TETRA takes centre stage with year of record growth

TETRA continues to dominate the critical communications market. Data released by IMS Research (now part of IHS Inc.) shows that 2012 was the third consecutive year for record shipments by manufacturers of TETRA equipment. The technology is being deployed in more regions than ever before and showing strong acceptance in a growing number of vertical markets.

“TETRA is a robust and highly specified standard that has proven its worth time and time again to its users and to the wider public who depend on critical communications for their safety and security,” said Phil Kidner, CEO of the TETRA and Critical Communications Association (TCCA). “The established leader throughout the world, there are still new markets opening up. These include North America, where we are seeing TETRA being adopted for the first time in the utilities and public transport sectors.”

Deryn Evans, senior mobile radio market analyst at IMS Research, added: “Our study shows growth of more than 12 per cent in the number of terminals shipped in 2012 compared to 2011.The European public safety and security market remains the backbone of the TETRA market, however, we are seeing increasing success for TETRA in a number of user areas and regions that are not traditional strongholds of the technology. TETRA is diversifying its customer base to users considered more in the business-critical model rather than mission-critical.”

Next month’s Critical Communications World conference and exhibition in Paris – the TETRA industry’s flagship annual event and now in its 15th year – will examine how the new 4G radio platform LTE (long-term evolution) can be combined with TETRA to ensure increased bandwidth capability while maintaining resilience, security and availability.