Demonstrated at: #CommsConnectMelbourne2023

Tait Communications staked out a prime location on the Comms Connect Melbourne exhibition floor to showcase new functionality in its DMR and P25 radio portfolio. The New Zealand company recently won the tender for the New Zealand P25 network refresh, and its enhancements will go a long way to extend the value of P25 devices in that rugged region.

One of the stars of Tait's Comms Connect display was the new Tait 9700 Multiband VHF, UHF, 800/900 MHz radio series. Sporting color displays and the new multiband support, the radio operates in analog, MPT1327, DMR Tier 2, and DMR Tier 3 modes. Tait claims that the 9700 is the world's first DMR single-body multiband radio capable of these modes.

While colorful displays helped the Tait 9700 DMR and Tait 9800 P25 devices pop, the connectivity flexibility makes the equipment sparkle. In the demonstration on the floor, the Tait AXIOM Wearable is shown as a connectivity extender when attached to a portable radio as a Remote Speaker Mic (RSM). This multibearer capability allows the use of broadband DMR Tier 3 and broadband LTE networks. Automatic switching between the two networks is possible. The capability means that end users get connectivity extension in areas where one type of bearer is not available, but the other is. An example is in-building coverage, where a DMR signal may not penetrate, but a cellular DAS system or corporate Wi-Fi is available.

The demonstration wraps up by highlighting its new cross-band capability on the mobile unit. The feature enables a Tait 9800 UHF portable to leverage the higher-power vehicle mobile unit as a cost-effective vehicle repeater that relays communications out a VHF band. For rural public safety agencies, this vehicle repeater capability is a vital coverage extension tool for portable radio users, such as a police officer conducting a traffic stop on a remote highway.

Thanks to Tait's Jason Cox for a terrific review of Tait Communication's recent efforts.