Backhaul — November 2018

25 YEARS AGO. The cover of the Dec/Jan 1993–94 issue of What’s New in Radio Communications featured the Kenwood TK-240D/TK-340D compact VHF/UHF synthesised FM portable radios and a photo of a race car — Kenwood was the official supplier of radiocommunications systems for the world champion Honda Marlboro McLaren F-1 team. Inside the magazine, an article by Keith Thompson of Mobile Technology Australia covered developments in switching and controlling within large mobile radio fleets. We also reported on Wegener Communications winning a contract to supply satellite receivers to Queensland’s TAB, which operated a captive radio network providing live horse racing coverage to off-track betting shops. We reported on Siemens being chosen by Telecom as a strategic partner for a five-year term and Stanilite being awarded a $16 million contract to supply, install and commission the first phase of a national cellular telephone network in Argentina. In fact, it is clear from the number of news items and product announcements in this issue that cellular technologies were definitely on the rise in the early 1990s.

10 YEARS AGO. The cover of the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of Radio Comms Asia–Pacific featured the Simoco SAMS 5000 automatic vehicle location and duress system, developed in Australia in response to two-way radio user needs. Inside the magazine we had an article from Paul Harriss of Trio DataCom, about the benefits of spread spectrum technology. We also reported on the completion of the Western Australia Police metropolitan radio network — the new system enabled a boost of patrol officers’ person, vehicle and location queries from 800 per day to more than 12,000 per day. The Australian Antarctic Division brought us up to date with the operation of its ANARESAT satellite communications network across the frozen continent. And Grant Pitman, then Superintendent of Queensland Police, described the benefits the service was experiencing from the introduction of GPS vehicle positioning and tracking.

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