The Commissioner of Police, Jack Johnston, and the Minister for Police and Emergency Management, Jim Cox, will today sign a contract to commence a $13 million dollar upgrade and expansion of the Police Radio Network.
The contract to provide improvements to the system will be undertaken by leading telecommunications and equipment services provider company Ericsson Australia.
Mr Cox said the use of new and improved digital voice transmissions as part of the upgrades would provide better communications for operational police.
“The Tasmanian Government is strongly committed to equipping our Police and Emergency Services personnel to help them provide a safer Tasmania,” Mr Cox said.
“Not only will the network receive new equipment, but police vehicles will gain new radios and police on the beat will receive new handheld portable radios.”
Mr Johnston said the upgrade would mean greater security of sensitive information that could contain details of the dispatch of operational police.
“For police on the beat and mobile police patrols, this method of communication ensures a more reliable and effective response to requests from the public,” Mr Johnston said.
“The use of digital communications is an effective means to disrupt the activities of offenders who may currently be relying on the monitoring of police transmissions.”
The improvements will overcome problems previously experienced with the network, including a lack of coverage and poor voice quality.
The enhancements will benefit police across all Tasmanian communities and not focus simply on metropolitan areas.
“A key issue in this upgrade is to ensure a reliable network for police and their communities,” Mr Johnston said. “This means equipment currently used in the network will be replaced to ensure a robust and reliable network until a future transition to a whole of government radio network.”
“Ericsson is pleased to be working with the Tasmanian Government to ensure the delivery of crucial emergency services communications to the Tasmanian community,” said Bill Zikou, CEO of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand. “We anticipate that it will take between 12 and 18 months to fully implement the agreed improvements to achieve this widespread upgrade.”
The radio network upgrade comes as Tasmania Police also trials a new Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) Project.
The new tracking system aims to provide selected police vehicles with an effective and efficient AVL system that can be utilised across the State to map vehicles’ locations in real time and improve safety in a single-officer response.
Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 185 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of 'communication for all' through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on the Stockholm, London and NASDAQ stock exchanges.
For more information, visit www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi
