Interoperability
as defined by FalconDirect

One of the Homeland Security buzzwords is Interoperability!  Those of us who go back a few years had another word.  We called it compatibility.  To put it simply, in the old days, Law enforcement was at the top of the communications food chain.  The state (troopers, department of public safety, or highway patrol as you choose) was the model, followed by the county sheriffs, then trickling on down to municipal and township law enforcement agencies.  The plan was that everyone in law enforcement would have the ability to talk to each other.  Little thought was given to communicating with fire, rescue, emergency healthcare, disaster relief, aviation, or federal agencies.

Then we got smarter.  Large agencies, who had access to large budgets, and later grants, we  were able to move up to some of the high tech communications technologies such as 800 MHz trunking, digital radios such as the much touted APCO 25 digital standard, and a variety of other systems such as EDACS by GE/Ericsson and more recently MA-COM.  Motorola has their own system.  E.F. Johnson developed the one that ultimately became something of an analog defacto standard (LTR).  Uniden, once a major player came up with ESAS trunking, even Midland, also once a major player came up with their CMS system, and from across the great waters came Tetra.  Even offshore suppliers, such as Tait Electronics (New Zealand), came to the USA promoting MPT1327 and now we are seeing the first offerings of Software Defined Radios (SDR).  Add network system providers such as Nextel, SouthernLINK, and more recently Sprint and Verizon,  to complete a bewildering array of choices.  Even the original VHF and UHF systems have become non-standard through the use of differing channel spacing, restriction through the use of privacy codes, add on trunking capability and voice encryption devices.

Now we had created a situation where law enforcement agencies within a single county couldn't talk to each other, much less talking to other agencies.  To make matters worse, the state was no longer the leader in technical standards since they no longer had the budgets to upgrade their complete systems.  The tail is now wagging the dog, with larger cities, and sometimes counties attempting (with less than stellar results) to set the local area standards.  

HISTORY, AS WE SEE IT!

We can't speak for all areas, but we can give you an overview of what has happened in several of Alabama's largest metropolitan areas - Birmingham, and Mobile, both of which have gone to 800 MHz trunking - Jefferson County (Birmingham) to a proprietary Motorola format, and Mobile County to a proprietary MA-COM (aka G.E., ComNet, Ericsson, etc.) format.  In Mobile it was at least a combined city/county effort.  In Jefferson County, the city of Birmingham, not to mention other little cities like Bessemer, Homewood, Hoover, and Vestavia were virtually ignored.  Neither of these administrations gave any thought (at least as we see it) to any compatibility with adjoining counties, or even the State of Alabama!

In Mobile, and in Jefferson County, no apparent thought was given to the fact that there are no 800 MHz trunking compatible  voice pagers.  Scratch the volunteer fire departments who rely almost totally on VHF voice pagers and compatibility with other agencies using VHF.  Somehow, the definition of insanity keeps coming to mind.  In case you haven't looked it up lately, the definition of insanity is such unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding as prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction or as removes one from criminal or civil responsibility (Miriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary).

Some cities operate on UHF, others on VHF, some on network systems by SouthernLINK, while the Alabama state troopers operate on VHF, as do the majority of the sheriffs departments, while the majority of the volunteer fire departments and the Alabama Forestry Commission operate on UHF.  Emergency medical services are primarily VHF while aviation users operate in a special VHF sub band using AM, rather than FM modulation.  Our conclusion?  Heaven help us if we ever have a major emergency!  So what do you do?  First, you acknowledge there is a problem.  Second, accept the fact that no one else is going to solve the problem for you, and third, begin planning reasonable alternatives to satisfy your local area requirements.

Although this commentary has been prepared primarily to address the needs of public safety users, we see an alarming trend in private sector communications where a single solution communications approach is being promoted by network carriers such as Nextel, SouthernLINC and others.  While it is true that there are now devices and networks capable of performing multiple capabilities such as telephone, pager, 2-way radio, and even a PDA.  However, it should be pointed out that the monthly cost associated with these devices is around seventy dollars monthly for EACH one!  New intelligent digital switches are now available that can combine privately owned paging and 2-way radio systems to work in conjunction with public networks at SUBSTANTIAL savings!  We will discuss this technology in more detail shortly.

ANALOG SWITCHING

Historically, the two major problems (before things got complicated) were (a) VHF police departments that moved to UHF or 800 MHz leaving the fire department behind on VHF (or vice versa), and (b) county wide systems that moved to 800 MHz trunking, thereby leaving the fire department with no way to utilize voice pagers.

