especially as a result of our 2018 and 2020 Awards. This award continues our commitment to develop technology in support of First Responder communications and the needs of the mission critical communications marketplace.”
This award is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Award. At the completion of Phase I, awardees will be eligible to submit proposals for a Phase II award. The objective of Phase II is to continue efforts to develop and demonstrate a working prototype.
