Tait Projects Continue to Cover the Map

Tait Radio Communications North America recently celebrated its 50th network project. As a result we have begun mapping the growing number of MPT 1327, QS2 and P25 projects installed over the past several years.

A major component of the TaitNet network backbone and Tait’s past and current success is Tait’s TB8100 and TB9100 base stations. MPT1327 networks remain the choice of most electric utilities due to functionality, low cost and the ability to easily integrate with data requirements such as AVL and Work Force Management tools, increasing customer satisfaction and employee safety.

QS2 or Quasi Sync Simulcast networks continue to gain popularity due to increased necessity of cities and counties to broadcast critical information to specialized or multiple agencies within their network. TaitNet QS2 networks are known for their high quality and lower maintenance costs related to simulcast networks performance.

Tait’s P25 Public Safety projects have garnered Tait recognition as a trusted manufacturer and supplier of exceptional P25 networks. Tait offers exceptional value in our IP P25 networks and performance with our TP9100 portable and TM9155 mobile radios with capabilities in VHF, UHF and 700/800 MHz. Approvals from FIPS, NIST and Tait’s ability to operate our portables and mobiles on other radio manufacturers’ networks has helped add to Tait’s acceptance and growth. Recent projects stretch from the City of Augusta Maine Police and Fire departments to helping protect the USA / Mexico border in Cochise County, Arizona. As one of a few manufacturers who offer P25 conventional, simulcast and P25 trunked solutions, Tait has gained a strong position in the market with an expanding list of opportunities usually reserved for other well known public safety communication network providers.

Why is Tait the fastest growing Network Solution Provider in North America?

The short answer is two fold; Tait Products and Tait People, with simple goals. Build the best possible products while focusing on the continued satisfaction and trust of our customers of their investment in Tait. At the pace Tait continues to grow and expand in the market, we will definitely need a bigger map soon or smaller dots!

State of California Chooses Tait

Tait P25 base stations support California public safety radio communications network

The State of California recently purchased 162 TB9100 Base Stations for public safety use by the California Highway Patrol, CHP. Tait Radio Communications Solutions Provider, Comtech Communications in Sacramento, California won the award. “We are pleased to be able to provide the State of California with the most advanced and intelligent base station on the market today,” says Mike Fraser, General Manager of Comtech Communications.

The TB9100 is the backbone of Tait Radio Communications P25 IP networks for conventional, trunked and simulcast solutions in VHF, UHF, 700-800 MHz. It is quickly becoming the first choice of many federal, state, and local government public safety agencies. Known for its user friendly set-up, remote diagnostics and programming capability, low current drain and low maintenance, the TB9100 provides exceptional value.

“We are honored the State of California chose Tait to supply our digital IP P25 TB9100 Base Stations. This is yet another example of Tait products demonstrating their outstanding features, performance and value over the competition,” says Steve Cragg, President of Tait Radio Communications in Houston, TX.

Manufacturers Successfully Test P25 Trunking Interoperability

Five radio manufacturers - Motorola, Tait Radio Communications, Tyco Electronics M/A-COM, EFJohnson Technologies, and Technisonic Industries - successfully conducted interoperability tests this week using the Project 25 Phase 1 trunking common air interface. The tests were conducted at Motorola's Schaumburg, Ill., headquarters.

"Everybody set aside their competitive tendencies for the week and worked in a cooperative manner," said Bob Schassler, Motorola's vice president of government and public-safety products.

Testing was done using the same methods required by the Department of Homeland Security, which will recognize vendor test labs later this year as part of the Project 25 Compliance Assessment Program, or CAP. That recognition is expected to be completed for vendor labs by the end of April.

Compliance testing is something that customers have been clamoring for, according to Samantha Hood, Motorola's P25 CA business manager. "We've gotten a lot of requests from customers saying that they need documented testing and that they need it today," Hood said.

Hood acknowledged that the interoperability capability shown this week has been demonstrated before, but that it had not been documented in such a formal manner previously. "The new part is the testing itself," she said.

Details of the week-long compliance test will be posted on Motorola's web site (www.motorola.com/project25). Because Motorola's CAP lab has yet to be recognized by DGS, the results will be labeled as preliminary, Hood said.

Despite the lack of recognition from DGS to date, hood said this week's testing would let public-safety agencies proceed with P25 procurements with confidence. "This will satisfy most of our customers - they just want documentation," she said.

Hood added that Motorola will conduct similar interoperability testing for each new system release. Testing this week was on Astro 25 version 7.6; version 7.7 is expected to be released in June.

Paul May, business development manager for M/A-COM, said his company would conduct similar testing on its systems at the company's Lynchburg, Va., facility. Though establishing and maintaining the individual test labs required a lot of work and a significant financial outlay from each vendor, May said the investment would pay off.

"It's a cost of doing business in the P25 world. Our expectation is that this will expand the market for P25," May said. "Hopefully . . . we'll be able to spread those costs over a larger installed base."

On the other hand, the labs could save the vendors significant time and money over the long haul, sand Andy Davis, Motorola's senior resource manager for P25 engineering support.

"We already have individual customers who are demanding interoperability - which occurs at factory staging and customer acceptance - so this program might save us some work in the long run," Davis said. "We will do testing for every infrastructure release and post the results at the government web site, and we're hoping customers will all go there instead of asking us, one by one, for the same testing."