Munich City Utilities, Germany

Helping deliver better services for Munich

Stadtwerke München (Munich City Utilities - SWM) takes care of the following for the around 1.3 million city inhabitants:

• energy supply
• public transportation
• public swimming pools.

In the past, the company's legacy analogue radio communications systems were struggling to provide the security and flexibility needed to support the level of services that this modern city's people and companies expect.

The different SWM services used separate analogue systems that were not interconnected. This made it difficult for colleagues in different departments to co-operate on joint projects.

In addition, sticking with analogue would have left SWM unable to take advantage of novel data services.

Digital radio provides the solution

M-Funk is SWM's professional mobile radio (PMR) network and it is based on Airbus TETRA technology.

Based on a central exchange and six base stations, the M-Funk network has been running since the end of 2006.

Airbus has provided dispatcher workstations, radio units and services, while SWM's service personnel have set up and distributed the radios, for example, by installing them in vehicles.

As well as enhanced functionality, the Airbus TETRA network provides SWM with added security. It prevents eavesdropping of communications. Communications for SWM's personnel will go on even when an incident might bring down commercial mobile networks.

The M-Funk network helps SWM maintain and repair its extensive infrastructure more effectively, thanks to better logistics and resource management, faster response times and improved security. It also makes it possible to read and control sensors and facilities throughout the city remotely.

In addition, SWM is offering secure communication services to third parties thanks to the system's support for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The number of VPNs can be extended flexibly without impairing network functionality, enabling SWM to generate fresh revenues.