As a radio communications specialist it’s vital to keep our customers informed of any fundamental changes to their radio communications systems or services that may require their attention… or our attention on their behalf. One of the most common areas of confusion results from frequency licensing and renewals. The following excerpt from the Industry Canada…
Category: Technical Services
Integration: Key Challenges
in-ti-greyt – verb (used with object), to bring together or incorporate (parts) into a whole. To make up, combine, or complete to produce a whole or a larger unit, as parts do. Integration is the act of bringing together disparate components, systems or subsystems into a single, larger, more comprehensive system that functions as one,…
Wireless Connectivity in Open Pit Mining
As conventional hydrocarbon reserves decline, oil and gas companies worldwide are sustaining growth and maximizing profitability by building out rugged and reliable broadband wireless solutions for communications. In today’s mining operations, the challenge is in providing the required Wireless Broadband IP bandwidth to support everything from remote office infrastructure and SCADA to autonomous hauling, M2M,…
Considerations for AFRRCS Migration
The Alberta First Responder Radio Communications System is one of the most advanced communications projects in Canada’s history. There has been a fair amount of misinformation regarding the system itself, who qualifies for access, what the various technological and administrative requirements are, and how to best begin the migration process. I’ve taken the time to…
Wireless vs Fibre
As a country we have relied on fibre communications as our primary means of wide area network connectivity. Fibre is extremely expensive to provision due to right of way access, permitting, construction, labor, and cost of material. Meanwhile a lot of other countries have leap frogged Canada by deploying fixed wireless microwave communications. Many countries…
Radio Consoles: CSSI v Native P25
The APCO P25 Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) standard allows dispatch consoles from different manufacturers to be connected to the controller/core of other manufacturers’ P25 radio systems. CSSI is a subset of the ISSI standard interface. For example, a Zetron console could be connected to a Motorola P25 radio system, or an Avtec console could be…
Antennas: A Crucial Component of Successful System Design
When designing a radio system, the antenna is a crucial component. You want to maximize the RF energy from your radio to be radiated from your antenna. The antennas are specified with some of the following considerations: Maximum Power – The amount of RF that they can typically handle without failing. An antenna that is rated…
8 Key Factors That Influence The Design of Firefighter Radios
One of the essentials of Firefighter Safety is having the right equipment. Whether that means the latest in protective gear, the most efficient tools, or effective communications, a Firefighter must be confident that their equipment is going to work as expected, under extreme circumstances. Radio communications are essential to Fire Services. The radio is a…
Planning: Essential to Success
The success of a radio system deployment, like many other operational systems, depends on good planning. From the initial needs analysis, to the creation of a detailed bill of materials, to design and logistics including the in-building location of the radio system’s core infrastructure components, to definition of communications groups and users, and finally the…
DAS 101: Introduction to Distributed Antenna Systems
The basic idea behind a Distributed Antenna System(DAS) is to utilize several different antennas over a required coverage area. Using this approach lessens the overall power requirements, as these more localized antennas can be placed more effectively to suit a smaller area rather than having a single, larger antenna that is a compromise for the…
Do you Need Emergency Response + Repair Services? 10 Questions to Consider
There are a variety of users that require 24/7/365 Emergency Response & Repair Services (ERRS) in many “Mission Critical” contexts. Our clients include the Government of Alberta AFRRCS system, upon which first responders across Alberta rely. However, our ERRS service is also available to commercial and industrial clients who require high levels of radio system…
Push to Talk (PTT) Over Broadband
Voice is still the killer app. That being said, there is still a growing industry need to extend commercial and mission critical LMR coverage beyond the geographic areas that LMR radio systems extend. Furthermore, many agencies and businesses require the ability to keep their personnel connected across disparate networks and devices. Since the 2016 decommissioning…
Insights from Advanced Communications Integrators 