The solution to both of these problems can be resolved using a device known as a cross-band repeater.  Without getting technical, we will simply say that these devices consist of two radios.  To allow a VHF user to talk to a UHF user, the first analog solution is to install a VHF radio and a UHF radio at a common location.  The receiver output of the VHF radio feeds the transmitter of the UHF radio.  The receiver of the UHF radio feeds the VHF transmitter.  The result is that a VHF and a UHF radio can talk to each other just as if they are on the same frequency.  The cross-band repeater can be installed on a mountain top serving a large service area, in a vehicle for on-scene communications, or carried in a transportable version.  These devices are relatively inexpensive - just a few thousand dollars excluding the associated antenna system.  If you would like additional information on these devices, please send us an email to sales@falconwireless.net and ask for information on the Motorola Radius GR500 cross-band repeater.

A cross-band repeater can also resolve the problem caused by moving a system to 800 MHz and losing the ability to send voice paging messages.  In this application, an individual 800 MHz ID is assigned for the paging channel.  When the dispatcher wants to send a page, they simply select the appropriate 800 MHz ID, then send the paging tones and voice message just as they would if they were using a conventional VHF or UHF system.  In this example, the cross-band repeater picks up the 800 MHz message and retransmits on the conventional VHF or UHF paging channel.  Call acknowledgement and communications from field VHF or UHF radios are returned to the dispatcher using a reverse procedure (i.e. VHF or UHF transmissions from field units are received on the VHF receiver associated with the cross-band repeater, then transmitted by 800 MHz.

The alternative solution is a dispatch console such as the Gai-Tronics ICP9000 series.  Desktop consoles were originally called remote control consoles.  Their function was to remotely control a distant base station location on a hilltop or water tank from a dispatch center.  Dedicated  phone lines called RT loops allowed simple DC circuits to use amplifiers and control voltages for remote control of a base station.  Later, tone remote controls allowed the flexibility to control multiple base stations.  With this new capability, it was possible to cross connect one station to the other.  In essence, a cross connected system allowed the dispatcher to choose when these stations were connected.  Over time, the ability to connect telephone lines with radio became a reality.  Today, a console is mainly a switch to allow the dispatcher to monitor and connect radios and phone lines and/or cellular phones.  If you would like to know more about consoles, we invite you to visit www.falconwireless.net/law/Consoles. 

Cross-band repeaters work well for limited requirements.  Consoles provide more capability but require a dispatcher for switching.  Clearly, we were ready for the next generation of products to provide interoperable capability.  There are significant benefits associated with the capability to transfer the switching function to the user rather than the limited functionality of a cross-band repeater or dispatcher controlled console.  The company that developed this technology to a practical user level at reasonable cost was Uniden.  The difference is what Uniden did can be summed up in one word - DIGITAL!

DIGITAL SWITCHING

Let's go back a decade or so.  At that time private radio dispatch operators were successfully operating business radio services licensed by the FCC as Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) providers.  The services were very similar to the Nextel and SouthernLINC services of today with the exception that they generally did not provide phone or paging service (only 2-way radio), and their service area was typically limited to a county or two.  The rates were great - averaging around ten dollars per month per mobile used on the system.  At that time, Uniden, along with Motorola, E.F. Johnson, and GE/Ericsson were the major equipment providers.  The engineers at Uniden concluded that if they could develop a networked SMR system, connected via the Internet, that they could extend coverage and add other features, like telephone and paging service.  The result was a system called ESAS an acronym for Extended Sub-Audible Signaling System.

Then along came Nextel, and in the southeastern US, SouthernLINC!  By 1997, Nextel had built a nationwide network using TDMA digital technology with multiple stations connected by leased circuits and microwave.  The Nextel system was, and is, designed to serve metropolitan areas along with corridor coverage on major Interstate highways.  The SouthernLINC system followed the power lines of their parent company (Southern Company) where microwave circuits were in place to provide coverage in both urban and rural areas primarily in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The idea of using the Internet was not a viable option at that time.  Anyway, to make a long story short, the switching terminals used as a part of the ESAS system were way ahead of their time.  ESAS was designed to connect to microwave circuits, T1 lines, ISDN, and even the Internet using virtually any broadband connection.

Although ESAS was years ahead of it's time, the system never really got off the ground, primarily as a result of competition from Nextel and to a lesser degree, SouthernLINC.  The small local dealers simply did not have the financial resources, management expertise, or cooperation with each other to compete.  For what it's worth, the cost of 2-way service from Nextel in 1997 was $25 per month.  Today, it is $45 per month and the trend is up!  Some of us said business and public safety users would never pay $25 per month for 2-way radio service when they could have it for $10.  We were wrong!

