Sepura provides communications solution to help Swedish resort in Alpine Ski World Cup 2019

Sepura has helped to install new communications solution in a Swedish mountain range for the Audi FIS Ski World Cup 2019.

The Waterbeach-based group, which supplies digital radio products, systems and applications, was selected by SkiStar Åre, along with Swedish Radio Supply, in a process that began four years ago.

The Swedish skiing area of Åre, in the province of Jämtland, has ambitions to grow but required a strong communication system to handle temperatures that often fall to

-15°C in January.

Four of Sepura’s TETRA base stations were strategically placed across the Åresjön, Forberget, Duved and Tege Mountains, ahead of the Alpine Ski World Cup, which is under way and heads to Åre this month.

The World Cup increases the need for a reliable and flexible system that can handle the number of users, call volumes and potential emergency situations. Failure in communications could be life threatening for the rescue services in an emergency.

The new TETRA system also enables data to be sent to confirm actions such as closed ski lifts or slopes, improving public safety at the resort.

SkiStar staff will have access to 170 Sepura SC20 hand-portable radios, with built-in Bluetooth and three watts power output during the winter season. The radios will help 500 seasonal workers to maintain safety in the resort, which features 89 ski slopes, connected by 42 lifts.

Åre is renting an additional 550 TETRA handheld radios for the World Cup, and the TETRA system will also be vital in forthcoming events like the Orientation Competition O-Ring in 2021.

SkiStar also intends to expands its Sepura TETRA system to its other facilities, such as Sälen, Vemdalen, Hammarbybacken, Trysil (Norway) and Hemsedal (Norway).

Other ski resorts in the region, such as Idre Fjäll, already use a TETRA system.

Anders Jonasson, technical supervisor at SkiStar Åre, said: “We have received suggestions on what we need based on the knowledge and experience SRS has as a radio provider. We have also changed our requirements specification a bit along the way.”