Motorola upgrades TETRA technology in Paraiba

Motorola Solutions will upgrade the Paraiba Secretariat of Social Safety and Defense mission-critical communications system. TETRA-digital radio technology will be implemented to provide interoperable communications among the Brazilian state’s public safety agencies.

The contract provides for the delivery of approximately 5600 radios, including 4000 portable, 1300 mobile and 332 fixed radios. Initially the TETRA system will include 40 sites, as well as 35 dispatch consoles, which will be used to receive, prioritise and make calls to quickly respond to citizens. Additional antennas and base stations are designed to guarantee statewide radio system coverage.

The upgrade is part of a series of investments made by the Paraiba state government to improve the service provided by its public safety agencies.

“This is a structuring measure to consolidate the integrated public safety system that will help our agencies perfect their response and offer citizens a quality service,” said Cláudio Lima, Paraiba’s secretary of Social Safety and Defense.

The system will provide a unified platform for the communications of military police, civil police, fire brigade, penitentiary system and state transportation department (DETRAN). It is expected to help improve the efficiency of their operations throughout the state, which covers an area of about 57,000 km². All communications among users will be encrypted, thereby preventing unauthorised persons from listening in while also protecting the police involved in potentially dangerous operations.

“Paraiba’s old system was analog and communication among the agencies wasn’t possible. With the new system, we will be able to integrate the communications of all our public safety agencies and increase coverage, so that none of our responders lose their connection if they go to another city or areas where there is no radio signal,” said Lima.

Digital technology also allows for the development of a wide range of technological applications for public safety, such as GPS.

“All the terminals that were purchased have built-in GPS and can be tracked by the digital network, which has a very powerful host computer. The computer provides the exact location of every terminal, whether it is a vehicle terminal or HT (handheld terminal) carried by the police officer,” said Lima.

The new system will also make it possible to identify the public safety officer closest to an incident, in order to provide a quicker and more effective response.