Date: 03/06/2006
Final
Radio Interoperability
COMMITTEE ON JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
| Votes: View--> | Action Taken: |
| TIE |
12:12 PM
Jay Jacobsmeyer, Perical Communications Company, gave a presentation on radio interoperability (Attachment A). Mr. Jacobsmeyer discussed the proprietary nature of radio systems used by emergency workers. He contrasted radio networks with open networks, which are the platform on which cellular phones work. The European public safety radio network (TETRA) is an open system. Mr. Jacobsmeyer responded to questions from the committee regarding open and closed systems, and the possibility of building a network on which any type of radio will work. He stated that the limitation is not the radios, but the infrastructure that is currently in place. He spoke about the dominant public safety radio vendors, including Motorola, M/A-COM, EF Johnson, and Kenwood. Mr. Jacobsmeyer discussed the transfer of analog bands from television to public safety operators. The three major bands of public safety are VHF, UHF, and 800 MHz, but there is new activity at 900 and 700 MHz and major vendors offer products in all bands. He discussed the general rules for coverage being affected by frequency and which frequencies work best in certain areas of the state.
12:29 PM
Mr. Jacobsmeyer continued his discussion of radio interoperability with a cost comparison between trunked radio on 900 MHz, conventional VHF radio, and cell phones. He talked about what is best for rural areas and covered whether some or all rural agencies moving to the state-funded 800 MHz system, known as the Cooperative Communications Network of Colorado (CCNC) or Digital Trunked Radio System (DTRS). He also discussed the best way to prioritize spending taxpayer dollars. Mr. Jacobsmeyer spoke about what is best for urban areas. His view is that all urban agencies should not move to CCNC, but rather create interoperability interfaces instead. However, it might be the best choice for some urban agencies and should b e considered on a case-by-case basis. He responded to questions from the committee regarding spending priorities.
12:41 PM
Mr. Jacobsmeyer discussed various interoperability solutions and the state of the industry. He stated that interoperability is a busy technology area, but it is not always simple or trouble-free. He also discussed Project 25 and the problem with proprietary infrastructures. Mr. Jacobsmeyer offered some suggestions for what the state should and should not do. He remarked that the state should encourage cooperation between agencies and it should not endorse specific vendors. He concluded with the idea that a common system for all users is not practical because it is too costly for rural areas currently using VHF.