• LMR Land Mobile Radio—Push button two-way responders
• LTE Long Term Evolution—Broadband with faster speed in connection
• Wi-Fi—Wireless networks

The reality of this emerging trend has shifted toward network-based wireless communications. The future devices will accommodate the evolving communication channels with no interruption or loss of voice calls. New technology allows the user to focus on what they do, without having to worry about the loss of voice contact. Tomorrow’s commitment like today is public safety, regardless of the location when using P25 radio communications.

What are the future impacts of advancing technology developments of P25 radios? The ideal conception of the future sees integrated systems with wider range capacities. Trends cause the changes and a need to service triggers development. The future industry demands will resemble the current; smaller sized manufactured components and higher product performance for the call to duty.

As a leader in American manufacturing of two-way communication devices RELM Wireless Corporation is an active participant in future design and development; combining the best to sustain public safety for mission critical voice ability.

Conclusion

100 years from now, the necessity for precise and continuous emergency communications will make a between life and death. The outlook looks favorable for LMR functionality by linking forces with LTE and Wi-Fi. The ongoing developments of RELM Wireless Corporation P25 radios will make accessing multiple networks for public service communications easier.

The post What the P25 Radio Will Look Like in 100 Years first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post What the P25 Radio Will Look Like in 100 Years appeared first on BK Technologies.

Arm Your Team With the Latest Communication Technology

If you work in construction, emergency services, for the government or any other organization that requires quick and precise communication, you will benefit from P25 digital radios. P25 represents the latest digital communication technology. While other forms of communication are heavily flawed in regard to transmission consistency, battery life and other features, P25 is reliable in every sense. This is the technology you need to keep you and your team safe regardless of environmental threats. It will also help maintain the safety of those who need assistance from law enforcement, emergency personnel and government workers.

Radios That Always Work

Take a moment to think about all of the problems with conventional radio communications. Most organizations have various radios and other communications devices that fail to function in unison. The failure to transmit messages in real-time without flaw is essential to your team’s ability to get their job done in the most effective manner possible. Anyone who works in emergency situations will testify that time is of the essence. Oftentimes, seconds make the difference between life and death for civilians as well as service providers. Arm your team with P25 radios and they will be able to communicate with one another in an immediate manner without any sort of interference or audio drop-outs.

P25 technology was created with the input of an array of groups including the Telecommunications Industry Association, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International and the National Association of State Telecommunications Directors. As a result, P25 radios are compatible with every single emergency device and even some non-emergency communication devices. It doesn’t matter if your team is using a base station, a trunked line or direct radio communication, P25 technology will allow for crystal clear communication at all times.

The post The P25 Difference first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post The P25 Difference appeared first on BK Technologies.

P25 Radios for Heightened Efficiency

Anyone who requires clear communication on a job site will obtain considerable utility from P25 radios. From construction workers to firefighters, police officers, public safety professionals and government workers, uninterrupted communication is essential to working in an effective manner. Think of all the instances in which your team has had to communicate with one another regarding the transportation of materials, logistics concerns, delegation of responsibilities and other matters. Such communication is simplified with the use of P25 radios that provide perfectly clear audio transmissions regardless of one’s position.

The Superiority of P25 Radios

Our radios allow you to communicate in a direct manner without outside interference, audible drop-outs or other snafus that commonly plague cell phones and other communication equipment. P25 radios even function in inclement weather, during hurricanes, tropical storms, blizzards and other extreme circumstances. This is the reliable form of communication you need to pass the word on about power outages, damage, road closures, disaster relief efforts and so on.

Flawless communication is especially important for emergency relief service providers who need to stay up to date on all the latest developments. Rely on P25 radios to stay in constant communication with your team and you will be empowered to help those who desperately need assistance in times of crisis. These radios really do save lives. Arm your team with P25 radios today and they will have the communication tool they need to do their job to the best of their ability. It just might make the difference between enduring a lengthy weather/traffic-related delay and arriving on time. P25 radios even have the potential to be the difference between life and death.

The post Why You Need P25 Radios Today first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Why You Need P25 Radios Today appeared first on BK Technologies.

