Data released by IMS Research shows that 2012 is the third consecutive year for record shipments by manufacturers of TETRA equipment. The technology is being deployed in more regions than ever before, and showing strong acceptance in a growing number of vertical markets.

“TETRA is a robust and highly specified standard that has proven its worth time and time again to its users, and to the wider public who depend on critical communications for their safety and security”, said Phil Kidner, chief executive officer of the TETRA and Critical Communications Association (TCCA). “The established leader throughout the world, there are still new markets opening up. These include North America, where we are seeing TETRA being adopted for the first time in the utilities and public transport sectors.”

Deryn Evans, senior mobile radio market analyst at IMS Research, stated: “Our study shows growth of more than 12 per cent in the number of terminals shipped in 2012 compared to 2011.The European public safety and security market remains the backbone of the TETRA market; however we are seeing increasing success for TETRA in a number of user areas and regions that are not traditional strongholds of the technology. TETRA is diversifying its customer base to users considered more in the business critical model rather than mission critical. The success of TETRA ATEX is of particular note, as it becomes the technology of choice for intrinsically safe operations.”

Reflecting the ongoing popularity of the TETRA standard, the industry’s annual Critical Communications World conference and exhibition is expecting a record number of attendees and exhibitors. This year the event takes place in Paris from 21-24 May 2013.

The TETRA industry’s flagship annual event is now in its 15th year, and has been expanded to enable exponents of all critical communications technologies to participate, and to contribute as the TCCA leads the development of mobile broadband solutions for mission-critical data.

Specifically, the conference will examine how LTE can be combined with TETRA to ensure increased bandwidth capability while maintaining unsurpassed resilience, security and availability.