Secure Land Communications / TETRA systems

Airbus TETRA Systems

Modern and proven radio communication

TETRA radio communication networks have been proven in practice. It is also a modern solution. Investments today will benefit your organization now and in the future.

And what is the future of TETRA? After all, broadband technologies and broadband ptt offer great possibilities. New multimedia-enriched messaging or video transmissions from the field can bring new efficiencies to everyday operations.

Your smart move to broadband is a hybrid solution: complementing narrowband TETRA with broadband 4G/5G. Download a helpful eBook that gives you 50 powerful reasons for adopting hybrid solutions.

Airbus Statement to TETRA Security Algorithms Research Findings Publication on 24 July 2023 - Read more

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50 powerful reasons for adopting hybrid solutions

What is TETRA radio system?

What is the true meaning of TETRA?

TETRA is an abbreviation of Terrestrial Trunked Radio. It is a standard by ETSI, European Telecommunications Standards Institute, which defines a digital system for professional mobile radio communication.

TETRA radio communication networks have many advantages over the first, analogue generation of wireless communications. TETRA networks are designed not only for voice, but also for narrowband data, and group communication functionality is built into the core system. They are safe from eavesdropping and Direct Mode Operation (DMO) makes it possible for devices to communicate between devices (radios) without a network.

Airbus provides TETRA radio communication systems based on this proven TETRA standard.

Did you know? A system may be standard, but systems by different manufacturers can do different things. Choose a TETRA system from Airbus and get the best benefits.

German police officer with Tactilon Dabat device

Reliable with excellent coverage

  • The network is reliable every day but also also in exceptional circumstances
  • Your users will appreciate the excellent radio coverage without black spots
  • They will see and hear a clear indication if their radio should lose its connection
TH9 TETRA radio with security person

TETRA communication is easy for the users:

  • They press the PTT key on the radio to talk to a group of people
  • One click, and the dispatcher can talk to everyone
  • Background noise is filtered out
  • There is the red key for personal emergency
  • … and many more
Security persons holding a TETRA radio

And there's more -

  • Communication security: organizations in the system stay secure and private from each other
  • The security features will meet your requirements
  • Data communications do not require a different device
  • If you are keen to get your money’s worth, Airbus has designed its TETRA systems to be economical to operate. This is a clear advantage when you consider that operational costs can be up to 80 % of the total lifetime cost of the system.
Tactilon Dabat in a car

Plus, TETRA offers a smooth evolution to broadband

You won't have to replace your well-serving TETRA system to bring broadband into use. Instead, you can evolve your current network into a hybrid TETRA and LTE network.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Who uses TETRA radio communications?

TETRA is the world’s most used digital PMR standard, deployed in approximately 130 countries. User groups vary from nationwide public safety agencies and utility companies to industry plant installations with just one or two base stations.

TETRA technology is extremely practical for organizations in public safety, transportation, healthcare and medical teams, enterprises, and various industries. They all need to communicate within teams and between them, and they need these solutions to be mission-critical: available, reliable, and secure.

These are just a few examples of Airbus TETRA System customers:

Airbus is committed to maintaining these systems for years to come. This guarantees that the TETRA system develops for a long time. Take a look at more customer stories:

Customer stories

How good is TETRA coverage?

Coverage depends mostly on the frequency used and the transmission power. Receiver sensitivity is also important. As TETRA is an open standard, competing vendors have continuously brought innovation to TETRA’s development so that today, using the same frequency band with similar output power, TETRA coverage is outstanding.

Did you know?

  • The TB3-series base stations are the most popular in the world. For example, the coverage for the world's largest TETRA network (BOS network in Germany) is built with TB3 TETRA base stations.
  • The hybrid base station TB4 is ready for broadband. It can handle both 4G/5G and TETRA technology.

Can a TETRA network be connected with other technologies?

Airbus TETRA systems connect analogue and digital group call services using the Generic Four Wire interface. There is an interface for one-to-one calls for connecting to an organisation's PABX, to PSTN or cellular networks, as well as interfaces for connecting SDS (the “TETRA text messages”) with cellular networks and IP data traffic with data networks.

Typically, all legacy network services can be interconnected.

What's more, you can adopt smartphones and other broadband solutions and connect them very effectively to Airbus TETRA systems. Such hybrid solutions are a smooth way to mission critical broadband.

Who have adopted hybrid solutions?