The basic requirement behind P25 Radio System’s concept is based on the innovation of the next generation. The design allows the mingling of analog and digital systems. The purpose is to maintain public safety operations using compatibility as an effective management tool gradually, replacing outdated radios and infrastructure equipment.  P25 standards involve digital Land Mobile Radio (LMR) services, using an open architecture system- the standard interfaces with operations. The benefits for the agencies are improvements in operations and measured investment in current technology with a clear vision of the future.

Compatibility Workings of P25

The open architecture makes it easier for older systems to add, upgrade and trade out components without affecting its performance.  Existing radios transmit information and the receivers pass the information forward.  The objectives in compatibility environments provide the following:

• Extending the equipment lifecycle using open systems architecture
• Maintaining reliable intra-agency and inter-agency communications
• Connection to new technology improves functionality and capabilities for public safety  
• Interoperability with compatible P25 Radio System standards allows users of multiple agencies to communicate directly without loss or interruption of transmission.  

Trusted Security and Encryption Options

Encryption options are available with the P25 Radio System. The function is to secure and protect both voice and data communications. The option allows the user to select encrypted or un-encrypted transmissions.  This application pertains to radio networks.  The system’s manager can remotely change the encryption keys in the field – industry refers to this application as Over the Air Re-Keying (OTAR). It heightens the level of operational security; ensuring communications are isolated when required. If you follow law enforcement conditions, this feature is critical to mission success in some situations.

Improved Function Quality with Compatibility

P25’s design understood the need for continuous improvements and focused on compatibility to instigate change.  Here is how it functions.  Analog wireless systems carry the information in the form of AM or FM frequencies.  Digital systems convert the analog signal to a digital data stream known as an algorithm, which contains the step-by-step set of operations to perform the function of transmission.  Since algorithms vary, P25’s compatibility standards maintain consistency. Further improvements to the radios include programmable emergency settings and GPS functions for managing fleets and personnel.  GPS is a reliable feature for incidents happening in remote areas. Noise control is always an issue; the P25 Radio System capability feature minimizes the background sounds transmitting clear audio communications.

P25’s goal is to uphold public safety through compatibility, matching industry compliance using open architectural standards.  Developed with industry agreements P25 generation features include:

• Enabling affordable capability evolution  
• Sustaining legacy lifecycle through transition
• Simplifying system integration  
• Isolating the effects of change  
• Continuous innovation developments

Industry standards

Looking to the future, P25’s conceptual group monitors the changes and standards needed for public safety professionals and equipment manufacturers. Innovation and evolution go hand in hand in developing effective use of technologies to maintain the P25 Radio System standardization process.

The P25 standards require a variety of interoperability, configurations and compatibility of services necessary to the public safety community. The features are obligated to match the level of standards imposed by public offices and government agencies. Feature compliance pertaining to software and hardware platforms ensures reliable and consistent communications, even under the most severe conditions.

Among the offices monitoring P25 compliance standards are government agencies, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Offices – International (APCO), dedicated to public safety along with the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), USA serving trade and information technology industries.  All three organizations participate in the public safety standards.

Conclusion

The reliability and accuracy of communications are critical to public safety officials.  Open systems architecture offer great opportunities for innovation, while driving down the cost of new equipment over-time.  As a leader in digital radio techniques, P25 Radio System is simplifying the process by design. Contact our offices with any questions about upgrading and transitioning your radios and systems today.

The post Luck of the P25 Radio: Compatibility With Existing Systems first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Luck of the P25 Radio: Compatibility With Existing Systems appeared first on BK Technologies.

Local, state and federal agencies now communicate with other emergency offices faster.  P25 responded to a need and developed a method for systems to share frequencies, while protecting the public’s welfare. What we see today is an advance digital two-way communications replacing an aging analog system.

P25’s conception is a result of collaboration between the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the National Association of State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD), The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the U.S. Federal Government. Each one of these organizations is committed to helping field resources in charge of saving lives.  P25 features are built on industry compliance:

• Replacing the insufficiency of radio spectrum
• Extending the areas without loss of voice quality  
• Raising the performance levels by integrating new bandwidth intensive
• Responding to public safety and security issues

Technology – Secured, Reliable and Trustworthy

Designed for efficiency, P25 is working with digital radio standards. The design accommodates organizations with high demand radio communications. It delivers a wide range of service with special considerations. One enhancing feature is the ability to exchange information with several systems. The synchronize communications connect multiple group or team operations. The industry refers to this as interoperability.

