Hytera, a leading provider of professional mobile radio solutions, has completed the installation of a digital mobile radio (DMR) trunking lite system at the expanded Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

The DMR contract was awarded to the company by airport operator Tibah Airports Development Company.

The fourth biggest and busiest in Saudi Arabia, the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport - which handled 5.8 million passengers in 2015, including 802,592 Hajj and 2.14 million Umrah passengers - reopened on July 2, 2015 after a major $1.2-billion expansion, said a statement from the company.

Shortly after the launch, Tibah noticed a drop in daily performance and work efficiency caused by the push-to-talk system which was then using outdated integrated digital enhanced network (iDen) technology.

Personnel complained of unstable communications, poor internal coverage, lack of voice recording capabilities and absence of aftersales service, among others, prompting the operator to seek a new independent, reliable and professional mobile radio system, it stated.

To address these issues and adopt a more agile and reliable mobile communications network, Tibah commissioned Hytera to replace the legacy iDen network with its DMR Trunking Lite, a digital trunked radio solution based on the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) open standard which features easy installation, convenient transportation and compact design, said the statement.

For the Madinah airport, Hytera deployed 150 terminals supporting crystal-clear digital voice along with versatile data services such as messaging, GPS and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) tracking feature and voice recording.

The new system enables dispatchers to identify onsite staff’s location and movement by using the GPS and AVL functions. All voice communications are recorded and can be played back for checking and verification, it added.

"Clear and reliable communications is critical to the safety, comfort and satisfaction of all airport customers and personnel. Hytera trunking solution delivers this and more, providing a flexible network structure, robust functions and a wealth of applications to ensure optimal operational performance at lower infrastructure costs," Fahim Iqbal, the telecom supervisor, Tibah Airports Development Company, said.

"Management and staff at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport can now focus more on their core operations knowing that they are supported by a robust radio communications network," he added.-TradeArabia News Service