For teams working in the field (mine sites, construction, security, logistics, humanitarian organisations), radio remains the most direct communication tool: one press of a button reaches a whole group, without depending on a mobile network. When equipping or renewing a fleet of radios, one question often comes up: stay analogue or move to digital?
What separates analogue from digital
With analogue radio, the voice is transmitted as is on the frequency. The technology is simple, robust and compatible with a very wide range of radios.
With digital radio, the voice is encoded before transmission. The DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) standard, defined by ETSI, is today the most widely used for professional purposes.
The benefits of digital
- Clearer voice at the edge of coverage: background noise disappears as long as the signal can be decoded.
- More capacity: with DMR, a single channel can carry two simultaneous conversations.
- Additional features: text messages, individual calls, GPS location of radios or lone-worker alarms, depending on the model.
- Better battery life: digital radios generally use less power when transmitting.
When analogue still makes sense
- a large existing fleet in good condition that does not need to be replaced all at once;
- regular exchanges with partners using analogue radios;
- simple needs, limited to group communication.
Many digital radios also operate in analogue mode, which allows a gradual migration, site by site.
Questions to ask before choosing
- Which area must be covered, with what terrain and buildings?
- How many users, in how many groups?
- Do you need to locate teams or send alarms?
- Which equipment and frequencies are already in use?
- Do remote sites need to be linked, through repeaters or HF radio?
Our approach
We start from how your teams actually work: coverage study, choice of radios, repeaters and accessories, talk-group programming and user training. Where relevant, we organise a gradual migration that preserves the investments already made.