TETRA pilot project launched for Kuala Lumpur International Airport for joint patrol with the police and the army.

An award-winning innovation by Malaysian engineers has enabled the police to connect seamlessly on wireless radio with 14 government agencies.

Engineers from Sapura Secured Technologies Sdn Bhd built the Single Channel Audio Bridge (SCAB) to connect police RMPNET digital radio system with its Government Integrated Radio Network (GIRN), which is used by 14 government agencies.

The pilot project was launched today for KL International Airport joint patrol with the police and the army.

It also enables joint operations with personnel from other agencies which use the GIRN network, namely Customs, Immigration, the Fire and Rescue Department and Malaysia Airports Bhd.

Selangor deputy police chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan told reporters that without the innovation, police personnel cannot contact soldiers deployed for the joint patrol.

"The policemen have to contact their control centre personnel who then calls up the soldier's control centre to get the message across to the soldiers who could be patrolling only a few floors away, an inefficient way of conducting joint patrol.

"The adoption of the new system will not only allow policemen to contact the soldiers on duty at the airport but personnel from other agencies as well," he said.
Sapura Secured Technologies chief executive Mohd Zarif Hashim said the SCAB was awarded the gold medal at the recent ITEX 2012 exhibition.

"The device acts as a bridge to seamlessly connect two or more secured communications to facilitate joint operations, enhance the communication abilities of government agencies and propagate the economic value of the government's past investments."

Mohd Zarif said the SCAB was developed based on extensive and detailed feedback as well as user needs from all agencies.

The RMPNET uses the Project APCO-25 digital radio system developed for use by public safety agencies in North America while GIRN was developed from the European Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) system, the preferred choice in Europe, China and other countries.

Sapura won the GIRN deal back in 2007 but the police decided not adopt it then citing security fears.

Since the last two years, when both digital radio systems became fully operational, the police and the 14 government agencies had not been able to contact each other on the two networks as they are not interoperable.

Source: www.thesundaily.my