Etherstack

Etherstack is a provider of wireless communications software for the Professional/Land Mobile Radio and defense industries in Europe, Asia, and North America. Their products encompass wireless protocol stacks, IP-based communication networks, cryptographic communications, Software Defined Radio (SDR), and Software Communications Architecture (SCA) compatible waveforms.

Etherstack develops and licences wireless technology to third party vendors in Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. It is a licensor of standards-based APCO P25, DMR, TETRA and NATO technology for emergency and defence communications.

Etherstack’s subsidiary Auria Wireless uses Etherstack technology to deliver fixed and deployable secure, standards-based mission critical communications systems via VHF, UHF, LTE, and satellite.

Etherstack’s technology includes waveform software and modules (MANET / BLOS / LOS / P25 / sovereign), SDR and radio transceiver hardware, AES256 cryptographic and key management solutions, real time MANET networking software, centralised PTT voice and data networking software, critical applications, and gateways for integration of end-to-end services over radio, C2, 3GPP MCx, LTE and satellite. Existing Etherstack customers include L3Harris, Thales USA, Thales UK, Cobham, Collins Aerospace, General Dynamics, CISCO, Nokia, Icom Inc., Kenwood, NEC, Tait Electronics, Codan, GME, the Swedish Defence Material Administration, UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (UK Dstl), the Australian Army, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, US State Department, DHS CBP, Samsung and Raytheon.

History
Etherstack originated in Australia in 1995 as a provider of hardware-independent air interface protocol stacks (waveforms), including for MPT-1327, DMR, TETRA, NATO and APCO P25 standards.

Etherstack is a public advocate of standards to enable interoperability and increase vendor choice in public safety and defence communications. The company has contributed since 2003 to development of the US Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) APCO P25 standards, including sitting as chair of several of the TIA TR-8 P25 working groups.

In 2001, a software abstraction of the TETRA protocol stack developed by Etherstack was used by Racal (now part of Thales) in the development of a covert TETRA radio, designed for use by UK police and UK special forces.

In 2006, Etherstack joined with Aeroflex to develop and market products for performing conformance tests against the TIA P25 air interface protocol standards.

By 2007, Etherstack had branched out into digital RF transceiver design and established its first RF research and development group in Reading, UK. This team developed Etherstack's first small form factor SDR (software defined radio), the high performance XR-25 module which is still used in avionics and tactical communications today. The XR-25 also hosted Etherstack's first FIPS 140-2 certified cryptographic module under its Nexus Wireless brand, which included Etherstack's own implementations of a raft of AES & DES algorithms which the company separately licensed to numerous US, Canadian, European and Japanese wireless equipment manufacturers.

Etherstack began work with the safety and security business unit of Cisco Systems in late 2007 on the development of a range of public safety radio network infrastructure products aimed at the first responder segment of North American markets. These developments led to the formation of Etherstack's Networks engineering team in Sydney and the development of a full digital land mobile radio network product line based on the TIA APCO P25 communications standard which the company licensed to multiple other manufacturers and also produces complete turnkey systems under its own label.

In 2008, Etherstack signed a second contract with the Swedish Defence Material Administration for the continued development and support of a TETRA-based mobile station using Etherstack's TETRA SCA waveform as part of the US Swedish JTRS co-operation project.

The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center Communications Technologies Center of Excellence announced in January 2009 that it would launch a pilot of the APCO P25 radio network in Cape May County, New Jersey, that would integrating Etherstack's Land Mobile Radio network controller software.

In March 2011, Etherstack and Alcatel-Lucent demonstrated a world first of integration of a native P25 PTT call over an LTE cellular network through to a traditional narrowband P25 network using the ISSI standard at the Bell Labs facility in New Jersey.

Etherstack plc (UK) is a holding company that has been incorporated since 2006. The company is majority Australian owned, Australian controlled and Etherstack plc is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). The company operates research and development offices in New York, London, Yokohama, and Sydney.

Fixed and Deployable Secure Wireless Voice and Data Systems
Etherstack has deployed and supports numerous large scale digital P25 networks in Canada, Australia and the United States, spanning vast geographic areas including Alberta & Iqaluit in Canada, Idaho, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States and one of the largest digital radio networks in the world in Queensland, Australia.

Etherstack's SFFR-6 Tactical Repeater product (aka "Go Box") was evaluated in June 2022 by the US Department of Homeland Security and given the highest score in comparison to the other tactical repeaters under evaluation.

In early 2023, Etherstack deployed it's P25 over Satellite IVX (In-Vehicle Switch) product for use by The Royal Bahamas Defence Force in vehicles and maritime vessels.

Multi-Vendor, Multi-Domain Interworking for Emergency Services
For the emerging 3GPP MCX (mission critical push-to-talk/video/data services over LTE) space, Etherstack has developed a 3GPP compliant InterWorking Function (IWF) to bridge P25, TETRA and DMR radio networks currently used by public safety agencies to cellular MCX services over LTE. In 2022, AT&T announced that Etherstack was the supplier of its 3GPP LMR-IWF network element for its nationwide United States FirstNet system for first responders. Etherstack's 3GPP LMR-IWF is being supplied to AT&T by Samsung under Etherstack's global teaming agreement with Samsung for Etherstack's 3GPP LMR-IWF product.

Etherstack also licences standards-based P25 ISSI, P25 CSSI and P25 air interface protocol stacks to radio system, control room and terminal vendors to enable them to expose open standards-based interfaces for interoperability with third-party vendors and for end-to-end integration of mission critical voice and data across multiple domains and vendors.