MTA New York City Transit and PowerTrunk Pilot TETRA LMR Network
The two-site pilot network evaluation included a range of radio equipment from PowerTrunk such as a telecom switch, base stations, mobile units for buses and support vehicles, multiple hand portables to communicate with mobile users......
MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) and PowerTrunk, Inc. have successfully completed a TETRA land mobile radio (LMR) network pilot in New York City. The NYCT pilot demonstrates the multiple features and functionality of the TETRA digital technology.
The two-site pilot network evaluation included a range of radio equipment from PowerTrunk such as a telecom switch, base stations, mobile units for buses and support vehicles, multiple hand portables to communicate with mobile users, a CeCoCo line console dispatcher unit with two operator positions and a gateway to the telephone network to test cell and PABX/PSTN handovers.
Accounting for the size and requirements of its bus system, NYCT evaluated the TETRA system independently for its capacity, efficiency and features. NYCT's trial found significant advantages with the TETRA system in the following areas:
- Radio Efficiency and Capacity: TETRA proved to be frequency-efficient because it is a 4-slot TDMA technology. System capacity can further be increased by means of frequency re-use. Use of 4 independent communications channels in a 25 KHz RF bandwidth channel make it twice as efficient in terms of occupied bandwidth as a traditional 12.5 KHz RF bandwidth FDMA channel.
- Open Standard: TETRA is an open standard used outside the U.S. by most police, fire, EMS and other public safety agencies in Europe, Asia and South America. TETRA provides flexibility in terms of network components because a mix of supplier equipment can be used with this system. The TETRA standard is supported by many manufacturers and there are over ten suppliers in Europe, Asia and other regions.
- Potential Cost Savings: A typical TETRA handset costs a fraction of the current handset. It is also capable of voice, data and calls not only within the system, but outside the system to landline phones, cell phones and other telecom networks.
- Equipment Size and Capabilities: TETRA equipment is about 1/4 to 1/3 more compact in size than competing technologies. TETRA also consumes less power because its digital design works with low power equipment to accommodate frequency re-use.
- Network Management: TETRA demonstrated network monitoring, diagnostic, maintenance and reporting capabilities in addition to being very user-friendly for day-to-day bus dispatch operations.
Based on the findings of various tests during the trial, TETRA is one of the technologies that offer an optimum solution to balance the cost and space of equipment with that of supporting the services for a high capacity network like that of NYCT.
"Our TETRA land mobile radio solution is uniquely suited for transportation systems as proven by the networks we have installed in such major cities as Mexico City, Barcelona, Bogota and Rio," states Jose Martin, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PowerTrunk . "Now we are proud that such a prominent metropolis as New York City hosted our TETRA pilot for its transit system. I would like to say to American LMR users that TETRA has arrived in the U.S."
Source: Powertrunk
