System type recommendation?

[grinthock]

Good day everyone...

I have a customer who is looking for a system for about 1000 users. Right now one of their locations uses a Smartnet system and MTX838's.

The new site they are building they are really sold on having a 100% integrate device for every user. Telephone / 2-Way Radio.

Harmony came to mind, but Moto is saying it's no longer offered, I'm not sure if tetra would fit, or if it's even approved for use in Canada. I'm looking for people here for their recommendation, manufacturer isn't overly important. A solution from Mike / Nextel is not an option, customer does not want pay as you play.

Specs need to be....

-- 50+ talk groups
-- 1000 Users
-- 10+ talk paths
-- Telephone integration (Full Duplex)
-- Secure enough that a scanner can not listen in (must be encrypted, or some other protocols that scanners can't listen to)


thanks in advance.

[mr.syntrx]

A three carrier (12 timeslots, one or two for control and the rest for user traffic) TETRA system would fit perfectly, and the larger dealers in Australia are pushing Motorola Compact TETRA (rebadged DAMM TetraFlex BTSes) for this purpose nowadays, but as you said, I doubt you can buy it over there.

DAMM infrastructure equipment and Sepura terminals have FCC approval, but I'm not sure about whether they have approval in Canada.

[wavetar]

An Astro25LE system would do everything they need except for the full duplex telephone interfacing. That's going to put a big snag in things. I'm not aware of TETRA even being on the horizon for approved use in Canada.

Sounds like they are looking for a Telario type system on steroids. What kind of money are they willing to spend?

Todd

[Bruce1807]

Astro 25 is out for full duplex telephone.
Motorola is quite capable at doing this but the APCO people didn't want it in the standard.
The best option is Tetra Lite but getting it approved for use in Canada may be a little wierd.
Although I can say for the F1 race (real motor racing) last week in Montreal they
an 8 channel Tetra compact was running running.

[bellersley]

I can understand the customer's reasoning for not wanting a solution such as Telus's iDEN (MiKE) system. However, it shouldn't be ruled out completly without talking to Telus first. If you are going to be using the kind of demand this customer obviously would be, Telus would be more than willing to be flexible on any pricing.

Durham Regional Police, east of Toronto is on the Telus iDEN system for a number of years. I remember reading the RFP and what not. The cost of owning/installing their own system as opposed to using the Telus solution was signifigantly greater when you consider the expected service life and consider the costs for maintenance and the like. In the long run, it's cheaper to pay $10 per month per unit or whatever deal they have worked out, and get an "all in one" solution. That way, if a handset breaks no problem, just get another one. Same deal with infrastructure.

[alex]

Disney bailed on their old 900 TRS from what I hear through the rumror mill - and is now 100% Nextel. The Nextel coverage in the parks are NUTS in Florida.... (that's good NUTS not bad nuts!)

If you can get some coverage guarantees and such, it probably isn't a horrible idea to approach Telus... The only downside I see with a Telus solution, is the fact that you can't control the dialtone, so you can't make them all 100% internal phones, you have to call into the PBX, etc. So it's not 100% yours to control. I can think of a variety of reasons why that wouldn't be a good idea - e.g. your running a HUGE VOIP network, and want someone on the floor to talk to AUS about something that got screwed up here, there or otherwise. (not saying AUS has a bunch of screwups, it's just for the sake of example).

-Alex

[wavetar]

Astro 25 is out for full duplex telephone.
Motorola is quite capable at doing this but the APCO people didn't want it in the standard.

Motorola offers tons of trunking features over & above what's defined in the APCO standard, why not full duplex telephone? I don't think APCO has anything to do with it...it's just not easily implemented in the current North American Smartnet/Smartzone products.

[Bruce1807]

Motorola wanted it in the standard but the APCO Project 25 committee said no.

[mr.syntrx]

If you can get some coverage guarantees and such, it probably isn't a horrible idea to approach Telus... The only downside I see with a Telus solution, is the fact that you can't control the dialtone, so you can't make them all 100% internal phones, you have to call into the PBX, etc. So it's not 100% yours to control.

The GSM carriers here do that for large customers with no trouble at all. I would've thought iDEN carriers could do the same.