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TETRAPOL is a digital Professional Mobile Radio standard, as defined by the Tetrapol Publicly Available Specification (PAS), in use by professional user groups, such as public safety, military, industry and transportation organizations throughout the world.

Contents 1 Description 2 History 3 Alternative Solutions 4 External links

TETRAPOL is a fully digital Professional Mobile Radio system for closed user groups, standardizing the whole radio network from data and voice terminal via base stations to switching equipment, including interfaces to the Public switched telephone network and data networks. End-to-end encryption is an integral part of the standard.

Tetrapol Publicly Available Specifications has detailed information and an overview picture.

Matra/EADS developed TETRAPOL and delivered an operational digital trunked radio system at an early date. Among the first users was the French Gendarmerie Nationale in 1988.

TETRAPOL currently has 80 networks deployed in 34 countries and claims 70% of the European Digital public mobile radio (PMR) market.

Migration of country-wide analogue PMR networks to digital ones can be slowed down due to budget controversies. In the example of Switzerland, after 10 years only 5 of 24 cantons use the TETRAPOL network. Due to technology problems and high costs the remaining cantons are very reluctant to invest. A similar discussion took place in Germany with regard to TETRA introduction.

The only manufacturer of professional radio system based on the TETRAPOL specification is EADS. It also EADS that initiated the TETRAPOL user club and the TETRAPOL forum to establish TETRAPOL as an industry standard. Since the takeover of the Nokia PMR unit by EADS, EADS now offers TETRAPOL, TETRA and P25 products.

TETRA is standardized by ETSI. TETRA is a more recent standard than Tetrapol.

P25 is the worlds most deployed digital PMR standard, with the majority of networks located in North America. Over recent years networks have now been installed in South and Central America, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Oceania and Africa. P25 is Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) open standard.

TETRAPOL Portal TIA/P25 Portal