TETRA and P25 standards to prevail in first responders radio

Published 4 May 2006

Interoperability of emergency radio equipment is a goal yet to be achieved, although it has been on top of the homeland security agenda since 9/11; a new market research report says a standard may begin to emerge

Dublin-based Research and Markets has just published a report — “TETRA: Standard Public Safety Trunked Radio Systems - Assessment of Technologies and Markets for First Responders Radio” — which offers a survey of the public safety and homeland security mobile communications systems. These system are rapidly evolving as a direct result of the realization by governments and organizations that maintaining communication among rescue teams and command posts during disasters is essential.

As a result, many government organizations are contemplating significant capital investment in upgraded communications systems. They hope that these new systems will be interoperable, and also interoperable with legacy systems in their possession. Note that the authors’ perception is that TETRA and P25 standards are prevailing, and they are and will dominate the market for public safety radio. The authors mention in the report other trunked techniques (which they call pre-standard), their attention is concentrated only on TETRA radios.