You’re Standing on the Tracks and the Digital Train is Coming Through...
The digital train is rolling. It is picking up speed and before long it will be virtually unstoppable in the world of two-way radio technology. Some might even say that it is already unstoppable!
Criminals today are getting more and more sophisticated and the tools to combat them need to keep pace. Rioting mobs are using social media and smartphones to coordinate their activities, international drug cartels use encrypted digital radios to report the activities of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Border Patrol Agents; even the “common” thief can get a smartphone app to monitor some police radio traffic, as evidence by this recent situation in San Diego. The bottom line is that the enemy is striving to become more sophisticated than the law enforcement personnel trying to stop them.
Mission critical digital radio technology is one way to swing the balance of power toward the good guys, though admittedly it won’t solve all the problems of an increasingly sophisticated enemy. But an increasing number of public safety agencies are making the move from analog to digital and the benefits to their operations are numerous. Digital radios can provide better coverage than existing wideband analog technology. Digital encryption protects the communication from scanners but doesn’t degrade the audio clarity to users. The ability to embed text-based data with the voice communication allows people in the field get information without errors and without having to write anything down. All these added benefits come with the reliability of a public safety-grade mission critical radio network, which is something criminal “networks” can never provide since they depend on unprotected public carriers.
The continually advancing trend toward mission critical digital radio isn’t stopping anytime soon. It’s in fact becoming increasingly pervasive throughout all aspects of communication technology. And other areas of public safety are jumping aboard the digital train, with NG 911 and broadband data depending heavily on digital technology. It’s also important to remember that digital radios can operate in an analog mode, so you don’t have to completely abandon your current analog operations. However, the digital train is rolling, and the sooner you get on board, the sooner you’ll see the advanced technology light at the end of the tunnel.
Chicago Communications can assist you in any or all steps of the process.
Question? Comment?
Post it below.
Or visit our Facebook or Twitter for more industry information.
