p25

BEST Practice

Specifying
your
p25 system
[1[
 Specifying your P25 System

• Is P25 the right technology?

• How do I specify my coverage requirements?
• What do I need to know about ISSI?
• How can I ensure interoperability?
Who should read these guides? The decision to adopt the digital
open standards-based P25 platform
If you are a Public Safety official
offers Public Safety agencies many
• What about FirstNet?
who is responsible for, or involved
in, procuring a new communication benefits, but it also raises a lot of
system, this guide (and the others questions. There are many common
in the series) is written for you. questions - and there a lot of
You may be new to the position, agencies who have already tackled This Best Practices Guide for specifying P25 systems
or focused on other disciplines, them, who are happy to share their
experiences.
uses a simplified chronological approach. In reality,
such as IT. Or you may be new to
P25. We assume that you have most of these processes are iterative and impact each
an understanding of Land Mobile Tait is sponsoring an on-going other, sometimes heavily. For example, often the initial
Radio, but not necessarily project, to discuss these topics and
put forward some answers. requirements are significantly scaled down after all costs
in-depth knowledge.
are estimated and you are confronted with budgetary
We also assume that your interest Over a series of intensive round- restrictions. We approach system architecture and
is pragmatic; you want to make table sessions, our participants
discussed their own experiences functionality as two separate subjects simply to organize
sure you procure and/or manage
your radio system to meet the and challenges, generously sharing the contents, while in reality,
needs of your first responders their frustrations and triumphs. they are co-dependent.
and public service providers in a Together with Tait expert advice,
fiscally-responsible way. Becoming these guides include their many The desired system functionality will impact on its
an expert on all related topics is not valuable insights, based on their
hands-on experience working architecture and the architecture will dictate availability
your objective.
through typical P25 project - or at least feasibility - of some functions.
We hope these guides will benefit challenges.
you and your wider Public Safety
Communications community by To find out who we talked to, see
presenting you with a range of P25 www.p25bestpractice.com
topics so you can more effectively
engage in the process.
[2[ [3[
 Evaluate Available Technologies 1 Simulcast, multicast or hybrid? 24

Advantages of P25 3 Sizing your network for major events 26

Perceived shortcomings of P25 5 Backhaul 29

Technology Selection 6 Resilience 35

Comparing Trunked and Interoperability 39

Conventional traffic handling 9
ISSI: myths, reality and predictions 41
P25 Phase 1 vs. Phase 2: 11
Dispatch needs 44
System Architecture 17
P25 System functionality 45
Coverage Needs 18
Compliance and interoperability 49

What about data? 52

Project Implementation 57

CONTENTS
Training 59

Preliminary system design 61

Talkgroup design 62

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Specifying - List of all
stakeholders,

Overview
Results of Published
interviews, surveys, selection criteria
etc.

Trade publications,
peer views,
vendor literature,
consultants , Define how the
organizations’ Define your
an optional RFI Preliminary selection
process operational
requirements are Implementation criteria for the
Document and provided by this requirements replacement
analyze needs of project. system.
currentand future
stakeholders

Evaluate all relevant Define the

technologies for this Select a system functional Define your Prepare and
part of your overall technology requirements for procurement publish an RFP/
communications this technology. process RFB

Preliminary system
design

Document and
analyze your
current system
Define a system Prepare
architecture based requirements
on this technology. for direct
negotiations with
favored supplier

Current financial, Current equipment

technical and human inventories, permits
resources, sites and licenses, costs
Evaluate available
technologies
With a good understanding of your status quo and the When to consider non-P25 systems
future needs of your system’s users, it is time to determine When should Public Safety officials look at non-P25
which technology might best fit for project. While this systems for First Responders? It is difficult to come up
guide is written chiefly for Public Safety buyers of P25 with such scenarios. Agencies that procure non-P25
systems, in some cases it is not your only feasible option. systems to replace their old analog systems usually cite
If you are not sure which way to go and cannot afford a price as the decisive factor, but that argument is now
consultant to help you, consider issuing a Request For outdated, typically based on prices that are several years
Information (RFI). This does not carry any commercial old. They may also be based on the false assumption that
obligation on your part and will greatly improve your all P25 networks are high-end, complex and expensive.
understanding of the current options. In reality, you can procure a highly functional, simple
There are, of course, good reasons why P25 is the best P25 system and user equipment at a cost rivalling
choice for most Public Safety agencies. proprietary digital or high end Public Safety grade analog
technologies.
• S everal Federal or State grants require P25 compliance.
If you have a well-functioning conventional analog system
• P25 interoperability gives you the ability to program that meets your needs other than capacity or coverage,
your radios and roam on your neighbors’ networks you can augment it with additional channels and sites.
and allow them to use your system. This is hard to
overvalue, especially in times of crisis. Otherwise, P25 is more than likely your best option.
• After the slow start, the competition between P25
vendors is now delivering real results in the terms
of project costs, user equipment pricing, quality, “Budgets and
functionality and other areas. requirements
may vary, but
the objective is
always reliable
communications.”

