Téléverbier SA Ski Resort

Téléverbier SA is the largest ski lift company in French-speaking Switzerland. It operates independently in the three ski resorts of Verbier, La Tzoumaz and Bruson, in the heart of the Swiss Alps, whilst sharing the operation of the Mont-Fort sector with its neighbour NV Lifts SA. Its 37 ski lifts (4 cable cars, 1 funitel, 8 gondolas, 10 chairlifts, 14 drag lifts and carpets) serve 203 km of slopes and tracks for all levels of skiers across a stunning ski area, which rises up to over 3,330m above sea level. Alongside Bruson, La Tzoumaz, Nendaz, Veysonnaz and Thyon, Verbier is the flagship resort of the famous 4 valleys, the largest connected ski area in Switzerland, with a total of 96 lifts and 410 km of pistes.

Customer Profile

CLIENT: Téléverbier SA

SECTOR: Sports and Leisure

Téléverbier had been using a Motorola Solutions analogue system for over 20 years; however, with a single repeater, the system no longer met Téléverbier’s needs in terms of capacity or coverage to the outer reaches of the area. A platinum reseller has been working with Motorola Solutions for more than 30 years and installs and manages radio communications solutions for the majority of lift companies in Switzerland, including Téléverbier. Having been its partner for many years, they perfectly understood its needs and recommended a MOTOTRBO™ Capacity Plus multi-site system.

Téléverbier installed eight repeaters, two on each site at Bruson, Savoleyres, Mont Gelé and Tortin; each adjoining site is linked across an IP network. The system enables four instantaneous communication paths across the area simultaneously, with teams being organised into four work groups (piste grooming, security, snow conditions and technical). The control room is based in Medran, from where the dispatcher uses the SmartPTT PLUS console to communicate with the different teams on the mountain, send out general calls to all users, pass on messages, manage routine tasks and record all communications, for insurance and traceability purposes. The dispatcher also has the most effective tools to aid the best decision process in case of an incident or accident, whether a tourist or a patroller is in trouble, and, if necessary, coordinate with Air-Glaciers. Air-Glaciers is a mountain rescue organisation that manages a fleet of helicopters and it also uses a Motorola Solutions radio communications solution deployed by a platinum partner.

A MOTOTRBO™ DM4600e mobile radio is installed in each snowplough. And every patroller, snowplough driver (for work away from the snowplough), lift operator and any other mobile worker is equipped with a portable MOTOTRBO™ radio with an IMPRES™ battery for extended life and easy maintenance. The portable radios are worn on the chest in a specially adapted three-point body pouch with shoulder belt, which prevents the antenna snagging on clothing and allows the operators to work hands free, with or without a remote speaker microphone (RSM).

Operators primarily use the radios for voice communications, for example to warn colleagues that they are going to trigger an avalanche and to check that nobody is in the immediate vicinity. However, Téléverbier has also activated Man Down and GPS positioning on the majority of the radios, which enables pinpoint precision in geolocalisation on SmartPTT PLUS and automatic emergency alarm functionality. This alarm is transmitted from the patroller’s radio to the closest repeater and on, via the repeaters strategically located on the mountain tops, to the control room, where the dispatcher takes the necessary steps.

Téléverbier has invested in a scalable, flexible MOTOTRBO infrastructure for reliable, instantaneous communications across the whole area. The company is well placed to react effectively and quickly to any type of incident or accident, now or in the future, to ensure the best levels of safety for workers and holidaymakers alike. Moreover, the increased functionality guarantees improved operational efficiency and productivity. Finally, and most importantly from an end user’s perspective, the easy-to-use, rugged MOTOTRBO radios keep on working optimally whatever the weather conditions or however cold it gets, when other radios and batteries would fail, because the Motorola Solutions hardware is extremely robust, designed for work even in the conditions found in mountainous areas.