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News

• Harris Defence scores $40M NZ Army radio contract

  The New Zealand Army has awarded Harris Defence Australia a $40 million contract for a new tactical communications network.

• Listen to the radio… and you might hear a frequency you know

  Radio microphone users will not be permitted to operate their equipment in the 698-806MHz frequency range as early as next month...

• Tait plays host to Chilean delegation

  Christchurch’s Tait Communications played host to a delegation from Chile this week, who visited the firm to hear about the importance of critical communications systems, particularly during disasters such as the devastating 2010 Chilean earthquake, and learn how Tait’s solutions can help the country.

• Federal Court favours record labels in Internet simulcast copyright case

  The Federal Court ruled that Internet simulcasts of radio programs are not broadcasts under the Copyright Act and therefore are not covered by existing licenses granted to commercial radio stations.

• WA Police upgrading digital radio network

  Western Australia Police will rip and replace its regional analogue radio system and move to digital as a means of providing secure and robust communications for front-line officers across the whole state.

• TeamTalk delivers P25 in south

  Mobile radio company TeamTalk is rolling out P25 IP technology in Christchurch, says managing director David Ware.
  Developed by US Public Safety organisation APCO, P25 was designed to improve interoperability, reinforce privacy and security and boost coverage.
  P25 provides benefits for central and local government agencies to communicate privately. P25 ensures calls and data are encrypted and can’t be overheard by anyone not involved in an emergency response.
  “We can see this being valuable to agencies such as Ambulance, Fire Service, Police, the Ministry of Fisheries, Justice and other government agencies, as well as private organisations, like high-end security companies, energy retailers and port companies,” Ware said in a statement.
  TeamTalk installed P25 in Wellington a year ago and plans to expand the network throughout the country, Ware says.
  P25 technology is TIA Standard–based and supports handsets from a variety of manufacturers including Tait Electronics and Motorola.

• Digital two-way radio service launched

  Network operator Airwaves has launched a commercial fully digital two-way radio service in New Zealand.
  The service is based on TETRA (terrestrial trunked radio), an international mobile radio and two-way communications standard, used by government agencies, emergency services and commercial enterprises in 88 countries, says the company.
  In telephony mode TETRA handsets can be used to connect users to both landlines and mobile phones. They can send and receive SMS, pictures and other data. Group calling mode allows users to have communication among a number of users.
  It’s also possible to use the terminal for one-to-one communication over the Airwaves network. Emergency buttons on the terminals mean users can communicate an emergency to a group of radio users, an individual radio user, or to a telephone or mobile phone, says Airwaves.
  “We selected TETRA for our Airwaves’ network because the standard is widely supported by manufacturers worldwide,” says William Waterworth, director of Airwaves.
  Airwaves will initially provide Auckland-wide network coverage, and plans to roll out to major cities, says Waterworth.
  Waterworth launched the first TETRA network in Australia in 2006 as general manager of Zeon Digital, a Motorola-owned and operated network.

• Researchers use nanotube to build tiny radio

  Physicists at the University of California at Berkeley have built the world's smallest radio out of single carbon nanotube one ten-thousandth the width of a human hair.

• 4RF operates around the clock from NZ

  Being headquartered in New Zealand is a competitive advantage, according to Wellington-based wireless equipment supplier 4RF Communications

• Red Cross uses Navy nous for communications

  In New Zealand, we’re accustomed to reasonably fast, reliable communications, but in the disaster areas where the Red Cross often finds itself, distances can be vast and any communications infrastructure may have been destroyed.