Abstract
Research Methodology
Considerable research was done using the Internet. Information from various
Web sites was studied and analyzed; evaluation of publicly available marketing
and technical publications was conducted. Telephone conversations and
interviews were held with industry analysts, technical experts and executives.
In addition to these interviews and primary research, secondary sources were
used to develop a more complete mosaic of the market landscape, including
industry and trade publications, conferences and seminars.
The overriding objective throughout the work has been to provide valid and
relevant information. This has led to a continual review and update of the
information content.
Target Audience
This report is important for organizations using LMR. They need to understand
the market and major players' portfolios to select the right equipment and to
design networks.
For LMR vendors, this report provides valuable information on competition. It
also supports these vendors with the market assessment.
This report is about digital trunked Land Mobile Radio (LMR) technologies and
markets for public safety and commercial applications. Most of the report
analysis relates only to the U.S. market. The report addresses digital LMR
trends, and particular stresses that in the U.S. users (with a need for an
advanced, forward-looking radio technology) have choices primarily limited
by:
- Project 25 (P25) Radio
- NXDN Radio
- MOTOTRBO Radio.
There are many analog radio vendors and other digital radio manufacturers
(some of them, are still having problems with deployments), but three choices
listed above allow utilization forward-looking technologies with
specifications that satisfy FCC narrowband requirements; more then that, all
three technologies can be utilized in commercial and Public Safety
Communications (PSC) applications, though only P25 radios are currently
approved for the PSC use. NXDN and MOTOTRBO technologies have been introduced
to the digital LMR market only recently, while P25 is in the development at
least for the last decade, with large volume of shipping.
The report addresses a phased approach to the development of P25 PSC radio;
this approach allows to gradual migration from existing PSC networks, based
mostly on FM analog technology, to the modern all-digital technology.
Currently, only Phase I-compliant radios are being deployed; Phase II systems
are planned for shipping only in a couple of years, with Phase III/Project
MESA equipment, which is mostly in the development stage, follows up. The goal
of such an approach is to make migration to digital narrowband PSC radio as
painful as possible to homeland security agencies, and to create, eventually,
country/global interoperability.
NXDN radio development is a result of joint efforts of two companies, Icom and
Kenwood and it is based on the FDMA technology. The companies developed two
lines of products, IDAS (Icom) and NEXEDGE (Kenwood); these radios were
implemented with many advanced technological features, including 6.25 kHz
channels. At the same time, Motorola introduced its MOTOTRBO line of digital
LMR, which also utilized newer technologies and is based on TDMA access.
Note that all three companies are also very active in the P25 market, and are
established vendors of P25 equipment, with Motorola in the leading position.
At the present time, NXDN and MOTOTRBO products are aiming for the commercial
segments of the LMR market, while P25 technology is mainly utilized in the PSC
market.
Though the cost efficiency of newer digital trunked systems is not so great in
comparison with older analog systems; it is expected that the cost will go
down with proliferation of the systems. NXDN and MOTOTRBO systems, in
general, are more cost-effective than P25 radios. The marketing analysis,
provided in this report, supports this statement.
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