P25 Phase II base station
Mission-critical wireless solution vendor M/A-COM unveiled its 700 MHz Master V base station, which is designed to provide customers a smooth transition path from Project 25 Phase I to P25 Phase II via a software upgrade.
Although the P25 Phase II standard likely will not be ratified for at least two years, key issues like the type of vocoder and architecture have been decided, and the Master V base station adheres to these guidelines, said Steve Frackleton, director of marketing for M/A-COM’s wireless systems business.
“We’re confident that this is the architecture that will be approved, and we’re going forward with it,” Frackleton said. “The big issue is that it will be software-upgradeable to Phase II. That’s where we think we have a unique offering.”
Of course, to meet the proposed P25 Phase II standard, the Master V is a two-slot TDMA system that supports 6.25 kHz-equivalent channels and data rates of 12 kb/s. The initial solution will provide public-safety entities with an option to use the narrowband channels in the 700 MHz spectrum that will become available nationwide in February 2009.
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