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Advantages of P25

Proven in mission-critical use:

for nearly two decades

Proven interoperability:
with P25 Compliance
Assessment Program (P25 CAP)

Multi-vendor ecosystems:
ensure competitive pricing

Extensive Public Safety feature set:

specific to mission-critical communications

Scalable:
to suit agency (conventional
and trunked)

Backwards capable:
eases migration in mission-critical
environments “If implemented as
an island, P25 can
actually reduce
interoperability.”

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Perceived shortcomings Technology selection
of P25
P25 has had its share of criticism, much of which was Deciding on P25 is not the end of the technology selection
misplaced, unfair or is no longer valid. For example, some process: important choices need to be made. Conventional
early large systems did not have enough radio sites and or trunked? Phase 1 or Phase 2?
the resulting coverage problems - though technology
independent - were unfairly attributed to P25. Luckily, in most cases these decisions are not difficult.
While you should use an experienced consultant to guide
This list represents criticism that is at least partially your decision, some simple rules of thumb can help you in
justified. this area.

• D espite significant progress and increasing Conventional or trunked?

competition, cost is still perceived as the biggest First, we can dispense with the misconception that there
problem. is a large functional gap between P25 conventional and
• Voice quality is perceived as a problem by some users. trunked systems. This is not the case. The table clearly
• Low tolerance for interference and multipath when sets out the main functional differences.
compared against analog.
• Limited data transmission capability (9.6Kbps).
•  Full compliance and interoperability are possible, but Conventional Trunked
require careful planning.
Radio channels selected by the user Radio channels assigned to the userautomatically
• Not all subsets of the standards are finalized or
commercially implemented, as the standard is still Channel access time varies with technology and other
evolving. Channel access instantaneous
factors (typically measured in hundreds of milliseconds)
• The sharp drop-off in voice quality with weak RF
signal is an issue, in particular for on-scene Fire No control channel needed Control channel used in all P25 trunked applications.
communications.
Suitable for smaller groups of users Better for larger (~300+) organizations
• No support for paging.
Switching not needed Core switching essential for operation
• Audio delay compared with analog.
Digital control signaling inherent ` Digital control signaling inherent

[5[ [6[
 feature comparison

conventional architecture.
Conventional vs. trunked

and effort by staying with P25

Based on this information, as long
as you have sufficient channels for

of user groups, you will save money

the number of users and the number

Feature P25 Conventional P25 Trunked

IP backbone Available Available

[7[
Analog and digital operation (repeaters/subscribers) Yes/yes No/yes
Simplex/half-duplex/duplex (repeaters) Yes/yes/yes Half duplex/duplex
Access Control/subscriber registration Yes Yes

Supports analog and digital consoles Yes Yes

Dispatch console support Analog and digital Analog and digital

End-to-end encryption Yes Yes

Distributed, centralized or switched voting Yes Yes

Simulcast Yes Yes

Multisite(automatic roaming) Yes Yes

Self-calibration (simulcast) Yes Yes

Rx voting Yes Yes

Multi-site switching Distributed/centralized Centralized/distributed

Advanced remote monitoring and diagnostics Yes Yes

Analog line interface Yes Yes

MDC1200 interface support Yes Yes

Multiple linking options including RF Yes Yes (stricter requirements)

OTAR Yes Yes

Packet data support Yes Yes

Voice call types Group, individual, announcement, broadcast, emergency

Non-voice call types All standardized P25 supplementary services – status, radio check, monitor,
call alert, inhibit/uninhibit, short message

Talk Group ID Yes Yes

Individual ID Yes Yes

Emergency ID Yes Yes

Emergency Alarm Yes Yes

[8[

Call addressing Yes Yes

Cancel P25 Unit Call (dispatcher interrupt) Yes Yes

Automatic working channel assignment (trunking) No Yes

Talk group scanning Yes Yes

Interfaces ISSI, PSTN, DFSI ISSI, PSTN, CSSI

Late entry Yes (limited) Yes

Call queuing No Yes

 Comparing Trunked and
Conventional traffic handling
The diagram illustrates the traffic-handling properties Some simple rules of thumb:
of trunked and conventional systems. The conventional
system has the same capacity per channel regardless If your agencies can be split into functional groups
the number of channels. For a trunked system, the per- of 70 or fewer users who rarely need to speak to
channel capacity grows exponentially with the number others, they will likely be well served by a conventional
of channels at a given site. In other words, a conventional system.
system can handle about 70 users per channel, 140 If you have three or fewer such groups, it will be
per two channels, etc. In a trunked system the more sufficient to give each their own conventional channel.
channels you have, the more users per channel your For organizations larger than this, you should consider
system will handle. trunking, primarily because trunking systems of four
or more channels have better traffic handling capacity
than a similar number of conventional channels.
There are many conventional systems larger than this
that function to the satisfaction of their users. While
trunking is recommended for larger systems, it is not a
must.

Consider your specific requirements and all available data

Number of users

- including current patterns of usage - before making the

d final decision.
n ke
u
Tr

nal
entio
Conv

Number of channels

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Phase 1 or Phase 2?

