Tait to deliver North America's largest DMR Tier 3 system

Tait Communications has been selected by Alliant Energy Corporation, a midwest US energy company, to deploy the largest DMR Tier 3 system to be rolled out in North America.

The new 122-site trunked network will provide coverage for Alliant Energy’s service territory in Iowa and Wisconsin and replaces an ageing assortment of independent radio networks.

The new system will supplant the old system in phases, with the first phase due to be completed before February 2017. The total deployment is expected to be complete by the end of 2017.

The award has come after a selection process that included the evaluation of several alternative technologies and resulted in a project that includes the provision by Tait of the radio network system and approximately 1650 subscriber units.

The deal also contains a 12-year managed services contract commencing from the end of the first phase of the rollout.

“We are really excited to bring Tait’s DMR solution to Alliant Energy,” said Garry Diack, chief executive of Tait Communications. “This system upgrade will deliver superior coverage and reliability to improve worker safety. Additionally, our managed services capability allows us to work in partnership with Alliant Energy to optimise their network over the life of the system.”

The contract with Alliant Energy is the latest win for the New Zealand-based company and follows a deal made last month with South Australia’s Country Fire Service to provide over 4000 radios for a major upgrade program.

Alliant Energy is engaged in the generation and distribution of electricity and natural gas and serves over 1 million electric customers and 420,000 natural gas customers in a service territory that spans over 178,000 square kilometres.