2| New markets and new services define the future for TETRA communications #
The announcement of the first TETRA trial in North America, together with the news that work on the next generation of the TETRA Standard has started, were the headlines at the TETRA Association's Congress press conference yesterday. The North America trial is due to begin next month, just under a year after the TETRA Association formed its Interest Group to facilitate the availability of TETRA in North America. The first trial will be in Canada, with TETRA infrastructure equipment supplied by Spain’s Teltronic, and terminals by Teltronic and the UK’s Sepura. The next evolution of the TETRA Standard is currently being specified by the ETSI TETRA
Technical Committee (TC TETRA) based on requirements gathered from users around the world. This evolution is designed to provide broadband services such as mobile video for users who demand mission-critical delivery. The full user requirement specifications will be available by the end of this year. The TETRA Release 2 standard has been completed and the wideband spectrum decisions for TETRA Enhanced Data Service (TEDS) made in Europe. Repeating the TETRA success story for broadband will require additional effort from all stakeholders, as the need must be justified to the radio administration community. The TETRA Association is driving
Selectric success
The German state of Baden Württemberg has awarded a contract to Selectric for the supply of 18,000 Sepura radios for police use. The first users will be on the network in September. Baden Württemberg is the third largest federal state in Germany.
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and coordinating this activity. The critical communications market showed steady growth despite the difficult economic conditions, with the transportation market proving to be the one to watch in terms of future potential.* Independent research from IMS is forecasting growth of more than 20 per cent in the terminals market over the next five years. Phil Godfrey, chairman of the TETRA Association, said: “The resilience of our market in a time of unprecedented and global economic uncertainty proves the undiminished need for critical
Thursday May 28 ’09
communications services. With the potential of North America as a new market, and as we move closer to the advent of secure mobile broadband, we are looking forward to a future that promises to be both challenging and successful.” *Based on consolidated market reports from TETRA Association members
Tonight … Find out who has won the Outstanding Contribution to TETRA Award
Airwave launches in Germany The UK’s Airwave has opened its German office from which it plans to develop new business opportunities in what will become one of the largest TETRA networks in Europe. Located in Hamburg, the formation of Airwave GmbH builds on the success of Airwave’s UK operation which provides TETRA communications to some 350 public safety organisations including the police, fire and ambulance services, and will deliver a private mobile radio service for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Airwave is already fulfilling two contracts with the Hamburg Lander. One is to verify the design of the new communications system installed on the city’s 80km underground railway network and the second is to test part of the system once it is built. Airwave is at Stand D202.
Günther Krebs, Leitender Polizeidirektor, Polizei Hamburg, left, with Herbert Kaysen, Executive Consultant, Airwave Solutions Deutschland GmbH, at the official opening of Airwave’s Hamburg operation.
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