• National Security – Relies on effective communications as an essential defense of public safety.
• Training Armed Forces – Radio communications are critical to mission success. P25 is delivering wide range communications in field maneuvers, base operations and government logistics.
• Fire and Emergency – Field operations are dependent on radio communications. Uninterrupted coverage and clarity in remote, urban or rural areas is saving lives.
• Law Enforcement – Precise transmission of communications are mandatory. Officers on the road, in buildings or other environments depend on communications to protect public lives.

Present and Future Safety Communications  

In an age of advancing technology, the costs of improvements are weighed against the performance of the investment. P25 is meets both of these attributes. This investment is driving the cost downward for public entities. The largest benefit ensures field responses without interruption among multiple agencies. Existing radio equipment compliant with P25 features can remain in operation, taking advantage of P25 cost savings. Management and users benefit from this feature, transitioning outdated equipment without impact to public safety.

Among the Industries adapting to P25 are airports, transit, utilities petroleum and chemical companies. Each one relies on real-time communications to manage safety during emergencies. Today’s radio users depend on P25 for their mission critical communications. When disaster strikes, P25’s task is to maintain communications between different levels of government. Fire fighters harness flames and law officials capture criminals in unpredictable situations. P25 ensures these professionals have wide-band communications to serve, protect and save lives.

• Real life circumstances – State Warning Centers connect quickly with hazmat spills.
• Routine or disaster events – Paramedics transmit patient vital signs directly to the hospital.
• Getting an injured officer to safety – Uninterrupted communications are critical rescue techniques.

Industry Compliance and Standards  

P25 standards have a twenty-six year history supporting the public safety community.  It continues to hold the community’s interest as a user driven standard.  Public safety professionals managing the front lines of emergency responders depend on P25 for its uninterrupted communications. The internal programming of the radio works with P25 networks to determine the channel or frequency.  Technology’s intervention remains successful in industry compliance, standards and agency performances, winning the support of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  An upcoming event to preview P25’s evolution is schedule in March of this year:

• 2017 International Wireless Communications Exposition (IWCE) – next P25 generation
• The events agenda boost a network of over 7,000 peers.
• Attending are industry professionals from state and local government, public safety, utility, transportation and business enterprises.

Conclusion

P25 is reducing professional casualties and saving public lives, by administering data applications for government agencies, local enforcement and emergency teams. Technically the system design supports operational requirements based on the current industry standards.  If you are looking for a market proven and industry selected resource, contact our offices.

The post How the P25 Standard Saves Lives first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post How the P25 Standard Saves Lives appeared first on BK Technologies.

The main groups that depend on P25 radios are public safety personnel at the federal, state, and local levels. Firefighters, police officers, and EMS personnel highly depend on these radios that offer them the necessary interoperability to effectively do their jobs. Military personnel have also come to depend on these radios to ensure that they have the communication needed to perform their duties.

While the P25 standard was developed for public safety officials in North America, these radios are not limited to public safety or North America. In fact, the interoperability provided by P25 radios has led to organizations from around the world adopting these standards to ensure they are receiving the type of communication that they need out of their digital radios.

The standards set by P25 brought communication through radios to a new level. By using P25 radios, the days of communication lapses becoming a problem when two departments attempt to work together during an emergency situation are gone. Now, multiple departments can come together with no communication issues to ensure the safety of each member of their department and for the community that they are protecting. RELM Wireless is proud to provide P25 radios to federal, state, and local public safety personnel across the country.

The post Who Are P25 Radios For? first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Who Are P25 Radios For? appeared first on BK Technologies.

Established in 1979, APCO-16 was a new standard dealing with the operation and functionality of trunked radio systems. While APCO-16 was a step in the right direction, it is analog and trunked only. APCO-16 elevated the standard of radios but it didn’t solve the problem of the lack of interoperability.

