It still boggles my mind that we're spending $765 million on this project when we could be selecting something more affordable from another vendor. There must be a better product on the market that would have given us better, quicker and easier use.
Does the $765 Million price tag include software licenses, service & maintenance for the 15 years of planned operation?
I think nearly everyone has caught on that buying the low-tender up front purchase for a big radio system was just a fraction of the total cost of ownership. I see municipalities now tendering for radio systems with long term support contract pricing as part of the vendor selection.
The mobile package, which includes the APX P25 mobile, a P25 full duplex Futurecomm repeater, and a P25 APX portable is probably about $25,000 to $30,000 installed in the vehicle. The old FleetNet package with analog repeater and tait portable was $14,000
With 4500 OPP and perhaps 1000 EMS units, and then 500 Others, that could reach $150 to $180 million in purchase price.
Technology service contracts run 10-15% of purchase price annually, so $15-$20 million a year to maintain the mobile packages.
I can see $450-$500 million just in deploying and managing the mobile packages over 15 years
Some other vendors have Bluetooth remote mics, or simplex mobile repeaters that only repeat the portable transmit signal, but for OPP and EMS, the full duplex mobile repeater is needed when they are in remote areas and are on foot away from their vehicle.
Police and EMS in an urban city typically have way more vehicles / employees in a much more dense geography, so they find it more economical to have more tower sites in their trunking system, and have portable unit coverage designed into the radio infrastructure rather than mobile repeaters.
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