A similar argument can be made when deciding whether Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
to implement P25 Phase 1 or Phase 2. The main difference
between the two phases is system capacity, so the primary
reason for opting for Phase 2 is additional capacity.
Phase 2 TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) doubles
the number of talk paths compared with Phase 1. P25
Phase 2 TDMA creates two logical channels in one
12.5kHz physical channel. Because the Phase 2 control
channel is unchanged from Phase 1 there is compatibility

e
m
Ti
between the phases.

.
c..
et
Code
Slot 2
Guard
Time
Slot 1

Slot 2
Guard
Time
Slot 1

Frequency
12.5 kHz
Channel
Bandwidth

[ 11 [ [ 12 [
P25 Phase 1 vs. Phase 2: functionality comparison This may of course change as the technology progresses,
regulatory clarity is provided and greater competition in
Phase 2 emerges.
Phase 1 can be used in trunked or conventional configurations. Phase 2 is currently available in trunking only.
But for the time being, you should specify Phase 1
that is upgradeable to Phase 2, and specify that the
Phase 2 requires additional coverage design considerations, The sites may have to be spaced closer than for
implementation and costs of such an upgrade are clearly
especially for simulcast systems Phase 1 sites.
identified in proposals.
Phase 1 equipment has been undergoing compliance testing If your system will use simulcast, keep in mind time delay
sanctioned by the Federal Government Compliance Assessment No such program exists yet (Summer of 2013) for interference when moving to Phase 2 in the future. Phase
Program ( CAP), sanctioned by the Department of Homeland Phase 2. 2 sites may need to be spaced more closely than Phase 1.
Security.

Phase 2 is capable of interactive power output control and can

No such functions in Phase 1.
interrupt on-going transmission from subscriber units.
True or False: Common myths and misconceptions about P25 Phase 2

Unless you are suffering from lack of capacity, and Phase 2 is necessary for FCC although it might be required at some point in the
False
additional channels in your current frequency range are not Narrowbanding future in the 700 MHz band.
available, any other arguments for choosing Phase 2 over Phase 2 brings added functionality
False marginal functions only - see page 8.
Phase 1 are outweighed by risks and costs of Phase 2 at this to Phase 1:
time (2013). Keep in mind that most new radios will cover Significant drawbacks are: coverage design
There are no drawbacks to using
the entire 700/800 MHz spectrum, so these two ranges False considerations, lack of compliance testing, limited
Phase 2:
can be treated as one. This means if you cannot add more vendor competition
800MHz channels, you can add 700MHz channels – most Everyone should upgrade to or install
Absolutely false!
P25 radios can use both bands seamlessly. Phase 2:
Phase 2 augments Phase 1, to address the infrequent
Phase 1 is an obsolete standard and
False situations where increased traffic capacity is needed,
being replaced by Phase 2
but does not replace Phase 1.
Phase 2 has to use 700/800 MHz
False Phase 2 can be offered in any frequency band
spectrum.

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IMAGE / QUOTE

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System architecture Coverage needs

Once the basic technology choices have been made (for Coverage considerations will dictate the number and
example, you decided that P25 trunked Phase 1 system locations of your radio sites (also referred to as towers).
will meet your needs) Start with the basics and get them Together with frequency availability and traffic patterns,
right), it is time to begin to define your system in greater they will determine whether the system should be
detail. simulcast, multicast or a hybrid of the two.
Several high level aspects of the future system are usually Coverage engineering may be the most complex area of
determined at this point. You don’t need to spend millions the radio system specification and design process and is
on quadruple course switching or site controlling, but you one critical area where your investment in a competent
do need to cover the basics factors as: consultant will be well justified.

coverage
capacity
resilience
interoperability
dispatch operation

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 Measuring coverage For Public Safety, the accepted objective is to provide
There are many ways to describe coverage performance. DAQ 3.4 over the service area. DAQ 3.4 is defined as
It is typically done in several different ways, which together “speech understandable with repetition only rarely
describe what your user can reasonably expect when the required, and with some noise and/or distortion.”
new system is implemented. A lower DAQ (for example 3.0) may require excessive
Delivered Audio Quality (DAQ) is the most common signal speech repetition while a higher value (for example 4.0)
quality measure in P25 for Public Safety. may require a prohibitively high level of infrastructure
investment.
Predicted reliability is the other important measure of
coverage performance. For Public Safety, the industry
DAQ Definition standard for coverage design is to provide 95% reliability.
This is a simplified statement, which in reality means
1 Unusable. Speech present but not understandable. that you can expect a signal of the requested quality (for
Speech understandable with considerable effort. Requires frequent example, DAQ 3.4) 95% of the time across 95% of your
2: coverage area.
repetition due to noise or distortion.
Speech understandable with slight effort. Requires occasional
3:
repetition due to noise or distortion.
Speech understandable without repetition. Some noise or distortion
3.4
present.
4 Speech easily understandable. Little noise or distortion.
4.5 Speed easily understandable. Rare noise or distortion.
5 Perfect. No distortion or noise discernible.

[ 19 [ [ 20 [
Defining coverage needs In-building coverage
For most systems, it is insufficient to define uniform Identify where in-building coverage is needed. Include
coverage requirements across your entire service area, schools and colleges, hospitals, prisons, airports and any
for example 95/95 @3.4 DAQ. Typically, there are areas of other critical areas. There are several approaches to define
special consideration: in-building coverage requirements.

