Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), along with other mobile radio network solutions, does and will continue to play a key role in the future of communications for public safety users (for more information please see 'Future public safety radio networks – where next?'), which is why Analysys Mason has been a member of the TETRA Association since its inception, nearly 15 years ago. It helps to keep our consultants at the forefront of innovations in this area.
TETRA – a European standard deployed on a global basis
TETRA is an open digital trunked radio standard defined by the European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute (ETSI) during the 1990s. Initially a European standard, it has become global, with contracts awarded in over 100 countries. It is used by the emergency services, utilities (especially oil and gas production) and transport, and increasingly is also being used by commercial professional users such as shopping centres and hotels.
One of the largest implementations is the Airwave system, to which the UK ambulance trusts (supported by Analysys Mason) are migrating, with over 3000 sites and over 200 000 subscribers. One of the smallest is North Sydney Hospital, Australia, with a single base station and just 12 terminals.
ETSI drafts and publishes standards, but will not normally market and promote them, and it is this role that falls to the TETRA Association (supported by manufacturers, operators and users). The Association encourages adoption and supports initiatives to obtain appropriate spectrum.
Analysys Mason activities with the TETRA Association
Analysys Mason is a supporter of open standards, which provide the basis for competitive supply of equipment to end users. We have attended all of TETRA’s World Congress events (with the next due to take place next month in Munich). We are also involved in the interoperability profile (IOP) process, with Analysys Mason consultants co-chairing the group developing a TETRA IOP and test plan for the Peripheral Equipment Interface (PEI), which provides a means to connect data applications to TETRA radios.
Most recently we were commissioned by the Association to develop a white paper comparing the ETSI Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) standard and equipment, with TETRA. DMR is an alternative technology standardised by ETSI, and is suitable for consumer and some commercial organisations that may not have mission-critical communications. It is this middle ground for which the two standards are vying, and the white paper clarifies who can benefit from using the different approaches.
The white paper is now available in the members' area of www.tetra-association.com. For non-members, please contact enquiries@analysysmason.com to obtain a copy.