We didn't understand the concept giving away equipment, spending up to four hundred dollars to get a single customer, or the fact that a business could grow without making a profit.  This same business model apparently is still in effect.  I just read that XM Radio (the satellite entertainment radio service), which we love, is losing around sixty million dollars a quarter and their stock price is going up!  Well, anyway, back to our story.......

It is not uncommon for large corporations to close, sell, or spin off operating divisions that do not meet their overall growth expectation.  Although Uniden's US operations headquartered in the Dallas, Texas area were profitable, it was decided to get out of the commercial 2-way business. The engineers responsible for ESAS formed a new company called VDV Media
Corporation focusing on Interoperability and Connectivity. These engineers, in addition to developing a wide area multi-site dispatch solution for the commercial 2-way business, have developed an incredible product called the Intelligent Digital Switch. T This switch, and several companion products,  is the heart of a whole new technology to provide the highest level of interoperability, flexibility, and affordability.

The IDS-1600 Intelligent Digital Switch
We call it The Connector™! 

It's hard to make a black box beautiful, but if there is such as thing as a beautiful black box, we think it would be the IDS-1600 and it's big brother, the DT-2000, by VDV media.  This is what others are calling new technology. With VDV Media, it's just something that they have been doing for years.  This new generation of intelligent digital switches can provide a high level of interoperability for public safety users and expanded functionality for commercial and institutional users.  Here's how it works!

Technically, we could go into a lot more detail, and for those who want the specifics, we suggest a visit to the VDV Media web site at www.vdvmedia.com. For now, let us just say that The Connector™ is a digital smart switch that allows radios on different frequency bands, phone lines, cell phones,  satellite phones, iDEN (Nextel and SouthernLINC), even PC's! to be connected without a requirement for a dispatcher.  The connection capability can be continuous or on command as you choose with control and connection functions accomplished with a cell phone or DTMF keypad equipped 2-way radio.  So what are the applications?

In the public safety sector, an officer with a VHF 2-way radio can have the ability to talk to UHF or 800 MHz users within his or her primary operating area.  This officer can receive pages, and can call or receive calls from any telephone in the world.  He or she can send private text messages to other users with compatible radios as well as talk to officers in any other jurisdiction connected via an Internet ,T1, fiber, satellite, or microwave connection.  The interoperability problem is SOLVED!

In the private sector, the advantages are equally beneficial.  Today, it is not uncommon to have manufacturing facilities, distribution points, or offices around the globe.  With The Connector, it is now possible for personnel at any location to maintain communications with each other as well as with the counterparts anywhere in the world!  Now you can have coverage where you want it - in urban areas, in rural areas - anywhere at reasonable cost AND NO MONTHLY AIRTIME FEES FOR RADIOS USED ON THE SYSTEM!

COMPETITIVE REVIEW

An earlier mention was made of the early lead developed by the company now known as VDV Media.  So, just how much farther ahead are they in comparison to providers of similar technology?  First, it would be well to remember that there are three major development areas for communications in North America - The Research Triangle in North Carolina, the Toronto and Vancouver metro areas in Canada, and the Dallas Ft. Worth area in Texas.  It was not by accident that Uniden selected the Dallas area as the location for their US radio communications facilities.  Dallas is a technology hub with a specific emphasis on communications with Texas Instruments being one of the major players.  The Research Triangle is better known for computer technology (IBM among others).  The Canadians, and to a lesser extent, the Australians have been key players in the development of messaging services (telephone switches, paging, etc.).  Therefore it should come as no great surprise that the three major players evolved from the three aforementioned areas.  You already know the history of VDV Media.  Now, let's look at the others.

Raytheon/JPS is probably the most publicized of the group.  As you may or may not know, Raytheon is a major defense systems contractor.  With the potential of large federal grants for Homeland Security, Raytheon was quick to jump into the marketplace by acquiring JPS (who developed the original ACU-1000 switch).  The design is somewhat outdated and is subject to blocking, but the power of big money and advertising can make up for the lack of technical superiority.  The apparent goal of JPS is to sell the ACU-1000 in association with an emergency disaster vehicle and/or other related products.  We understand the price tag for the First Responder Command and Communication vehicle is around a quarter of a million dollars and that includes a special paint job!  Only in America.......

One of the newer competitive entries is Infinimode Systems, Inc. of Delta B.C. Canada (Vancouver).  The product appears to be more advanced technically than the Raytheon/JPS switch, and comparable in capability and pricing with VDV Media. Since we offer both VDV and Infinimode, we leave the final decision as to what's best up to YOU!

For additional information, give us a call at 1-800-489-2611 or email us - sales@falconwireless.net.