TETRA to be allowed

[kb3jqq]

ADDENDA: THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, RELEASED JULY 2, 2013, DID NOT APPEAR IN DIGEST NO. 126:

AMENDMENT OF PART 90 OF THE COMMISSION'S RULES TO PERMIT TERRESTRIAL TRUNKED RADIO (TETRA) TECHNOLOGY. Granted the Petition for Clarification and/or Reconsideration filed by Motorola Solutions, Inc. Clarified a Report and Order and rules in Part 90 regarding the use of TETRA and other technologies. (Dkt No. 11-69 ). Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 07/02/2013 by Order on Reconsideration. (FCC No. 13-91). WTB

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-91A1.docx
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-91A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-91A1.txt

Someone will have to release a scanner that does 4 slot TDMA. My 2 slot PSR800
will become obsolete..........

 

[DaveNF2G]

Evidently there were some manufacturers and dealers who knew far in advance how the FCC would rule on this. There are news reports (including one in the RR Announcements Forum) of companies already buying and building TETRA systems in the U.S.

 

[ScanWI]

TETRA is coming and is here in some ways. Our local radio shop has a system for demo at their place. They have the ETELM and Funkwerk one though. These systems have begun to sell in Canada so it's only a matter of time.

 

[TrevDog]

To be honest, my biggest issue with TETRA is the way the stupid little radios look... I like a radio to look like a radio, not a circa 2000 Nokia cellphone.

 

[Raccon]

To be honest, my biggest issue with TETRA is the way the stupid little radios look... I like a radio to look like a radio, not a circa 2000 Nokia cellphone.

There is a wide range of TETRA radios on offer, including heavy-duty and ATEX certified radios. Perhaps you should first educate yourself about what's available but don't be surprised if the TETRA market is not just limited to what you like.

 

[TrevDog]

There is a wide range of TETRA radios on offer, including heavy-duty and ATEX certified radios. Perhaps you should first educate yourself about what's available but don't be surprised if the TETRA market is not just limited to what you like.

Well alright...

I do know about some of the many varieties of TETRA radios, though I'm no expert. I would think that someone could see the humor in my post.

 

[poltergeisty]

So will scanners receive TETRA?

 

[Thunderknight]

This notice isn't what allowed TETRA to start with. This is a clarification to an earlier ruling (From September) that allowed TETRA in certain applications and bands.
So TETRA has been permitted for nearly a year.

 

[lep]

Evidently there were some manufacturers and dealers who knew far in advance how the FCC would rule on this. .

Anyone who follows ITU-R events (such as manufacturers) should have known how the FCC would 'rule' on TETRA (originally known as Trans European Trunked Radio) this system received approval as an ITU recommendation through Study Group (8) now 5, some years ago at about the same time as P-25. These recommendations are now downloadable from the ITU-web site without charge for anyone who wants the details. In other words, from a regulatory standpoint there was no basis for the FCC not to approve another ITU sanctioned protocol. BTW, the US Government (including the FCC) is a full participant in the ITU Study group process.[ Note: TETRAPOL is something else and is normally used only by governments in high-security applications]

 

[DaveNF2G]

TETRA = TErrestrial Trunked RAdio

FCC does not have to comply with ITU recommendations for new technologies. No administration does. However, Motorola makes TETRA equipment and certainly wants the U.S. market. Therefore it is no surprise that the FCC eventually went along with it.

 

[radioman2001]

That's interesting since the M was originally against it, as they wanted to keep selling overpriced P-25 radios, but since PowerTrunk got their product through the regulation process they don't want to miss out. Plus I don't believe Harris has a TETRA product at this time, this could be a way to undercut them on large industrial systems. NYCTA is building a system and so is NJ Transit. That's a lot of radios in the NYC market area I am sure they want to bid.

 

[Thunderknight]

TETRA = TErrestrial Trunked RAdio

Actually you and lep are both right. Trans European was the old name, but when it become so globally used, it was changed to Terrestrial.

