KOCHI: Another vestige of a bygone era is about to give way, with Kochi police’s communications system set to go from analogue to digital. Kerala police recently floated a tender to procure a digital mobile radio (DMR) system for the city force.
According to officers, DMR uses an encrypted communication system to ensure that there are no breaches. It also enhances voice quality, with no risk of jamming.
“DMR can be operated in all weather conditions and it has a wider range than the analogue system currently in use. More wireless devices can be connected to the system. The major benefit is that it comes with GPS, which can help track the location of a wireless set. The wireless set does not even have to be operational for this purpose,” an officer said.
A major drawback of the analogue wireless system has been the ease with which the police radio frequency can be accessed by outsiders. There have been instances where Chinese-made radio transistors were used to intercept police communications. The existing system is also unreliable in damp surroundings.
Police are looking to procure the advanced DMR tier-2 communication system. As per the current requirement, DMR should support at least 2,000 radios for traffic and other police networks.
"An amount of Rs 3.12 crore has been allocated for the project, as part of which around 300 handheld radios will be supplied. Once the tendering process is completed, we will conduct testing of the system before finalising the order. DMR is being introduced as part of a project funded by the state and the Centre,” he said.
The pilot DMR project was implemented in Thrissur in 2019. However, the project landed in litigation after the government released 50% of the earmarked funds to a company assigned to supply devices.
“Recently, it was decided to implement the project for the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi city forces. The tender process for the Thiruvananthapuram leg has been completed. The project will be implemented in other districts in the next phase,” he said.
Standout qualities
DMR uses an encrypted communication system to ensure that there are no breaches.
The weather-friendly system enhances voice quality, with no jamming risk
Notably, the system comes with GPS, which can easily help track the location of a wireless set, whether operational or not.