Expect it to come to life starting in the spring through the summer and to be a 100% encrypted system like Hamilton for all users not just police. They spec'd out a fully encrypted system with every component for every user to be able to handle AES-256 and they want to be fully interoperable with the Brantford P25 system as well.No nothing new. Expect a P25 system and almost certainly encrypted.
Guelph is 100% encrypted and off to the east Kingston is and Waterloo region will be soon. New radios going in now but in analog mode.I've been a firefighter for a while, and have been friends with numerous ones most of my life. And if experience has shown me anything it's that most guys know squat about the radio system, the technology or much else about it. Turn the radio on and talk, that's what they care about. Yes KW does run medical calls but very little patient info is transmitted over the air, and online streaming isn't nearly the issue that it is for police.
Off the top of my head Hamilton is the only encrypted fire agency in SWO. There just isn't a big need for it or the expense.
The command of the new system is now in the hands of the police chief as well and it's the same police chief that had Guelph police and fire fully encrypted and he took great pride in that when he was in Guelph.Saw my buddy on the long weekend who is a firefighter in the region. He basically said what mrozitis said. Fire will be encrypted because they cant share details over the air due to online scanners and no MDTs in fire trucks. The low grade encryption is free on radios now though. Will be sad to see the last analog system go in the GTA.
Update I could find:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regionalgovernment/resources/af/fa2016-0614.pdf
I don't see how any of us can make that statement when all we have is RFPs and hearsayThe new Waterloo system is 100% encrypted, all infrastructure, all users, all the times and that is why the changes to the in building coverage testing. It apparently will be like Hamilton with everything from the little sidewalk snowplow to the emergency services 100% encrypted.
Brantford is AES, no need for ADP there. And Guelph is DES-XL which Harris doesn't support. New radios already installed doesn't mean anything, they can be flash upgraded in the future. Look at Chatham Kent police... they are using new hardware but still running Provoice.They did spec out three options I believe and all three mandate full encryption at AES-256 bit but one of the options allows for low-level ADP encryption for a link with Brantford police. It's done, I saw Harris radios being installed last August and I am sure most have the new hardware by now....can't confirm tho.
Not sure if Harris supports ADP but in the RFP it mentions in all three options for basically linking the Waterloo system to the Brantford system which I too thought was odd since Waterloo always shared resources with Guelph and the police chief is the former chief of Guelph.Does Harris even support ADP?
I'm not even sure why they would have a link with Brantford anyways? Their areas don't even border on one another.