 

[lep]

TETRA = TErrestrial Trunked RAdio

FCC does not have to comply with ITU recommendations for new technologies. No administration does. However, Motorola makes TETRA equipment and certainly wants the U.S. market. Therefore it is no surprise that the FCC eventually went along with it.

Notice I was careful to specify what TETRA stood for when it was invented and approved. It was Later when the marketing folks realized that "Trans -European" was not a good name to use in the USA that they suddenly decided to change the expansion of the word Tetra.

No the FCC is not bound by law to accept the Recommendations but since the US participates and has adequate opportunity to object and/or modify a Recommendation prior to acceptance there is little technical basis for denial. Lots of manufacturers can make Tetra equipment, Motorola was NOT the inventor or original proposer of the standard. But in order to become a standard, the ITU requires the owner of the intellectual property to agree to license others at "normal commercial terms." So I repeat, once Tetra became an agreed ITU digital protocol is was foregone that it would become approved for use in the USA. Why not?

 

[Raccon]

Notice I was careful to specify what TETRA stood for when it was invented and approved. It was Later when the marketing folks realized that "Trans -European" was not a good name to use in the USA that they suddenly decided to change the expansion of the word Tetra.

What makes you think this was about the USA?

 

[Raccon]

TETRA = TErrestrial Trunked RAdio

FCC does not have to comply with ITU recommendations for new technologies. No administration does. However, Motorola makes TETRA equipment and certainly wants the U.S. market. Therefore it is no surprise that the FCC eventually went along with it.

Motorola is the last TETRA manufacturer that wants to see TETRA in the US. Think overpriced proprietary systems and radios that they have been selling so far, now a technology based on an open standard comes along where you have dozens of manufacturers and competitive pricing compared to those "home-made" systems/radios ... not good for M having to compete with them.

 

[Raccon]

So will scanners receive TETRA?

The question is: Are the scanner manufacturers willing to license their equipment for scanning TETRA?

Also consider that TETRA can be easily encrypted, so even you have a TETRA-capable scanner you may not be able to hear much if anything.

 

[N8IAA]

The question is: Are the scanner manufacturers willing to license their equipment for scanning TETRA?

Also consider that TETRA can be easily encrypted, so even you have a TETRA-capable scanner you may not be able to hear much if anything.

No different than encrypted TRBO. Or, trunked NXDN. All predicated on what the manufacturers present to public safety as need to have digital according to the FCC. Just more of the Texas two step the sales people use to bamboozle the state, county, city politicians.
Larry

 

[lep]

Motorola is the last TETRA manufacturer that wants to see TETRA in the US. Think overpriced proprietary systems and radios that they have been selling so far, now a technology based on an open standard comes along where you have dozens of manufacturers and competitive pricing compared to those "home-made" systems/radios ... not good for M having to compete with them.

APCO-25 is an "open standard" in the same sense as TETRA. All ITU approved protocols require that the intellectual property be available for license to others on normal commercial terms.

Anyone who wants to purchase a license can make P-25, Tetra, Edacs equipment. Many make all of these, only P-25 did Motorola have a hand in the initial development.

I have no idea what "home-made" systems are.

 

[lep]

What makes you think this was about the USA?

Common sense. This thread was about the expansion of Tetra and an FCC Rule making. As a Senator from North Carolina once said in televised Hearings, "I can understand English, it was my mother's tongue"

 

[DaveNF2G]

Motorola is the last TETRA manufacturer that wants to see TETRA in the US. Think overpriced proprietary systems and radios that they have been selling so far, now a technology based on an open standard comes along where you have dozens of manufacturers and competitive pricing compared to those "home-made" systems/radios ... not good for M having to compete with them.

Motorola's "overpriced proprietary systems" are based on the so-called open standard of Project 25. Why would you expect them to behave any differently with TETRA?