DMR system for Sydney green high-rise

Radio communications have always played an important, and in many instances a critical, part in the role of MSS providing security services to its clients. The staff have used a variety of analog two-way radios systems and they were well aware of the limitations of analog radio systems with poor and inconsistent radio communications at the fringes of coverage and issues with battery life.

MSS Security is Australia’s largest security company with more than 4500 employees and a national infrastructure with offices in the capital cities of all states and territories. The company has a broad range of skills from general guarding to highly specialised security roles.

After deploying a Hytera digital mobile radio (DMR) system at Governor Philip Tower in Sydney CBD, where previous issues with analog radios were proven to be overcome, MSS management decided to deploy the same digital radios when they were awarded the security contract at Sydney’s green office high-rise, No 1, Bligh Street, Sydney.

The main requirement for radio communications for the high-rise was to provide clear and reliable communications throughout the building. A site radio coverage survey was undertaken for MSS by Combined Communications, a distributor of DMR radios in Australia, and it was found that the vast majority of the building was covered by simplex, radio to radio coverage.

In order to meet the requirements of total coverage of the building and maintain the building aesthetics, it was decided to place a DMR repeater base station in the building basement area and run coaxial cable up to ground levels to provide complete radio coverage wherever MSS and its clients’ staff operated within the building and its surrounding precinct.

The DMR solution deployed was simple and provided staff with reliable and clear radio communications throughout the building.

The budget for the radio solution was very similar to that for an analog radio solution and the DMR system provided a number of benefits.

In comparison to previous analog radio systems, staff using the DMR system experienced no background noise on transmissions, extended battery life on handheld radios, standard digital encryption to secure radio transmission, the ability to make individual and group calls. They found the handheld radios to be lightweight, tough and waterproof.

“Having used the Hytera radios at Governor Phillip Tower, we knew that we would have superior radio transmission quality and enhanced features that only a digital radio product could provide,” said Bob Pagett, MSS NSW security manager.

“The open DMR standard used by Hytera attracted us and leaves us with the ability to build upon the Hytera system without being locked into a proprietary radio technology,” said Dennis Couley, MSS site manager for No 1, Bligh St, Sydney.