The Congress opened with a series of announcements regarding TETRA
Enhanced Data Services (TEDS) solutions. TEDS capable radios and
infrastructure enable users to enjoy a far richer TETRA experience and
have the potential to provide TETRA experiences similar to that of
cellular smartphones, while simultaneously offering the advantages of
TETRA.
Motorola announced its range of TEDS capable equipment,
which is spearheaded by its MTM5400 radio. That device, the first TETRA
mobile with voice and TEDS capability, offers advanced networking
capabilities and over-the-air programming to enable more efficient fleet
management. The company also launched what it claims is the world’s
smallest TEDS capable base station, the MTS1.
Meanwhile, EADS
confirmed that its TEDS offering is currently being tested in the field
by State Security Networks, which operates the VIVRE network in Finland.
The company has also announced its TEDS data radio, which is designed
for vehicle or integrated applications. The device provides direct IP
connectivity via Ethernet or standard USB. Features include GPS to
enable high-speed location based services such as transmission of maps
with real-time updated position information.
Phil Godfrey,
chairman of The TETRA Association, who opened the event along with Phil
Kidner, CEO of the Association, said the availability of TEDS
demonstrates how effectively the standard continues to develop. He went
on to say that such development is important in maintaining TETRA as a
vital and advancing technology.
Much of TETRA’s strength is its
applicability to vertical industries that often operate in hostile or
hazardous environments. Vendors at the show made a raft of announcements
demonstrating the widespread appeal of TETRA.
On the rails
In
the rail sector, wireless coverage specialist Axell Wireless announced
that its equipment will be used to support communications and public
safety systems on Chinese underground train networks in Beijing,
Guangzhou and Nanjing. Axell Wireless will deploy TETRA repeaters to
ensure high quality wireless coverage on Metro Line 15 in Beijing,
Guanzhou’s Metro Line 3 extension and its APM line, and Nanjing’s Metro
Line 1 extension.
Finnish vendor Creowave also unveiled its
expanded range of TETRA repeaters at the show. The new product, the
TETRA Highpower Repeater, has higher RF output power than previous
repeaters in the company’s portfolio. The company said the repeater
is particularly suited to large indoor or outdoor environments and long
transport tunnels.
Fuel for thought
In the oil and
gas sector, Damm announced that its TetraFlex solution has been chosen
by Chevron Australia to provide the secure, mission critical wireless
voice and data communications for its Gorgon Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)
Project in Western Australia. The project is one of the world’s largest
natural gas projects and, with more than 50 carriers involved, it is
the largest private TETRA network in Australia. It also encompasses the
telecommunications on the Barrow Island with links to the mainland,
including a link to the city of Perth. The TetraFlex system will integrate to on-site AVL/APL, dispatch consoles, IP
telephony and alarm monitoring systems.
EADS also said it is
involved in a project to deploy TETRA along the 5,700km oil pipeline
that runs from eastern Siberia to the Pacific Ocean. The pipeline
project, called VSTO, is the longest in the world and traverses some of
the most remote regions in the world. In such a harsh climate, reliable
communications are critical and the TETRA system will enable operators
to arrange conference calls at the touch of a button. More than 100 base
stations are to be deployed along the pipeline, and the handheld
terminals used in the field will be compliant with oil industry
specifications for working in potentially hazardous environments.
Intrinsically safe THR880i Ex units have been selected.
Olympian
challenges
In the large events sector, SELEX Communications,
a Finmeccanica company, and TETRASVYAZ presented the TETRA network for
the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi, Russian Federation. The
networking project will be developed within the framework of the
agreements signed by the Italian and the Russian Governments in 2009.
The
Olympic Games network – which will be one of the largest professional
radio communication networks using the TETRA standard in the Eastern
Europe – will cover a significant part of Krasnodar, the region in which
Sochi is located. It will cover the area of the Olympic facilities,
settlements, airports and transport means of the Black sea coast of
Russia.
The network will be failsafe, designed for
equipment operation in unattended mode. It will be composed of 90 base
stations and two switching and control nodes. It will include a
communications control centre, dispatching centre, antenna feeders,
commutation units, base stations and subscribers equipment as well as
connection to a general telephone network. The network will also provide
data transfer from GLONASS satellites and monitoring services for
mobile facilities, in the interest of state and commercial users.
Also
on the Olympian theme, Airwave announced that it is ahead of schedule
for its delivery of communications solutions for the London 2012
Olympics and Paralympics. The company is designing and building the
Apollo PMR network for the event. The network will deliver secure
coverage for 12,500 organisers. Delivery reached the halfway point in
April and the company now has nine months in which to complete
construction and testing before the system is trialled by the organisers
in 2011.
Leisure time
In the leisure sector,
Motorola revealed it has deployed TETRA technology across the 6 million
sq.ft. Marina Bay Sands business, leisure and hotel complex in
Singapore. The company’s TEDS ready Dimetra IP switch solution is being
installed.
See you in Budapest
Next year’s TETRA World Congress will be
held in Budapest, Hungary on 24-27 May 2011. Budapest is an appropriate
venue. With 40,000 connected terminals, the Hungarian TETRA network is
one of the largest in the region.