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There are many options for voice and data communications that can piggyback on existing systems. What is even more impressive is how well vendors like Motorola and Harris have integrated the best of LMR and LTE in some very impressive packages.
Land Mobile Radio (LMR) has been in use with Public Safety for many decades and has seen significant technological advancements such as trunking. However, much greater changes are on the horizon. Although not quite at the pace of consumer electronics, more recent LMR advancements have been nothing short of amazing given the technology that was available in the early 1990s.
With no particular bias to any vendor, each LMR manufacturer has strengths and weaknesses. In the end, each delivers a similar product that serves Public Safety well. The differences in features are what distinguish the LMR vendors from one another. This enables agencies to make choices based more on features than the core technology.
Some may argue Harris makes a better switch and backend, while Motorola makes superior user equipment. That is a purely subjective call. Only your agency-specific requirements and evaluation process can dictate what works for you. Harris and Motorola are mentioned only because these are the most common two platforms. Obviously, other LMR options are available.
The evolution of the Project 25 standard, commonly referred to as P25, is resulting in Public Safety replacing their proprietary networks, such as ED ACS and Smart Zone to name a few. Most people that work in the LMR technical field agree that P25 is a solution that will continue to serve Public Safety for a number of years. P25 will evolve as Public Safety communication needs change.
P25 LMR is primarily used for voice communication and some limited data applications such as over-the-air programming (OTAP) and over-the-air rekeying (OTAR). The limiting factor in P25 is a result of the digital communication path bandwidth. As with all technologies, data bandwidth demands are constantly increasing.
Shift to LTE
The major LMR vendors are shifting their focus to Long Term Evolution (LTE) push-to-talk technology. LTE is well established in the consumer smartphone market, enabling not only voice, but very high-speed data applications that just a short time ago were not possible. Enhanced data technology...