• critical use - prisons, courthouses, hospitals, • S ome projects demand a uniform signal level in critical
•  h igh population density - urban areas, challenging areas, assuming it will be sufficient in the relevant
terrain – mountains, canyons, buildings. For example, general residential areas can
be identified on a map and marked up for signal
• challenging construction – significant buildings with
strength 10 dB above what is required in open spaces.
“dead spots”.
It is advisable to characterize the most critical
Map your geographical area to identify the geographical buildings up-front to determine the appropriate signal
features, buildings and other locations with specific strength margin. Take signal strength measurements
coverage level requirements. from inside the buildings, using the signal from
desired existing sites or temporary reference
transmitters.

•  Y
 ou may identify specific “must cover” buildings and
place the burden of engineering on the vendors.
For example, you may decide that interiors of all
schools must provide 95/[email protected] and it is up to
“Be realistic about the vendors to engineer the system to provide this
what you can afford.” performance.

The first method requires more work up-front, but results

in lower cost and better quality proposals as vendors
can apply a more uniform approach to coverage design.

[ 21 [ [ 22 [
 Simulcast, multicast or
hybrid?
The second method shifts the burden of coverage Simulcast Multicast
performance to the vendors. This may be easier for the One channel at each of the simulcasting sites transmits One channel at each of the participating sites transmits
agency, but requires more time to engineer the response the same signal simultaneously at the same frequency the same signal simultaneously at different frequency
and is more expensive.
Requires high level of signal control in any overlap area No comparable requirement
While this may sound straightforward and intuitive, it is Ease of roaming Roaming manual or requiring advanced technology
only the tip of the iceberg. The coverage requirements Requires complex system failure scenarios planning No comparable requirement
and, above all, coverage acceptance test plans need to be Frequency efficient Frequency consuming
approached with great care and respect. Requires identical number of repeaters at each site, even Equipment (repeater) efficient, allows different number of
where traffic loading is low repeaters at each site
Most vendors maintain separate, specialized coverage
Conventional multicast may require voting, trunked
engineering units. The processes, tests, parameters and Requires voting
multicast does not.
vocabulary are well defined in the TSB 88 standards,
maintained and updated by Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA). Your specifications should refer to this
standard to minimize the risk of misinterpretation of either Each approach has distinct advantages and
your RFP or vendors’ responses. disadvantages, but, in practice, in majority of Public Safety
applications, the advantages of simulcast (ease of use
and spectrum efficiency) will outweigh its disadvantages
(typically higher costs and higher maintenance
requirements). A complete and comprehensive analysis
of pros and cons of simulcast vs. multicast is complex, and
the outcome will depend on your particular circumstances
It is possible and indeed common to combine simulcast
and multicast into a hybrid architecture. This is most
advantageous where the system needs to cover both high
density urban areas with a large number of users and
high number of channels, as well as larger areas with low
density and subsequent limited need for channels.

[ 23 [ [ 24 [
 Sizing your network for
major events
Network capacity engineering is relatively simple for How do you size your system for “the big one”?
single site systems or for pure simulcast systems, where This is another case where precise analysis goes beyond
one frequency pair = one channel. But quickly becomes the scope of this guide, but we can offer some helpful
very complex for multicast or hybrid systems. Your guidelines for major events. The guidelines are appropriate
capacity needs will determine the number and location for planned events such as sports events and conventions
of repeaters. While network capacity engineering can or crime emergencies and natural disasters.
be complex, you can start by applying this simple rule of
thumb: about 70 users per working channel. The simple rule of thumb is that, for major emergencies
the capacity should be roughly three times of your normal
Keep in mind that in a trunked P25 system, one channel weekly busy hour.
per site acts as a control channel so is unavailable for
voice traffic. • E
 stablish how much traffic is generated on your
current system during the busiest hour of a typical
week. For most Public Safety organizations it is Friday
evening but your situation may be different.
• How can you find out? If your current system has
some traffic logging features you can pull down traffic
statistics from your system management terminal.
Another good place to go is your logging recorder.
• If during your normal busy hour your users generate
x amount of traffic on your radio system, aim for 3x
capacity for major events.
“Staying on air
through critical
events requires This level of capacity cannot always be achieved
planning.” because of lack of available frequencies or budgetary
considerations. However, try to get to as close as possible
to this guideline and focus your operating procedures on
limiting radio traffic to essential subscribers during major
events.

[ 25 [ [ 26 [
 “You do Not need
Why is the 3x rule just a rough guideline? A small rural
department is extremely unlikely to need that much
Channels for all
users in extreme
capacity regardless the circumstances – you simply may
not have that many users and your emergencies may be
limited in complexity, size and impact. At the other end of
the spectrum, a major dense urban area in an earthquake
zone, with a combination of large commercial centers,
sports facilities and transportation hubs nearby may need
more than the “3x busy hour” capacity.
situations – you
need to plan to
limit access to
critical event
users.”
“Understand the
implications of
coverage and
reliability issues,
during normal
operation, peak
loading and
emergencies.”

