National network: Vertel's DMR Tier III project

Vertel is building Australia’s first national DMR Tier III network, with stage one now operational in NSW.

More than 40 years ago, Vertel established its first fully managed two-way land mobile radio network. Now, it is in the process of rolling out Australia’s first DMR Tier III open standards radio network, with stage one operational in New South Wales.

Following that first network in 1973, Vertel established a number of other LMR networks, including an MPT network in the mid-1990s that rapidly attracted a significant customer base. This was followed in 2009 by a wide-area, open protocol FDMA digital solution (NXDN). Although the latter system still exists and the company continues to provide support for it, Vertel recognised that it did not provide an MPT migration path or interoperability.

Vertel currently operates TaitNet MPT1327 trunked networks in five states around Australia and is committed to providing customers with innovation in digital voice and data communications, easy migration and the freedom of choice that a multivendor open standard provides.

In 2012, when the DMR Tier III standard was released, Vertel saw that it would be a serious contender to become a widely adopted digital platform that brought superior wide area coverage capabilities and the benefits of trunking. The company evaluated various other digital technologies and settled on DMR Tier III digital trunking.

The DMR network will be underpinned by the company’s fixed network, which is a carrier-grade network that uses a hybrid of microwave and fibre access as well as an MPLS core for dynamic redundancy and performance. The DMR network will also take advantage of Vertel’s portfolio of antenna sites across the country.

“It’s been our vision for many years to use all areas of Vertel’s expertise to deliver world-class services,” said Andrew Findlay, Vertel’s managing director. “The DMR network is the perfect example of this and will leverage our portfolio of high sites as well as our fixed network.”

The first phase of the network is now live, using 10 sites and connecting Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and surrounds. Ultimately the network will utilise over 50 sites and provide national coverage.

LMR Strategy Manager Bruce Quail is passionate about the project. “The network really signifies Vertel’s commitment to LMR in the long term,” he said. “This investment will serve our customers for the next decade and beyond.”

The Tait connection

Vertel has selected Tait infrastructure for the network, with the aim of establishing a multivendor ecosystem of compatible radios and applications for the benefit of the network’s customers.

“It is Tait’s proven experience in large-scale open standards networks and the depth of local support that makes them the perfect partner for this landmark project,” said Quail.

Vertel says that a customer’s transition to a DMR Tier III network can be seamless when multimode radios capable of conventional analog, MPT, DMR Tier II and DMR Tier III are introduced to a fleet. Customers can manage their costs and embark on a gradual transition with these radios, which can access both the old and new networks.

“We are pleased that Vertel has chosen Tait as a partner to deliver this project,” said Brett Smythe, general manager for Tait Asia-Pacific. “We aim to achieve better business outcomes for our clients and for Vertel this means delivering a system that will give their customers the freedom to gradually and cost-effectively migrate to digital radio.

“Our open-standards technology is designed to allow for this flexibility and its value is proven time and again by our clients around the world.”