Ten years later, in 1989, APCO released a new set of standards, P25. These new standards dealt with digital technology and allowed for both conventional and trunked telephony. The most important aspect of these new standards was that it created the type of interoperability that was sorely missed by so many public safety officials.

In the past, when two public safety departments from two different areas came together, the communication was lacking which make their jobs much more difficult and put them in more danger during emergency situations. P25 has solved that problem so that public safety personnel can now better protect, not only themselves, but also their communities.

P25 has become the main standard of which all public safety departments should be following. While APCO-16 may be fine in many industries, interoperability is paramount in emergency situations which is why P25 is essential. RELM Wireless is proud to service emergency personnel from around the country with top-quality P25 radios to ensure that they are fully equipped to handle any situation that may come their way. It is this equipment that they depend on to keep themselves and their communities safe.

The post From APCO P16 to P25 first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post From APCO P16 to P25 appeared first on BK Technologies.

While it may seem obvious not to set off fireworks around wooded areas, some will undoubtedly do just that which carries the risk of starting a large, uncontrollable fire. When this situation occurs, local firefighters will be called into action to handle the blaze. It is their job to control the fire and keep it from threatening homes in the neighborhood.

But it is not just fireworks that pose a threat as the new year arrives. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day rank third and fourth behind Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when it comes to days in which the most fires caused by candles occur. This is largely due to people leaving flammable Christmas decorations, such as Christmas trees, up until after the new year comes.

When these unforeseen fires arise and start to spread, the firefighters battling these blazes need as much help as they can get. In these situations, communication is essential for the safety of the firefighters and of those they are protecting. P25 radios offer the necessary interoperability to ensure that, even if other departments join in the battle, all the firefighters will remain in constant contact. RELM Wireless is proud to serve these public servants by providing top-quality P25 radios to allow them to do their job to the best of their ability. It’s a partnership that will help everyone stay safe this New Year’s Eve.

The post P25 Radios Protect You on New Year’s Eve first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post P25 Radios Protect You on New Year’s Eve appeared first on BK Technologies.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated average of 210 home fires per year that were caused by Christmas trees between 2010 and 2014. These fires resulted in $16.2 million of direct property damage. In a quarter of these fires, an open flame, such as a candle, was too close to the tree. While these fires are not as common as other sources of fire, they are more likely to cause fatalities.

Between 2009 and 2013, fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated average of 860 home fires per year that were caused by decorations excluding Christmas trees. These fires resulted in $13.4 million of direct property damage. One-fifth of these fires started in the kitchen and one out of six started in a living room, family room, or den.

Given the number of flammable items that are often used for decoration during Christmas time, these fires can quickly get out of hand. To ensure the safety of the emergency personnel and the residents of the home, firefighters must work quickly to get the blaze under control. This takes a tremendous amount of teamwork and communication. These departments depend on P25 radios provided by RELM Wireless to keep them safe during these harrowing events.

The post P25 Radios Key for Public Safety During Christmas Season first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post P25 Radios Key for Public Safety During Christmas Season appeared first on BK Technologies.

Some of the most common crimes during the holiday season include shoplifting, robbery, drunk driving, and home burglary. When these crimes occur, they often require the attention of multiple departments and agencies. Communication becomes key when it comes to involving more than one group to prevent and assist in any emergency situations. That is where P25 radio systems become a necessity in order to provide seamless communication so that all parties who need to be involved may do so to their best abilities.

Keeping communities and families safe during the holiday season is not an easy task, but it should not be made more difficult with flaws in communication. RELM Wireless is a leading manufacturer of the P25 radios that have been proven to be more effective when it comes to communicating between neighboring departments. This allows departments to act in a quicker and more effective manner, possibly preventing any disruptions.

P25 radios are trusted by everyone from the federal government and military down to local law enforcement throughout the year, and are relied on heavily beyond just the holiday season. They give departments the information they need to do the jobs that people are relying on them to do. When crime picks up this winter, let RELM wireless be there to provide the P25 radios needed to keep all communities as safe as possible.

The post Tis the Season to Use P25 Radios first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Tis the Season to Use P25 Radios appeared first on BK Technologies.