[ 27 [ [ 28 [
Backhaul

System size is also a consideration when defining unaware of Public Safety radio specific network needs and
backhaul. While all modern P25 networks are IP based, sometimes nonchalant about shutting a link down for a
each vendor has its own calculations to determine the few hours for maintenance.
capacity of the links connecting your network sites. A
simple (and preliminary) rule of thumb is 64Kbps per Today, there are more backhaul options than ever. At the
channel (working or control).Depending on your vendor’s most basic level the choices are: copper, fiber and micro-
technology implementation, that may be either excessive wave, with multiple variants of specific technologies within
or insufficient. each topology. Each has band-width capacity and quality
of service limits which help define where it is best used.
Microwave, fiber, or…?
Start by discussing backhaul requirements with your IT
Beyond the important work of analyzing and selecting the department addressing the following topics:
best combination of backhaul solutions, it is important that
the backhaul network must be “mission critical” – meet C
 haracteristics of the proposed new LMR network.
agency standard redundancy and resiliency requirements. Vendors and consultants can provide transport
Eliminating single points of failure, installing fail-over characteristics and requirements impacting backhaul
back-up units, and multi-path routing capability will ensure choices.
redundancy. Ensuring power requirements are available R eview all existing backhaul networks - owned and
with sufficient capacity to ensure reliable power for an leased.
extended period (hours, days, weeks as your standards
Discuss future network requirements at sites
or local circumstances require) in case of primary power
which may impact backhaul.
failure will guarantee power resiliency and alternate traffic
routing capability. A nticipate timeline of LMR and other “IP/fibre
network deployments at sites. combo is
None of the backhaul technologies is universally superior. robust, more
reliable and
Fiber is favored due to practically unlimited bandwidth, cheaper to
but many believe that operating your own microwave maintain.”
network provides higher level of reliability. This is because
IT crews typically in charge of fiber networks are generally

[ 29 [ [ 30 [
You can ask questions and solicit information and Minimizing cost is always a worthwhile objective but the
opinions from commercial carriers, backhaul infrastructure ever-multiplying growth in mobile communication capacity
manufacturers and vendors, LMR manufacturers and requirements support our recommendation to deploy a
vendors. At the minimum, establish working groups to backhaul network with many times the capacity you need
research: today.

• w
 hich backhaul networks can we reuse or repurpose
and which networks require new backhaul?
• what are the priority and latency requirements of each Topology Capex Opex Availability Adaptability Capacity Comments
voice, data, and administration application requiring Copper Low High High Low Medium Carriers have much in place
backhaul, and which can we group together?
Microwave High Low High Medium Medium Typically LoS although some
• how can we converge voice and data backhaul NLoS available
requirements into least number of separate networks?
Fiber Medium Medium Medium High High
• which network topologies can meet our needs,
• what are their hardware/software components and
requirements, what do they cost?
• own or lease - what are the total costs of ownership
over next ten years? Fiber is most often the preferred choice, since applications
that we have not yet thought of, will be best served by
backhaul that is high in technical adaptability and capacity.
However, fiber is terrain-limited so doesn’t work everywhere.

[ 31 [ [ 32 [
To decide which variant(s) of the three major platforms
are most viable for you, you need to consider:

• topography,
• user group size,
• priority,
• latency,
• technical expertise needed to manage/maintain,
• budget, local availability,
• existing backbone available,
• capacity for future expansion.

For most agencies, a combination of topologies will deliver

the best user experience. If you are a rural agency you
will likely have access to fiber in the metro areas, but will
need microwave for county-wide TX/RX locations. If you
are only concerned about voice, then existing copper
T circuits to the sites where you will place your LMR
equipment will likely work fine with modern variants such
as VDLS2.
Redundancy to ensure network resilience is probably the
best argument for a mixed topology solution which would
typically be fiber and microwave.

[ 33 [ [ 34 [
Resilience
“The common
At this point you should consider some high-level failure
scenarios and determine how much resilience you need to
objective is
always reliable
build into the design. Some common approaches are:

Back-up power source/s – generators and batteries.

communications”
O
 verprovision of sites so that no single site failure has
significant impact on your coverage/capacity,
Microwave or fiber network architecture (star, ring,
hybrid, hot standby), Specify seamless switchover
during failure – ring architecture for backhaul system.
Antenna system engineering, using multiple antennas,
combiners and multicouplers at large sites,
Redundant controllers, including geographically
distributed ones.

More detailed decisions are made later when writing

final specifications or you can request that a solution be
proposed by your vendors.
When planning for failure scenarios, do not disregard
solutions seemingly-unrelated to your new system’s
architecture or functionality. For example, having a cache of
emergency radios rigorously maintained and programmed
for a mutual aid channel may be as effective - and less
expensive - as a more high-tech approach. The same can
be true about emergency transportable repeaters.

[ 35 [ [ 36 [
Back up power
During natural disasters, it is most often lack of power
that brings radio systems down. Generators are prone to
failure, and you need to be vigilant to maintain sufficient
fuel on standby to protect you in an emergency.
Do not assume you will be able to refuel your back-up
generator quickly. Invest in large enough fuel tanks,
monitor evaporation and factor in how weather events
might restrict access to your sites. Consider too, that if
power failure is widespread, your supplier may be unable
to pump fuel.
Well-maintained batteries can give reliable power in the
event of both your power and your generator failing.

