[Ccarc] Public service radios may go multi-band..what a concept!

[Tom Murray]

DHS Contracts Thales for Multiband Radio Project (2/27)
	

	
The public-safety community's long-standing request for a multiband
radio could be close to becoming fulfilled through a new $6.3 million
contract between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and
Thales Communications. At a demonstration at the International Wireless
Communications Expo (IWCE), officials demonstrated a Thales radio
talking with four other manufacturers' radios in four spectrum bands.
The radio communicated with Kenwood, M/A-COM, EFJohnson and
Motorola radios at VHF low and high bands, UHF, 700 MHz and 800 MHz.
Dr. David Boyd, director of the DHS Science and Technology's command,
control and interoperability (CCI) division, said the radio would be
ideal for command and control during a major emergency that involved
numerous local, state and federal agencies.
DHS and Thales will hold pilot projects throughout the year with
public-safety users with production scheduled for year-end, said Steve
Nichols, Thales marketing communications manager. The software-defined
radio (SDR) will cost from $4,000 to $6,000 and is equal to other
Project 25 (P25) radios in cost, size and weight, officials said.
Boyd said he has spoken with other vendors about a multiband radio,
but Thales was the first company to meet DHS requirements. He noted
that although Thales was awarded a contract, the manufacturer "came in
with a significant investment."
Jesse Cooper, communications and information technology project
manager for the city of Phoenix Police Department, said he had to carry
three different radios during the Super Bowl earlier this year to
communicate with all the agencies involved at the event. "We've very
excited to have a radio for command-and-control purposes," he said. "We
have regional interoperability, but it's not easy."
"We are committed to identifying innovative technologies aligned
with the communications needs of first responders," Boyd said. "By
enabling seamless radio communications among multiple agencies, the
multiband radio project represents a significant milestone in
overcoming the communications challenges our nation's emergency
responders face during large-scale disasters." 
The contract has a performance period of 12 months, and CCI will
manage the multiband radio demonstration to determine how well the
technology meets the critical needs of frontline emergency responders. 
Officials noted that while the P25 Inter RF Subsystem Interface
(ISSI) works to address network interoperability, the Thales device
would help address device interoperability.
	
	
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