With an increasing number of users, devices and networks being deployed, wireless spectrum is straining – especially unlicensed or “free” spectrum such as WiFi. CBRS is a new spectrum sharing scheme that is being introduced in the US and other parts of the world, and it can remove spectrum barriers for Private LTE networks to enable them to affordably and effectively replace enterprise WiFi.

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What is it?
The RF performance of all Base Station, Mobile or Portable radios is quantified in a set of specifications given in deciBels (dB). One set of RF performance specifications describes the Transmitter performance, another describes the Receiver performance. For some RF performance specifications, a larger number is better; and for others, a smaller number is best. There are minimum acceptable RF performance specifications prescribed by regulatory authorities such as ETSI (Europe) and FCC (USA). Meeting these is mandatory.

Some RF performance specifications are more... Continue Reading

If you have never been involved in renovating your own house, you almost certainly know someone who has. It is a major logistical exercise in planning, perseverance, and above all, patience! Mostly, you will end up with what you want, but how often do you think “I wish I had shifted that wall/put in more storage/added another bathroom”?

There are so many things to decide, and only one chance to get it all right. And for most people, you will be carrying on your domestic “business as usual” amongst the chaos of upgrading your home.

Upgrading your radio system is a bit like... Continue Reading

By Evan Forester, Marketing Campaigns Coordinator, Tait Communications.

Last week we introduced the new P25 Best Practice guides and website. Today we’ll dive a bit deeper to take a look at the first guide: First Steps to your P25 System.

I recently drove to a friend’s house and attempted a short cut. Unfortunately, I started by making the wrong turn. I ended up in a place I was unfamiliar with, but kept guessing the general direction of my destination. After a while, I literally found myself on the complete opposite side of town.

So much for finding a short cut.

If your... Continue Reading

Click to visit the website and download the P25 guides

We are happy to announce the launch of our P25 Best Practice website complete with the first four P25 Best Practice guides:

  1. First steps to your P25 system
  2. Specifying your P25 system
  3. Procuring your P25 system
  4. Implementing your P25 system Continue Reading

GSM cellphone technology, APCO P25 in United States public safety, TETRA in Europe and DMR worldwide are examples of successful digital standards. Successful standards bring real advantages. When vendors work to agreed standards, those managing radio systems have a choice of supplier which can bring down prices, and improve quality. Customers are not at risk of being unable to source products for replacement or expansion through the demise of a sole supplier.

To properly qualify, a standard needs to be non-proprietary, so not under the control of one vendor. It... Continue Reading

We’ve heard from many Public Safety agencies that they’re pleased there are other P25 options to choose from once they get out of the proprietary web some vendors weave.

Genuine open standards are non-proprietary, so they’re not under the control of one vendor. An increasing choice of certified vendors brings down prices, improves technical quality and avoids the risk of being locked into a sole supplier, which can compromise your interoperability. Continue Reading

By Trish Messiter, CEO, Clarinox Technologies & Anthony Lister, Senior Systems Designer, Tait Communications.

Long-term value from short-range connectivity; wire-free and hands-free possibilities for critical communications.

In this age of smartphones, touch-screen tablets and imminently wearable computing, the ubiquitous radio communications device seems to be just as resilient to change as it is to the rigours of the environments in which it’s used.

Emergency response personnel are literally weighed down by technology these days as they double-up and triple-up on gadgets to get the... Continue Reading

By Paul Daigneault, Chief Executive Officer, MiMOMax.

A common misconception among radio professionals is that a large bandwidth is needed when linking analog and digital PMR base-station sites. However, this isn’t necessarily the case.

With the development and adoption of more spectrally-efficient radio technologies, it can be argued that there’s no overall shortage of radio spectrum. However, the unique propagation properties particularly associated with radio waves in UHF bands make this the most sought-after and crowded band in the usable spectrum. As a... Continue Reading

In the desirable radio frequencies occupied by Public Safety and Utilities organizations, there is only so much radio spectrum to share between everyone who wants to use it.

Traditionally, analog radio modulation methods such as AM and FM limited the amount of information conveyed within a given channel, and each channel could only host a single conversation at any one time -a pair of users, one transmitting and one receiving.

Analog modulation (AM) places a very finite limit on the number of users that can occupy the radio spectrum, and does not cater well... Continue Reading