Toronto Police to switch to p25 by 2012, new radio tower infastructure

[Jammin_Jay]

I have link to an article, i came across, indicating tps, and other emergency services will switch to p25 radio's, and have them all phased in by 2012, with a new radio tower infastructure.

Couple of questions come to mind

1. What type of system upgrades will they use for p25.
2. What model of radio's are those in the photo (obviously a motorola type radio)

Here is the link:

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/thebadge/2007.06.pdf

The Article is on Page 8 of this .pdf file

Titled "Airwaves to be improved for officers"
Apparently they are starting this phase in Four District first.
This includes, EMS, fire and TPS.
Some Talkgroups will/can be encrypted, but doesn't specify which ones for tps

Court Services and others will be transferred to p25 by this fall, all other talkgroups will be transferred to p25 by 2011
Apparently the old and new radios will interoperate on the system.

 

[Muxlow]

So it seems they have these new radios in use already. Just not the new P25 system yet
Wonder what the mobiles look like

 

[Jay911]

That's one from the XTS series ... looks like a 5000 IIRC.

The likely "partner" mobile radios are the XTL series also from big M.

 

[tonsoffun]

I wonder if they will just encrypted everything (Talk Groups) since they are going to spend the money?
Take care

 

[exkalibur]

Yes, the portables are Motorola XTS5000s and the mobiles are Motorola XTL5000s.

Right now, 42 and 43 Division are using the new radios (and have new radio IDs on the system), as the article indicates.

There are basically 2 things that could happen, come 2012.

1) It will be the same system they're on now, just with P25 talkgroups.
2) It will be a totally new P25 system which means no analog.

If it's a new P25 9600 system, the current radios will have to be replaced. Currently the only agency with radios capable of operating 9600 are Toronto EMS as they've been using XTS5000s for some time now. That means everybody else will have to get new gear as the MTS2000s and MCS2000s and the like don't support 9600, much less digital.

The article says that the new system offers better encryption, but it doesn't say they're going to use it. I am only taking a guess on this, but I would imagine they're probably going to encrypt the sensitive stuff like ISS, ETF and that sort of thing. From an officer perspective it just makes sense as they don't have to worry about using codes (which get them confused sometimes) and be secretive on the radio about locations and such.

I wouldn't be too concerned, as whatever is going to happen won't happen until 2012 so at the very least we've still got 5 or so years of good listening.

 

[Jammin_Jay]

My guess would be that it will be a new p25 system to cover that faster datarate at 9600 which will eliminate analogue because analogue won't be able to run on a full fledge p25 system. Hence the new radio tower infrastructure. But it the mean time, because of the mix of analogue and p25 radio's, they will remain with the current system until all analogue radio's have been phased out that use the system by 2012.

 

[tomandnic]

my guess would be encrypt the really sensitive stuff like etf etc and just keep the rest digital (i agree with exkalibur).

 

[Jammin_Jay]

Well let's hope so, so everyone from us scanner hobbiest, to media, to whomever can listen to p25 unencrypted. Keeping the sensitive comms encrypted would make sense, but we just have to wait and see how this is all going to unfold. But the project date for completion is 2012, so five more years of listening at least.