Enhanced testing process for new applications and services over TETRA networks

The introduction of a formal testing process for the TETRA Peripheral Equipment Interface (PEI) was recently announced by the TETRA and Critical Communications Association (TCCA), which is anticipated will accelerate the introduction of new services over TETRA.

Increasing demand for and development of applications over TETRA secure voice and data networks has added this new benefit to the TETRA Interoperability Testing and Certification Process (IOP).

The TETRA IOP is the strict, independent and tightly controlled process developed and managed by the TCCA to ensure an open and interoperable multivendor market.

This brings users choice of equipment and supplier, continuous development of new products, increased product functionality and improved price performance. For manufacturers, it eliminates different and incompatible implementations of the TETRA standard and provides a formal compatibility test forum.

“The IOP process has created a large global TETRA marketplace, which in turn has driven up functionality and driven down prices,” said Phil Kidner, CEO of the TCCA.

“This latest addition to interoperability testing will further benefit both manufacturers and users.”

The rapidly expanding TETRA ecosystem has led to an increasing number of manufacturers and application developers looking for assured compatibility of peripheral equipment to deliver extended value on TETRA networks and terminals.

The approval of TETRA PEI testing by the TCCA Technical Forum (TF) means that TETRA terminal manufacturers are now able to obtain an official IOP Certificate showing that their implementation of the PEI protocol stack is compliant to the ETSI TETRA PEI standard.

This certificate will not only help the terminal manufacturers, but also the application developers, operators and users who have invested in TETRA.

Test schedules and certificates are posted on www.tandcca.com.