TETRA Technology: Phased Development - Assessment of Technologies and Markets for First Responders Radio

SUMMARY

Research Methodology

Considerable research was done using the Internet. Information from various Web sites was studied and analyzed; evaluation of publicly available marketing and technical publications was conducted. Telephone conversations and interviews were held with industry analysts, technical experts and executives. In addition to these interviews and primary research, secondary sources were used to develop a more complete mosaic of the market landscape, including industry and trade publications, conferences and seminars.

The overriding objective throughout the work has been to provide valid and relevant information. This has led to a continual review and update of the information content.

Target Audience

This report is important for the government agencies involved in the first response to critical situations. It is necessary for technical departments of such agencies to have a document, which comprehensively explains radio technology and architectures of networks supporting public safety radios. They also need to have a picture of the market with the major players and their portfolios to select the right equipment.

For vendors of the first response technology, this report provides valuable information on competition. It also supports these vendors with the market assessment.

This report addresses technological and marketing features of TETRA, which is evolving as one of the dominating standards for Public Safety Radio (PSR). In contrast with the previous Practel report (issued in 2005), the new report concentrates on the TETRA phased development and specifics of each phase.

TETRA standardization process defined two releases: Release I and Release II. At the present time, ETSI and vendors are working on finalization of Release II. The report emphases this Release importance-new high-speed data services were defined, range of radio was increased and many other developments were added to the list of TETRA advances.

This report also analyzes the project MESA, the project that is defining requirements to Public Safety Radios that are beyond P25 Phase II and TETRA Release II completion. This project will create worldwide set of PSR standards, support interoperability between P25 and TETRA technologies as well network interoperability on the country or even international levels.

This report analyzes development of TETRA techniques, its market and technological specifics. It provides results that are useful for first responders' organizations, technical department of security agencies and vendors of public safety radio.

In the technology part, as per phased approach for the TETRA development, the report stresses importance of standardization process for public safety radio, shows progress in this arena as well as multiple roadblocks, the major of which are lack of funding and available spectrum. Despite of these problems, new technologies (P25 and TETRA) prevailed in the new network deployment and they dominate the current public safety radio market.

This is a result of the benefits that they bring with them:

• Interoperability
• High quality of transmission
• Security of transmission
• Effective use of spectrum.

Though the cost efficiency of the new trunked systems is not so great in comparison with older analog systems, it is expected that the cost will go down with proliferation of the systems. Marketing analysis, provided in this report, supports this statement.

This report also compares features of TETRA and P25 radios, and indicates that these devices were developed with specifics of particular countries, P25 for the U.S., and TETRA for Europe. Motorola is the market leader in both of these technologies, and, together with other companies, such as M/A-Com, EADS, and Sepura is keeping the leadership position all around the world.

TETRA Release II and project MESA guarantee longevity of the technology by providing additional capability to support high-speed data, multi-media services and increased range of radio.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction

• 1.1 General
• 1.2 Public Safety Systems
• 1.3 New Era
• 1.4 Initial Actions
  • 1.4.1 Road to Interoperability
  • 1.4.2 New Technology
• 1.5 Scope and Goals
• 1.6 Research Methodology
• 1.7 Target Audience

2.0 Trunked Radio - The Way to Go

• 2.1 Concept
• 2.2 Details
  • 2.2.1 Talk Groups
    • 2.2.1.1 Encryption
  • 2.2.3 Spectrum Efficiency
  • 2.2.4 System Operation: Dispatch/Land Mobile Radio
  • 2.2.5 System Administration
  • 2.2.6 Directions

3.0 Technology: New Roads for Public Safety Communications

• 3.1 Requirements to Public Safety Radio
• 3.2 Standardization Process and Technologies
  • 3.2.1 General
  • 3.2.2 Beginning
• 3.3 TETRA: Scope-Release I
  • 3.3.1 General
  • 3.3.2 Bands
  • 3.3.3 TETRA and GSM
  • 3.3.4 Main Features
    • 3.3.4.1 General
    • 3.3.4.2 Technical
    • 3.3.4.3 Services
  • 3.3.5 Benefits
  • 3.3.6 Networking
  • 3.3.7 Details
    • 3.3.7.1 General
    • 3.3.7.2 Interfaces
    • 3.3.7.3 Infrastructure
    • 3.3.7.4 Spectrum Allocation
• 3.4 P25 and TETRA
  • 3.4.1 Details
• 3.5 Security
• 3.6 Summary