Many organizations around the world use hybrid solutions from Airbus to complement their narrowband TETRA with broadband 4G/5G. These are just a few examples:

Make your move - today

Professional uses TH9 TETRA radio to communicate

Talk to Airbus

Do you need a powerful TETRA system that is scalable from a local to a large-scale network? Contact Airbus and give a few details about your needs.
Metro professional uses an Airbus TETRA radio

Learn more about Claricor TETRA systems

Claricor TETRA systems are easy to set up, fully capable, and can grow with your needs.
Paramedic uses a smartphone and TETRA radio

Adopt TETRA and broadband

Get more information on Airbus TETRA and how to complement it with broadband. Contact us and give some details that help us prepare for our next interaction.

TETRA and broadband

What does TETRA over broadband mean?

Is 'TETRA over broadband' even a thing?

There is an ever-growing trend with professional organizations using smartphones in their work. They want to take advantage of broadband and multimedia communications.

TETRA over broadband makes it possible for the radio user to have a group call also with team members who carry a smartphone. Learn more in this blog post: “What does ‘TETRA over LTE’ mean?” 

What about TETRA and smartphones?

The smartphone trend also means that one person may have to use a TETRA radio AND a smartphone for work. Two different devices means different procedures and different functions. Carrying two devices is not ideal.

So, could TETRA features be brought into a smartphone?

There are apps that put a PTT button on the smartphone screen. Some smartphone models may also have a physical button that could be dedicated to the PTT function. This is great for many users, especially when the push-to-talk application is designed for professional use.

Take a look: This blog post explains how to recognize a professional push-to-talk application.

Let’s say your organization has decided to adopt broadband and apps for professional use. How do traditional radios and radio communication fit in? How does TETRA fit with smartphones? Learn more in this blog post: “How to use TETRA and smartphones in a hybrid way”.

How to buy

Would you like to get more information on hybrid solutions? And learn how to complement your system with broadband?

Click on the button and fill in the form that opens. The details you give will help us prepare for our next interaction.

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TETRA in a smartphone?

The natural way to use a device in push-to-talk communications is to hold the device in one hand and operate the PTT key with one finger of that same hand. The button in an app is not as comfortable to operate in this way.

A good solution is to choose suitable accessories (gadgets) for the smartphone. Another solution is to adopt a hybrid device – TETRA in a smartphone, in a way.

The best choice for your secure push-to-talk and push-to-x communications is the professional Agnet app.

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Hybrid device

Tactilon Dabat is a TETRA radio AND a smartphone. It is a hybrid TETRA+LTE device, designed for professional, every day, all-the-time use. It has a touch-screen to use apps, but is also designed to allow voice communication without touching the screen. It is comfortable to use also while wearing gloves.
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Agnet TETRA

Does your company use TETRA for secure communications? Make your system future-ready by adopting the Agnet TETRA push-to-x smartphone app. It works seamlessly with Airbus TETRA systems, and you will not have to change existing talk groups, processes and systems.

Other popular TETRA solutions

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TB4 hybrid base station

The TB4 base stations can handle both 4G/5G and TETRA technology. They are ideal for hybrid solutions.
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Taira for broadband

Taira for broadband offers a smooth, controlled and economical way to evolve your communication network from narrowband to broadband.

Adopting Taira lets you use broadband data services in a secure way.

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Tactilon Management

Managing network users’ data, access rights and other attributes is an important task. When there are thousands of users, one just cannot do this one user at a time. Special tools are needed for efficient management of subscribers. 

The Tactilon® Management tool lets you manage a mass of users’ attributes.

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Taira TETRA Server - Virtual TETRA core

Taira TETRA Server is also a key building block for Tactilon Suite and PMR evolution - future you can trust.

Four great resources

How to get mission critical broadband - fast

When transforming to critical communications over broadband, you will benefit from Taira, a secure data center solution. Taira can offer you the fastest route from your narrowband legacy communications to 5G and beyond. Download this white paper now!

TETRA evolution - start here

Start your broadband future today.

Download white paper "How to get more from your TETRA network and build your future, too"

How to minimize risks when introducing mission-critical broadband

Public safety and other professional organizations around the world want mobile broadband to be part of their communications. This executive briefing explains how to make a success of introducing mission-critical broadband to public safety.

50 powerful reasons you will want to adopt hybrid solutions

Hybrid solutions deliver what professionals really need – a chance to improve operations while keeping operational costs low. This eBook tells you what your smart move to broadband should look like.

Download the eBook and learn the 50 powerful reasons you will want to adopt hybrid solutions.