TETRA Interoperability (IOP)

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TETRA Interoperability (IOP)

• Roger Dowling
• Board Member TETRA Association
• 28th February 2007
• Mexico City

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Content of Presentation

• What is TETRA Interoperability?
• Benefits of an Open Multi-Vendor Market
• TETRA Technical Forum
• The Interoperability (IOP) Process
• What is IOP Tested and Certified
• Status of IOP Specifications and Certification
• The Future for IOP

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What is Interoperability (IOP)?

• IOP ensures that TETRA equipment from one
  manufacturer functions (interoperates) with TETRA
  equipment from another manufacturer.
• IOP Testing gives Users the confidencethat
  equipment they purchase from multiple
  manufacturers is interoperable.
• IOP ensures that TETRA is an Open Standard.
• IOP enables a Multi-VendorTETRA market

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Benefits of an open multi-vendor market

• User benefits
• wide choice of compatible terminals 9
  suppliers
• specialised products for special needs
• continuous and fast product development
  innovation
• genuine competition, hence lower prices (c.f.
  P25)
• reduced dependency on a single supplier
• Industry benefits
• larger market, greater volumes
• increased possibility to invest faster product
  creation
• Market longevity

The TETRA Association created the IOP
certification process to guarantee an open
multi-vendor market!
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Structure of the TETRA Association
Operator and UsersAssociation (OUA)
Technical Forum (TF)
TETRA Association
Security and FraudPrevention Group (SFPG)
Rail Forum
Geographical Forums
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Technical Forum

• Open to all Members
• 5 Meetings per Year
• Website and Mailing List
• Task Management and Monitoring of theTETRA
  Interoperability Process
• Top Priorities for 2006/2007
• Implement new format Certificates
• Encourage new (non-European) manufacturers to
  join the Interoperability Process

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IOP Specification Process

• A formal process managed by the TETRA Association
  Technical Forum
• Users to define Requirements and Priorities
• Manufacurers to provide technical expertise

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Interfaces covered by TETRA IOP
PSTN
LSI
NMI
ISDN
PDN
TETRASwitch
ISI
TETRA Network
AI Air Interface DMI Direct Mode
Interface ISI Inter-System Interface PEI Periphe
ral Equipment Interface
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How does the IOP Process work?

• Common Standard

Define Rules Practical for Implementation
Equipment Tests
IOPSpecification Process
IOPCertification Process
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IOP Specification Process
Operator User Association (OUA)
Requirements
Comments
TETRA IOP Profile (TIP)
Topics Goals
Drafts
TETRA IOP Test Plan
Resolution
Members Enquiry
TF Meeting
Technical Forum
Know How
Comments
Proposals
Manufacturers
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IOP Certification Process
TETRA Products
Independent TETRACertificationBody
Request for Testing
TETRA IOP Profile (TIP)
TEST SESSION
TETRA IOP Test Plan
Evaluationof Results
TETRA IOP Certificate
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Independent TETRA Certification Body

• ISCOM is the official Italian Type Approval body
• Testing is performed at the infra-structure
  manufacturers premisessupervised by ISCOM
• Test logs are checked by ISCOM to ensure
  compliance to IOP specs.
• After careful analysis of the logs, certificates
  are issued and published on the TETRA Association
  web-site

Photo by ISCOM
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Interoperability Testing

• Protocol Stack Testing
• mainly Layer 3 signalling
• some parts of Layer 2
• Frequency Independent Testing
• IOP Certificate is valid for all frequencies

• IOP Testing does not cover
• Type Approval Testing
• EMC Testing
• Electrical Safety Testing
• RF Conformance Testing

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IOP Certificates - issued

• 12 Manufacturers participate in IOP Testing
• 8 companies have received TETRA infrastructure
  certificates for 9 systems
• 9 companies have received TETRAterminal
  certificates in trunked mode
• 6 companies have received TETRA terminal DMO
  certificates
• 2 companies have received TETRAterminal DMO
  gateway certificates

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Status of IOP Testing and Certification

• In total 176 IOP Certificates issued
• TIP specifications are the property of the TETRA
  Association and available free of charge to
  members of the Association
• Certificates available for downloadwww.tetramou.
  com ?Using TETRA ?Interoperability

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Interoperability in Practice

• Almost all TETRA networks use a mix of terminals
  from different vendors
• Increased innovation speed
• more than 30 new terminal models have been
  launched during the last 3 years.
• terminals with GPS receivers and colour displays
• An increasing number of application developers
  rely on the TIP specifications and the IOP
  process
• Many Users and Operators ask for IOP Certificates
  when purchasing new equipment

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A selection of multi-vendor TETRA systems
SYSTEM NAME COUNTRY NETWORK SUPPLIER TERMINAL SUPPLIERS TERMINAL SUPPLIERS TERMINAL SUPPLIERS TERMINAL SUPPLIERS TERMINAL SUPPLIERS TERMINAL SUPPLIERS
SYSTEM NAME COUNTRY NETWORK SUPPLIER Cleartone Motorola Nokia (EADS) OTE (Selex) Sepura Teltronic
Agora (Spain) Nokia/EADS            
Airwave (UK) Motorola            
ASTRID (Belgium) Nokia/EADS            
Barcelona (Spain) Teltronic            
B-P-Y (Russia) OTE/Selex            
Vienna (Austria) Frequentis            
C2000 (The Netherlands) Motorola            
Lueneburg (Germany) RS Bick Mobilfunk            
ENERGIE AG (Austria) Frequentis            
Geneve (Switzerland) ETELM            
KELAG (Austria) Frequentis            
Marseille Transport (France) ETELM            
MIA (Kazakhstan) Teltronic            
MOD (Norway) RS Bick Mobilfunk            
Mont Blanc (France) OTE/Selex            
Public Safety (Greece) Motorola            
Protección Civil (Venezuela) Teltronic            
Sakhalin (Russia) OTE/Selex            
Sibneft (Russia) RS Bick Mobilfunk            
VIRVE (Finland) Nokia/EADS            
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Interoperability in Practice

• Almost all TETRA networks use a mix of terminals
  from different vendors
• Increased innovation speed
• more than 30 new terminal models have been
  launched during the last 3 years.
• terminals with GPS receivers and colour displays
• An increasing number of application developers
  rely on the TIP specifications and the IOP
  process
• Many Users and Operators ask for IOP Certificates
  when purchasing new equipment

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The Way Forward

• Continuing success of TETRA in
  South America and Asia
• Increasing number of manufacturersin Asia and
  South America?
• The first Technical Forum Meeting outside of
  Europe was held in China in January 2007
• From a European-Centric to a Global Activity

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Conclusion

• The multi-vendor environment achieved with
  is unique in Professional Mobile Radio, there
  is no other technology that can compare in terms
  of
• Number of suppliers
• Number of different products
• Price / Performance figures

TETRA
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Any Questions?
Thank You

• Contact

Roger Dowling e-mail roger.dowling_at_sepura.com or
e-mail tfchairman_at_tetramou.com