Solutions · Mission-critical radio networks
We build turnkey mission-critical radio networks, from the frequency application through to maintenance.
We design, build, and maintain complete professional radio networks: TETRA trunking, DMR Tier II and Tier III, P25, analog VHF/UHF, and mixed-technology networks, including same-frequency simulcast configurations. We handle every stage: authorizations and frequency applications, coverage study, design, supply, installation, commissioning, and support.
Anyone buying a radio network is buying a service, not a piece of equipment: teams have to hear and be heard at every point of the work area, at any moment.
That is why we treat the network as a single system. The coverage study establishes how many sites are needed and where to install them; we handle the authorization paperwork and the frequency application, choose the technology to suit your requirements between TETRA trunking, DMR Tier II and Tier III, P25, and analog VHF/UHF, and make it coexist with the networks already in service.
We build the sites, the links, and the control room, program the terminals, and train the operators. We close with instrumented acceptance testing and a maintenance contract: for the customer, there is a single point of contact from the first application through to support in service.
What makes a professional radio network hard to build.
The three points where a radio network stops working as intended, and how we solve them during design.
Covering the whole area with multiple sites
A single radio site does not cover a large or rugged area. You need several sites, with the antennas aimed at the zones to be served and the coverage areas overlapping at the edges, so communication carries on without a break from one site to the next. How many sites are needed and where to install them is settled by the coverage study, before work starts on site.
Keeping the sites synchronized
In same-frequency simulcast networks every site transmits on the same frequency: if the synchronization is not precise, the audio in the overlap zones degrades until it becomes unintelligible. Site alignment is measured at commissioning and verified at every maintenance visit.
Staying in service when the power fails
A mission-critical network is needed precisely in the situations where the power fails or a link goes down. Every site has an uninterruptible power supply and buffer batteries sized for the required autonomy, and the links identified as critical during design have an alternative path.
How a multi-site radio network is built.
The network core coordinates the radio sites, which in a same-frequency simulcast configuration transmit on the same frequency and cover adjoining areas. The control room and the teams’ terminals work on that same network.
- Network equipment
- The network core switches the calls and keeps the radio sites synchronized. The control room is connected to the core and talks to every team.
- Coverage of each site
- The area served by a single radio site. Adjoining areas overlap, so communication carries on without a break from one site to the next.
- Terminals in the field
- Portable radios, vehicle radios, and fixed stations work across the whole network, not on a single site, and are programmed to the same fleet plan.
- Links between the sites
- The dashed lines carry the traffic and the synchronization between the network core, the radio sites, and the control room.
What a complete radio network includes.
The systems we build and the checks we use to verify them, from the network core to the teams’ terminals.
Network core and switching
- Call switching and call management equipment, in single-site or multi-site configuration
- TETRA and DMR Tier III trunking: talkgroups, priorities, and emergency calls
- Register of authorized terminals, talkgroups, and service profiles
- Redundancy of the main equipment, with a functional test on the standby system
- Interconnection with the radio networks and the telephone exchanges already in service at the customer site
Radio sites and equipment
- Base stations and repeaters installed in technical rooms and shelters
- Same-frequency simulcast configuration, with synchronization and alignment between the sites
- Duplexers, combiners, cavity filters, and terminating loads chosen for the frequencies in use
- Racks, RF cabling, and labeling of equipment and cables to the design drawings
- Measurement of output power, frequency deviation, and receive sensitivity
Antennas, feed lines, and earthing
- Site antennas on a mast or tower, at the azimuth and tilt specified by the design
- Downlead cables, connectors, and weatherproofing against moisture ingress
- Measurement of the standing wave ratio (VSWR) on antennas and transmission lines
- Surge arresters on the RF lines and bonding to the earthing system
- Check of the mechanical fixings, the guy wires, and the antenna alignment
Links between the sites
- Fiber backbones and copper runs between the radio sites, the technical rooms, and the control room
- Point-to-point and point-to-multipoint microwave links where laying cable is not practical
- Network equipment, patch cabinets, and PoE power supplies
- An alternative path on the links identified as critical during design
- Separation of radio traffic from the rest of the customer network, and security configuration of the equipment
Terminals and programming
- Portable terminals, vehicle radios, and fixed stations chosen for the working environment
- Programming of channels, talkgroups, priorities, and user profiles
- A single fleet plan for all the teams, with firmware versions kept aligned
- Batteries, chargers, and audio accessories suited to the intended use
- Communication tests in the field and verification of emergency calls
Control room and dispatch
- Respondr dispatch console: radio networks, telephony, and PoC at the same operator position
- Gateways and audio interfaces to the radio equipment of the different networks
- Recording of communications, searchable by radio ID, date, time, and channel
- Audio management between adjacent positions, with echo and feedback cancellation
- Operator profiles and role-based access control, with traceability of operations
Power supply and continuity
- Boards, protection devices, and lines dedicated to the radio equipment at every site
- Uninterruptible power supplies and buffer batteries sized for the required autonomy
- Redundant power supplies on the main equipment
- A functional test of every site running without mains power
Monitoring and support
- Equipment supervision with Track-TP: status, alarms, and notifications by email, WhatsApp, and Telegram
- TP-RFX for continuous monitoring of the radio carriers in service
- Maintenance contract with scheduled visits and call-out on failure
- A written report for every visit, with the measurements taken and the state of the network
Frequently asked questions.
The questions we are asked most often about this type of system.
Is a radio network of your own worth it, or is PoC over the cellular network enough?
It depends on where your teams work and on what has to happen when the public network is unavailable. PoC, meaning voice communication carried over the cellular network, covers long distances without requiring radio sites of your own, but it follows the mobile operators’ coverage and traffic: in tunnels, on underground levels, and in areas with no service, PoC does not work unless a dedicated distribution system is in place. A professional radio network covers the area set by the design, stays in service even when the cells are congested, and provides the talkgroups, priorities, and emergency calls the standard defines. Many organizations keep both together, the professional network for teams in the field and PoC for people who move outside the covered area, and connect them to the same dispatch console: the operator talks to everyone from one position.
Can you move from analog to digital without stopping communications?
Yes. The migration runs in phases and the teams stay in service throughout the work. In the intermediate phase the network runs on mixed technology: the analog equipment already installed keeps serving the groups that have not switched yet, while the new digital network enters service one group at a time, with the terminals reprogrammed and tested in the field. The control room loses neither side, because the dispatch console brings analog and digital networks together at the same operator position. The analog network is switched off once the last group has moved to digital and has passed acceptance testing.
Besides the frequencies, what authorizations do you need to install a new radio site?
You need access to the land or the building that hosts the site, the building and landscape permits the municipality requires for the mast or tower, and the notification to the environmental authority on electromagnetic fields before the site enters service. How many permits are actually needed depends on the constraints that apply to the area and on the type of support structure, so it is settled site by site together with the coverage study, which identifies the positions. Response times depend on the authorities involved: that is why we start the paperwork alongside the design work, not once the site is already open.
Can the network be expanded later with new sites or new teams?
Yes, and it pays to allow for that at the design stage. Adding teams, talkgroups, and terminals is configuration work: you update the network register and reprogram the fleet, without touching the radio sites. Adding a site is more demanding, because it calls for a new coverage check, available capacity on the network core, a link to the new site, and in some cases the assignment of further frequencies. That is why we size the network core and the links around the growth the customer expects, not just around the number of teams on day one.
Request a proposal for mission-critical radio networks.
For every project we provide a tailored technical and commercial proposal based on your requirements — feasibility analysis, RF coverage study, and intervention planning.