4.0 TETRA Release II

• 4.1 Need
  • 4.1.1 Rational
  • 4.1.2 Applications
• 4.2 Trunked Mode Operation (TMO) Range Extension
• 4.3 Adaptive Multiple Rate (AMR) Voice Codec
• 4.4 Mixed Excitation Liner Predictive, enhanced (MELPe) Voice Codec
• 4.5 New Data Services
  • 4.5.1 TAPS
  • 4.5.2 TEDS
• 4.6 Status on TETRA Release II
  • 4.6.1 Standardization

5.0 Phase III-Project MESA

• 5.1 General
• 5.2 Organization
• 5.3 Background
• 5.4 Project MESA Formulators
• 5.5 Networking
• 5.6 MESA Statement of Requirements (SoR)
  • 5.6.1 General
  • 5.6.2 Vision: Ad-hoc and Cell
    • 5.6.2.1 Features
    • 5.6.2.2 Technological Needs
    • 5.6.2.3 General Technology-Requirements
    • 5.6.2.4 Specific and Functional Requirements
• 5.7 Goals
• 5.8 Applications
• 5.9 Crossroads
  • 5.9.1 Vendors Position
• 5.10 Technology Details: System of Systems
  • 5.10.1 Framework description
• 5.11Architecture
• 5.12 Security
• 5.13 Projects P25/TETRA and MESA

6.0 Roadblocks

• 6.1 Funding
• 6.2 Spectrum Congestion
• 6.3 Control

7.0 Market Analysis

• 7.1 General
• 7.2 Examples
• 7.3 Geography
• 7.4 Market Drivers-Industries-Applications
• 7.5 Market Forecast
  • 7.5.1 Model Assumptions
  • 7.5.2 Market Estimate

8.0 Benefits: Summary

9.0 Projects

• 9.1 TETRA Systems in UK
• 9.2 TETRA in Italy

10.0 Vendors

• Aerial facilities Limited (AFL)-Axell
• Artevea
• Celex
• ClearTone
• DAMM Cellular
• EADS
• Frequentis
• M/ACom
• Motorola
• Niros
• Pegasus Network
• Rohde-Schwarz
• Teltronic
• Sepura
• Selex
• SmartLink Radio Networks
• Simoco (Artevia)
• Team Simoco

11.0 Conclusions

• Glossary
• References

FIGURES:

• Figure 1: TETRA in Europe
• Figure 2: Trunked Radio Concept Illustration
• Figure 3: TETRA Release I Abilities
• Figure 4: TETRA Interworking Illustration
• Figure 5: Network Scenarios
• Figure 6: TETRA Release I Interfaces
• Figure 7: TETRA: Spectrum Allocation
• Figure 8: P25 Phased Approach
• Figure 9: TETRA II Developments
• Figure 10: Directions
• Figure 11: TAPS
• Figure 12: TEDS RF Channel Characteristics
• Figure 13: Partners
• Figure 14: MESA Networking
• Figure 15: Project MESA Evolving
• Figure 16: PSR Evolution
• Figure 17: Illustration of TETRA Market Geography (2006)
• Figure 18: TETRA Segmentation by Industries (2007)
• Figure 19: Public Safety Radio Market ($B)
• Figure 20: TETRA Market ($B)
• Figure 21: Portable Radio (Handsets): Market Estimate ($B)

TABLES:

• Table 1: TETRA Established
• Table 2: TETRA Release I-Major Characteristics
• Table 3: TETRA Improvements
• Table 4: Applications (Release II)
• Table 5 Mesa Networks Levels
• Table 6: Evolution of TETRA Applications
• Table 7: TETRA vs. P25 Markets
• Table 8: TETRA Features