regional focus
The TETRA standard has proved highly successful in public transport systems across the Asia-Pacifi c region
states, categorically: “T is is incorrect. It is true that the laws of physics say that a high-powered VHF signal will go further than a lower-powered UHF signal. But the reality is that topography, operational requirements and capacity mean that any diff erence is marginal. “People should look at the whole-life costs and the whole-
life benefi ts and then compare. P25 makes much about its ability to migrate from analogue. Using gateways, TETRA can replicate this. “In my experience, once users themselves experience any
digital radio, they wish to move away from analogue systems as soon as possible. Today, over two million TETRA radios are currently in use. Approximately 20 per cent are in Asia, and despite the competition from other technologies, we predict that this percentage will increase signifi cantly over the next fi ve years.”
Gaining ground Terence Ledger, Sepura’s director for the region, told TETRA Today that whilst he sees the adoption of TETRA growing in Southeast Asia, particularly in the transport, mining and utility sectors, DMR is being considered by some users as an alternative purely because of the cost savings that can be made. Ledger added that China continues to be a growing market for TETRA in public safety and government sectors, despite proprietary Chinese standards competing in that market. And he went on: “In Australia, where we have now deployed
over 9000 terminals, TETRA is booming and is the standard of choice in the oil, gas and mining industries, where users include FMG[picture, right], BHP, LNG and Xstrata.” TETRA had also been very successful in Australia’s
hospitality industry, he said, with users including the Hyatt, Palazzo Versace, Sky City Darwin Casino (all in Darwin), as well as the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Queensland. Ledger said that 2012 and beyond looks “very promising”,
with continued acceptance of TETRA as the digital technology of choice. He said that public safety agencies tend to be predominantly P25 users, while industrial and transport sectors tend to be mixes of P25 and DMR – but
Issue 6 2012 TE TRA TODAY 17
that overall in the Australian market there are opportunities for TETRA to enter. He concluded that there is a real chance that government radio networks will start to move from P25 to TETRA, with Queensland being the fi rst state that could make such a decision.
Alternatives Having customers across the region in both the P25 and TETRA camps, Motorola Solutions commented on the potential for TETRA growth in the region with a large degree of business prudence. “Asia Pacifi c is a large and heterogeneous market where both TETRA and APCO-P25 technologies co-exist, and the customer may choose either technology based on their unique mission-critical requirements”, the
Below: a TETRA system based on infrastructure from Damm and terminals by Sepura was the choice of Fortescue Metals Group, a major iron ore producer in Australia. The system, serving several mines and a seaport, includes more than 800 mobiles and 5000 handheld radios
Picture: Motorola Solutions
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