Vertel chooses Tait infrastructure for DMR Tier III network

Telecommunications and network services provider Vertel is building Australia’s first national DMR Tier III network. Vertel has selected Tait infrastructure to establish a multivendor ecosystem for the benefit of the network’s customers.

Vertel operates TaitNet MPT1327 trunked networks in five states around Australia and is committed to providing customers with innovation in digital voice and data communications, easy migration and the freedom of choice that a multivendor open standard provides. Vertel evaluated various digital technologies and selected DMR Tier III digital trunking to provide these benefits.

After rigorous evaluation, Tait has been selected to provide Vertel’s DMR Tier III network infrastructure. Tait’s genuine support for open standards was a major factor in the selection. Tait will work with Vertel to develop a multivendor ecosystem of compatible radios and applications to connect to the national DMR Tier III network.

Bruce Quail, LMR strategy manager at Vertel, said, “It is Tait’s proven experience in large-scale open standards networks and the depth of local support that makes them the perfect partner for this landmark project.”

The commitment from Tait and Vertel to open standards is significant. Compared to proprietary digital networks that are limited to a single vendor’s products, customers using the DMR Tier III network won’t be locked in to a single vendor’s product. The freedom of choice provided to customers for radios and applications will translate into real value from day one and throughout the life of the investment.

The first phase of this network will be live in early 2015 and will use 10 sites to connect Newcastle through Sydney to Wollongong and the surrounding areas. This will grow to a national network of well over 50 sites in the future phases.

A customer’s transition to a DMR Tier III network can be seamless when multimode radios capable of conventional analog, MPT, DMR Tier II and DMR Tier III are introduced to a fleet. Customers can manage their costs and embark on a gradual transition with these radios that can access both the old and new networks.

Brett Smythe, general manager for Tait Asia-Pacific, said the contract represented a significant win for Tait. “We are pleased that Vertel has chosen Tait as a partner to deliver this project. We aim to achieve better business outcomes for our clients and for Vertel this means delivering a system that will give their customers the freedom to gradually and cost-effectively migrate to digital radio. Our open-standards technology is designed to allow for this flexibility and its value is proven time and again by our clients around the world.”