Liberty Multiband Land Mobile Radio Achieves Industry Milestone
CLARKSBURG, Md., – Thales Communications, Inc., a pioneer and global leader in the development, manufacture, and support of multiband, software-defined radio (SDR) equipment, announces that its LibertyTM multiband land mobile radio (LMR) has received U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification. Having successfully passed all required tests, the Liberty radio is the first FCC-approved multiband radio covering the entire public safety spectrum.
The Liberty radio, introduced in early 2008, is made in the U.S. and is the first multiband, software-defined LMR designed specifically for government agencies and first responders. The Liberty LMR operates in all modes, with full encryption, and enables multi-agency communications in all the public safety frequency bands (136-174 MHz, 380-520 MHz, 700 MHz, and 800 MHz). The Liberty radio works on current analog systems as well as Project 25 (P25) trunking systems, regardless of frequency range. The radio’s trunking capabilities were demonstrated at the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) held earlier this year, operating seamlessly on multiple vendors’ P25 trunking systems and in multiple bands. Whereas other products need a link to achieve basic system interoperability, the Liberty radio achieves this higher, user level of interoperability by simply changing channels.
The Liberty radio was the first multiband LMR to be put in the hands of users. It is currently undergoing field testing in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science and Technology Directorate, under a DHS grant awarded last year. In parallel, operational evaluation by multiple public service agencies in large major metropolitan areas, by statewide public service agencies, and at federal laboratories is ongoing. The Liberty radio was in service at the Presidential Inauguration and the Academy Awards and is receiving continued evaluation as part of a series of live burns.
“This approval from the FCC further validates the capabilities, performance, and maturity of the Liberty multiband radio,” said Steve Nichols, Director of Homeland Security and Public Safety for Thales Communications. “This is an important advancement for the public safety industry.”
The Liberty radio is the cornerstone of a product family that includes a full line of accessories. In response to user requests, the company is also developing a mobile unit, the prototype of which was showcased at IWCE.
For more information on the Liberty multiband LMR, visit www.thalesliberty.com. The Liberty multiband LMR is available under BPA GS-TFMG-BPA-09-0012.
About Thales Communications, Inc.
Thales Communications, Inc. (www.thalescomminc.com) is a global leader in the development of battle-proven, software-defined, radio equipment and solutions. The company serves the ground, naval, airborne, and homeland security domains with tactical electronic equipment and information systems that address the technological and environmental challenges presented in real-world situations—especially those with size, weight, and power constraints. A U.S. proxy company (100% American), Thales Communications is part of Thales, a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defense, aerospace, and security markets worldwide. Thales’s leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. To this end, the group’s civil and military businesses develop in parallel and share a common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. The group builds its growth on its unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2008 revenues of $18.6 billion.