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Planning the migration Because the procurement phase was quite lengthy, there was time during the ‘preferred bidder’ for meticulous attention to the details of planning the system and acquiring sites. “We were able to build very quickly”, Mr. Kelly says. “All the plans were laid and all our processes in place ready to implement immediately.” Co-operation by the agencies played an important part in the deployment. “In the case of the Gardaí, there was a project organization which detailed their whole migration strategy, dealing with training, terminal provisioning, vehicle fit-outs and contingency planning. The Gardaí have a very good project organization, and the work in all the various areas was of the highest calibre. “If there’s one lesson, I would say that it is to plan that whole migration well. Get it right and it will pay real dividends when it comes to positive customer satisfaction from the outset. I think that’s probably one of the key learnings from the Irish experience.” This involvement by the users was just one of many reasons for their positive attitude towards the TETRA system, Pat Kelly continues. “The feedback of customers’ experience, including front-line officers, is that NDRS coverage is second to none.” User organizations are offered a choice of radios and supporting services and equipment from a wide range set out in TETRA Ireland’s bulky loose-leaf catalogue. “The agencies can select the choice of manufacturers terminals and accessories, and we will then provision them on the network”, he explains. “This ensures that the users’ bespoke needs are addressed at every stage and their experience is unique to their planned usage.” Go-live support The voice quality of the TETRA radios was a clear improvement for users, and police switch-over to the new network was handled smoothly. “We spent a lot of time on the migration”, Mr Kelly says. “We also offered go-live support at every station and prison. “The Dublin region go-live involved a few thousand officers migrating in just two days. We had to be sure that this last stage of the experience would be a good one. We knew that was the first touch-point with the network. With TETRA, it’s very important to get that right.” Network quality The high network quality did not come cheaply, but Mr Kelly believes that a superior coverage specification is better value in the long run than having to add sites later – for example, when improved in-building coverage is required. For the tender specification, enhanced in-building coverage was a basic requirement. “Two thousand buildings were chosen throughout the country to give enhanced in-building coverage”, he says. “So, throughout the country, hospitals and important state buildings are included in the NDRS coverage. Large building coverage features a 15?dB uplift and, in small buildings, 5?dB. “The number of sites provides excellent overlapping coverage. For example, about 46 sites cover Dublin, providing excellent in-building coverage. “This overlapping coverage ensures a resilience of service. Anywhere in the country, users are covered by more than one base station. In Dublin, you’d probably be covered by three or four.” These overlaps also add immunity to any local service interruptions. Shared service Today, some 15?000 Gardaí (police officers) are live on the NDRS – but joining them on the shared network are a variety of government and public organizations and groups, including other bodies which have a role in safety and security. “There’s 11 prisons nationwide in Ireland and they have all migrated to TETRA – that’s about 1300 officers”, says Mr Kelly, beginning a rollcall of the new users. “Customs officers number almost 100. Irish Navy, Department of Foreign Affairs, and now, the Health Service Executive Ambulance Services are commencing their go-live – they will be circa 2000 users. Other users include the emergency management operations of public utility companies, including electricity and gas and some telecoms companies. “In the event of fixed and mobile networks going down, because of the highly resilient nature of the TETRA network, it will be relied upon”, Mr Kelly explains. “Therefore they use TETRA as a failsafe, especially for their control rooms.” He adds that TETRA Ireland is also currently in discussion with the Irish Fire Service. “We have excellent customer feedback to share with them and they’ve seen the quality of the network, and we hope that they will commence on the network early in 2012.” Lone workers For some of these users, including a mass of ‘second-layer’ agencies that TETRA Ireland is hoping to serve – community health workers and county councils, for example – lone worker protection and personal security will be key drivers. “For mobile teams working in areas where GSM coverage is not dependable, a personal safety solution is required”, Mr Kelly says.
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