“The fundamental
requirement of a
resilient system
is to guarantee
power throughout
foreseeable
events and
disasters.”

[ 37 [ [ 38 [
Interoperability
“Interoperability
The range of needs and solutions, both technical and
non-technical, is vast, and likely to increase with statewide
depends as much
on human factors
networks and mutual aid agreements. Your first priority is
to define the scope of your interoperability:

• W
 hich outside entities does your system need to

•
•
connect to?
How often will these connections be required?
Should they be permanent connections or activated
and operations
policies as
manually?
• What, or who, triggers their activation?

technology. Create
In some cases, public safety agencies simply rely on
caches of equipment for emergencies. On the other end
of the spectrum, some require totally seamless, automatic
roaming with their neighbors, and opt for ISSI (Inter Sub-

an operational
System Interface).

“Keep it simple.
Problems increase
exponentially
solution rather than
a technical one.”
when you couple
systems.”

[ 39 [ [ 40 [
ISSI: myths, reality and
predictions
The Promise? Fantastic! The Best Practice Recommendation?
In the future you will be able to roam seamlessly between Use simple and inexpensive solutions while waiting for
P25 systems from different vendors, gaining automatic ISSI to deliver. Ask your vendor to commit to future
access to other systems’ resources while maintaining ISSI solutions. Make sure they provide detailed, binding
connection with your home system. information about their development, pricing and
implementation plans.
The Reality? Not here yet.
Consider also your interoperability with non-LMR voice
Unfortunately, this solution has not yet been deployed
systems. This is the right time to consider your current –
as of late Summer 2013. Currently, there are very few
and future - connections to PSTN, cellular systems, private
commercial ISSI deployments and their functionality is
and public wireline and wireless data systems, public
severely limited; specifically, requiring manual roaming,
internet, alarm systems, etc.
while providing reduced functionality for both the host
system and the home system.

The Prediction? It is a matter of when rather

than if.
The standards are well defined and market demand is
strong, but successful deployment requires significant
resources and good cooperation between competitors.

“Coordinate
P25 IDs across
all agencies,
and share your
talkgroups.”

[ 41 [ [ 42 [
 Dispatch needs

Dispatch is the point where radio and other technologies

merge. It is essential to involve dispatch management and
personnel in preparing requirements for the new system.

• What is the total number of dispatch positions?

• Will all of them be in the same geographical location?
• D
 o you expect that configuration to remain
unchanged in the foreseeable future or do you expect
changes like dispatch consolidation or addition of new
consoles/dispatch centers?
• Do you need the flexibility to add consoles on ad-hoc
basis?
• What kind of auxiliary equipment will be connected to
the consoles (logging recorders)?

It is not important to look in detail at all desired functions

of the dispatch system at this time, but the number
and location of dispatch consoles and some auxiliary
equipment, especially logging recorders, will have to be
considered in backhaul design.

[ 43 [ [ 44 [
P25 System
functionality
System and user equipment functionality is determined Core Features
in your Needs Analysis. However, you need to understand Core Features are mandatory. All relevant P25 devices
the implications of your choice of features and functions. and systems must have them and they must be
P25 systems and devices may have three different levels implemented according to the P25 Standard to assure
of features and functions. Their status is defined in the interoperability. The most obvious example for all user
APCO Project 25 Statement of Requirements (SoR). For equipment is Air Interface Protocol. For example, any
full details of the status of any specific function, see the radio claiming to be P25 conventional Phase 1 unit must
most recent version here. be able to communicate with a P25 unit from any other
manufacturer.
The core features can be taken for granted. They come
with the system and user equipment regardless of
the supplier or the model. CAP certification is highly
recommended, however, to guarantee interoperability.
Core (Mandatory) features include:
Proprietary
Options Group calls
Common channel operation
Standard Affiliation
Options Unit to unit calls
Broadcast calls

Core Features A complete list is available in the P25 SoR.

[ 45 [ [ 46 [
Standard Options Vendor Proprietary Options
Standard Options do not have to be included in Vendor Proprietary Options do not need to be included
the systems or radios, but, if they are, they must be and vendors are free to implement them any way they
implemented in the prescribed way, assuring compliance want. An example is Over The Air Programming (OTAP).
between vendors. An example is AES or DES encryption. Not all manufacturers provide this feature and the ones
P25 radios may not have encryption included, but, if they that implement it do it in a proprietary manner. These
have either AES or DES encryption (not any other type), features are typically not compatible between different
they must be implemented according to the standard, vendors.
assuring compliance between vendors.
Vendor proprietary options should be selected with
Standard options should be selected with care. For utmost care. On one hand, they may provide very valuable
example, one of the most common features is Over The functionality, on the other hand they can practically lock
Air Rekeying (OTAR). While the idea is great and it has system owners into a proprietary relationship with one
some die-hard enthusiasts, in practice it is seldom used. Is vendor, with all the known risks, such as higher prices and
it necessary in your new network? The broad experience lower level of service. Vendor Proprietary features include:
of a good consultant may be invaluable to help you decide.
Standard Options features include: Over The Air Programming
Patch Calls
Over The Air Rekeying
Dynamic Regrouping
Group calls on a conventional system (Phase 1)
Failsoft
Voice encryption on a trunked system
Text messaging “Does this function
solve a problem? A complete list is available in the P25 SoR. (link)
Unit de-authorization (stun) Do you need it to
save time, property
A complete list is available in the P25 SoR. or lives?”

[ 47 [ [ 48 [
Compliance and
interoperability “Specify products
There are several traps when considering mandatory
features, standard options and vendor proprietary options.
that meet P25
First, the desire to include too many features may
result in prohibitive price tag. In organizations that are
conscious of budgetary restrictions, functional needs
CAP requirements
to guarantee
should be prioritized so that the final wish-list reflects the
actual needs of your agency, rather than personalities or
bargaining power of stakeholders. A consultant can play
an invaluable role here too, as an external objective expert.
It is critical that you consider interoperability when
selecting features and functions. Fortunately, the P25
Compliance Assessment Program provides some
interoperability
standardized testing between different manufacturers’
products. Products that offer Suppler Declaration of
Compliance have been tested and proven to interoperate
with competitor products listed.
and support.”
P25 Compliance Assessment Program (CAP)
• US Government-sponsored program
• Process for ensuring equipment complies “Don’t include
specifications
• Series of controlled tests that pre-select
• Vendors test each other’s equipment vendors, such
as proprietary
• See www.rkb.us or trademark
• S upplier Declaration of Compliance (SDoC) terms.”
issued to complying products.

[ 49 [ [ 50 [
 What about data?

The data capabilities inherent in the P25 standard have been

largely surpassed by commercial broadband developments
and FirstNet expectations. However, there are some useful
applications which operators should consider.

Plan for the future of P25 data

From the outset, P25 has been data-capable, with
Public Safety data applications still being identified and
developed by vendors.
While P25 data is not robust enough for some applications
promised with the standard, other, less bandwidth-
demanding applications, such as status messages and
workforce management tools, are working well.
AVL is sufficiently accurate to locate first responders
outdoors. Anecdotally, this has already proven to save
lives. Location data can easily be retrieved, via the CAD
(Computer Aided Dispatch) and referred to in the event of
an enquiry.
While waiting for full FirstNet deployment, agencies should
prepare for, and take advantage of, a rapid increase in
Public-Safety-specific data applications in the near future.
The majority of these applications require broadband
wireless technologies, but the inherent data capabilities of
P25 should not be ignored.

[ 51 [ [ 52 [
Balance your voice and data needs Over the air programming/rekeying
P25 combined voice and data networks bring many OTAP and OTAR are among the most often discussed
efficiencies and safety benefits, and communicating via P25 data applications. Purchasers should understand the
data may help reduce voice traffic on your network. limitations of any offering. OTAP is not yet defined in the
P25 standard, so every OTAP solution that is currently
Data is generally more of a management tool, with available is proprietary. This will create problems when
messages usually sent from dispatch rather than programming radios from multiple vendors.
incoming. So most systems do not see the decrease
in voice traffic they may have expected, once data is OTAR is defined in the P25 standard, but is rarely used.
implemented. You also need to be aware that voiceless (this issue will be discussed in a later best practice guide).
dispatch is not permitted in some jurisdictions.
Paging on P25 digital radios
Consider a dedicated data channel, with priority-based
Paging is widely used by Fire agencies as an effective
voice override for efficient channel use.
and inexpensive communication with their volunteers.
Vendors promise a P25 paging solution but this has not
eventuated to date. The lack of a robust paging solution
on P25 remains an issue, as Fire agencies are forced to
maintain analog channels to support paging, within the
P25 network.

The future of FirstNet

“Think about how you Conceived in response to the 9/11 commission’s findings,
might use data. For this extensive new network will provide access to
example to allow applications and coverage for public safety first responders.
access to security Users will have fast access to information they need.
gates at sites.”
Initially FirstNet will be used to send data, video, images
and text and make cellular-quality voice calls. FirstNet
will allow for priority access among public safety users.

[ 53 [ [ 54 [
 “The reality is
At this time, there are too many uncertainties to do any
specific planning or to include any specific technical
that FirstNet
will initially
requirements in the RFP.–But it is important that
you discuss the potential impact of Firstnet on your
communications with your consultant and/or vendor to
future-proof your contract and the decisions you make now.

What to do?
Even if you are not sure if you want to use any data
be urban because
that is where
capabilities of your future P25 networks, make sure
that the vendors explain capabilities of their solutions
as well as the cost and effort needed to implement
some basic applications such as AVL, text messaging,

the carriers are.”

status messaging, workforce management tools,
productivity tools, OTAP and OTAR. Similarly, request the
information on your vendors’ broadband data activities
and capabilities. While it is too early to ask for specific
solutions, you want to make sure that your future partners
are up to speed and planning interoperability with the
future broadband technologies.
If you are interested in specific data applications and
tools, include them in your specifications - even if you plan
to implement them at a later date - to obtain accurate,
binding and competitive cost information.

[ 55 [ [ 56 [
Project Implementation

We now move our focus from the technology, and look Defining the migration process – what, who, when?
at the logistics of your upgrade or replacement process. What internal resources can be delegated to the project?
There are some big questions to tackle here. What roles could they play? For example, you may have
Forklift or migration? someone on your team who can act as your internal
Project Manager. Alternatively, you can hire an external
The answer is almost always “migration”, so you need to resource who will oversee the project on your behalf?
factor the migration process into your decision making
and planning. This opens up additional questions such as: Who should carry out the work? This may be assigned
to one vendor (“prime contractor”) or you may have
• a vailability of space for two systems co-existing side management resources to save money by contracting the
by side, civil work, licensing and other sub-projects to third parties.
• the method of migration, the impact of migration on
When should the implementation/migration take place?
the everyday and potential emergency operations,
Weather impacts on potential construction work and site
• the desired level of functionality between the old access, but also needs to be considered for other reasons.
and new systems. For example, coverage testing should be conducted
between late Spring and early Fall under full foliage
The migration process is often over-complicated and conditions - the presence of leaves on trees impacts
unnecessarily costly, even though some simple logistical coverage performance.
measures and inexpensive technical solutions are
perfectly sufficient. Employing experienced system At this stage, you should also consider your
designers and installers will minimize the potential “You can’t have post- implementation needs, in terms of “Good planning will
enough lead time. system maintenance and administration. minimize potential
risk to critical communication during the Allow three years loss of critical
system changeover. to engineer your communication
migration before for your users
your decision to during the system
change.” changeover.”

[ 57 [ [ 58 [
Training

Define your education and training needs early. Build a

business case for a training budget and plan education
and training for users at every level. You need to consider
what kind of training is needed, where and when should it
take place and who needs to be trained?

 C
 onsider a “Train the Trainer” program which
educates some of your personnel to train others.
Request training for technical and administrative
personnel early so that their participation in the
implementation can reinforce their understanding
of the system.
Request training for system users as close to their
respective cut-over so that the knowledge is fresh
in their minds.

“You don’t know

what you don’t
know. Implementing
a system is an
ideal learning
opportunity.”

[ 59 [ [ 60 [
Preliminary system Talkgroup design
design
System architecture, functional requirements and some of Now is the time to rationalize your talkgroups.
the implementation requirements can now be integrated Reducing the number of talk groups can also reduce
into preliminary system design. By now you should be able the management overhead This can not only save
to define: management and administration time, but create simpler
communications.
technology
 (P25 conventional or trunked, Phase 1
or Phase 2), Rethink and justify your talk group structure, based on
your current network experience. If your current group
system architecture (single site, Simulcast, Multicast,
structure is working well, do not change it.
hybrid),
RF sites; existing or new (green), number and • A
 ssess and justify each group and restructure
locations, according to what you need.
channels per site - approximate number, • Think about local, regional and global (911 and
consoles and auxiliary equipment (logging recorders) interoperability) talkgroups.
- numbers and location, • Consider mutual aid talk groups on specific channels,
dispatch equipment functionality, permanently set up to provide aid instantly.
backhaul network architecture, approximate capacity
and functionality, Live with what you specify. It may be only 98% accurate,
interoperability needs - participating organizations, but the cost of perfection is high!
their technologies and your desired level of
integration, “Trade conventional
channels and
subscriber equipment - approximate quantities talkgroups with your
and functionalities, interoperability
administrative (system management) desired features partners, to avoid
P25 complexity.
and functionality, Another option: just
diagnostic and maintenance features. share talkgroups.”

[ 61 [ [ 62 [
 “If you have to manually “Everyone must
flick a switch, that’s understand what
redundancy not “Agencies can have each channel is for,
“To prepare for resilience.” and how/when to
likely events, look their own operations
channels plus a use it.”
at local history.”
shared one for
interoperability.”

“Invest enough to stay

“Don’t over on air through critical
purchase. Will events.”
“Pay careful attention you use all the
to failure modes – features you are
“Just because redundancy and resilience paying for?”
everyone can – how the system responds
hear, doesn’t to different failure types.”
mean they know
what is going on.” “Consider a dedicated
event channel for sports
events and emergencies.”
“P25 is not better, not
worse than what you
have now, but it is
absolutely different. And
you need to understand
how different it is.”

INSIGHTS
“Identify risks and
define your priorities
– what fails most
often? People!”

All quote bubbles are direct insights from the industry

participants at the Tait P25 round table discussions. To find
out who the participants were, visit www.p25bestpractice.com

[ 63 [ [ 64 [
With the specifications drafted for your new system, and
your project stakeholders on board, you can begin to work
through the process of procurement. At this phase of your
project, you will need to determine your financing model,
evaluate and select a vendor, then negotiate the contract.
For information and best-practice about the procurement
phase of your project, see “Procuring your P25 system”
available now at...
www.p25bestpractice.com
Procuring your
P25 Network

[ 65 [ [ 66 [
[ 67 [ [ 68 [
www.p25bestpractice.com
www.taitradio.com
Copyright © 2014 Tait Limited

[ 69 [