Set Up New Field Of Police Wireless Communication Digitization

-------Interview Ma Xiaodong, Chief Engineer, principal of China police digital trunking standards’ research and development work

Time : 2011-5-16     source: People's public security paper

The PDT is the digital trunking standard with China’s independent intellectual property rights, its appearance will enhance the development speed and strength of the domestic police communications industry, will also bring more suitable communication solutions and equipment to the public security system.

PDT, as a police wireless communication technology system forthcoming towards the practical application, is increasingly attracting the concerned eyes of police professionals. In April 2010, the Ministry of Public Security has informed in the internal the standard drafting situation of the Police Digital Trunking (abbreviated as PDT). In April this year, once again, the Ministry of Public Security issued to further inform on the related situation of development of PDT standard. Chief Engineer Ma Xiaodong of Science, Technology and Information Technology Bureau under Ministry of Public Security Bureau, as a specific principal to advocate, lead and guide the creative technical standard system, from the initial feasibility study to formulation of various standards, then to design of the practical products, he always like a mother caring for baby, careful care of PDT each step growth. Review the past distance, his words is full of sense of achievement.

Select:

Fully consider the national conditions and needs

"As for carrying on the PDT, first because of the police need, meanwhile which is also based on the choice made by China's national conditions ".Ma Xiaodong said.

In recent years, the tasks of public security organs to preserve public order are increasingly arduous. The security tasks for major activities are one after another, natural disasters, accidents are frequent, emergencies are increased sharply, there is also the fight against terrorism, these are highly required for fast reactions and emergency handling ability of the public security organs, and it is very important to establish a unified command, responsive, smooth and efficient professional command communication system. However, the public security professional communication situation is rather unsatisfactory. Ma Xiaodong told reporters that at the time of Wenchuan earthquake relief, all police went around, because of the different system platform technology at each place, no communications network available, what they can do only to send a civilian police every one km, to go out message relay with a interphone in the disaster areas.

Building strong professional wireless communication and command system are always the goal pursued by the public security science and technology information technology department. From the last century 50 's, first of all, the public security organs equipped wireless interphones in guard departments , later gradually the equipment was expanded to the criminal investigation, and fire fighting etc. At the end of 80s, along with the wireless communication simulation trunking system was introduced from abroad , and localization of products was constantly realized, the police wireless communication simulation trunking system was popularized, the interphone was soon developed as the indispensable equipment for the street police .

The simulation trunking system greatly enhances the emergency communications capability, but there are also inherent weaknesses of low spectrum utilization, small system capacity, single function and poor confidentiality. Entering the 21st century, the developed countries began to upgrade from the simulation trunking system to the digital trunking system. At home, due to the urgent needs of the real police work, beginning in 2006, Beijing, Shanghai, Jinan, Shenzhen City public security organs successively introduced European TETRA standard and its products to replace the simulation trunking system, and equipped with a TETRA digital trunking system. In the practical application of Olympic security, Expo security, it is proved the TETRA digital trunking system is of  advantages of clear voice, high utilization of frequency spectrum, transmission rate increased to some extent, powerful function. However, shortcomings are equally obvious: first, as a result of cell system networking, the building maintenance costs are higher. Such as Shenzhen, 82 base stations were built to only cover the whole municipality. In China's Central and Western regions, especially the vast rural mountainous areas do not have the conditions to construct TETRA digital trunking system. In addition, there are too many questions of the systems of different manufacturers can not be interconnected, encryption interface is not open to China and professional technical barriers.

Without foresight, there shall be immediate worries. Ma Xiaodong told reporters, in 2005, when he organized the experts to study popularization and application of TETRA standard, he found that its disadvantages will become an insurmountable obstacle for the future implementation of the national police wireless communication networking and digitization. After investigation and demonstration, research and development of China’s police communication digital trunking standard according with national conditions has become an inevitable choice.

Research and development:

PDT standard system framework is basically fomred

"The PDT is the digital trunking standard with China’s independent intellectual property rights, its appearance will enhance the development speed and strength of the domestic police communications industry, will also bring more suitable communication solutions and equipment to the public security system. "Ma Xiaodong said.

Currently, the international trunking communication market is monopolized by the European and American two standard TETRA and P25 and their products. The domestic public security existing simulation trunking standards and the established public security digital trunking standards relied on TETRA standard all have obvious defects of this or that. Proceeding from the national conditions, to develop a set of technical standards according to police actual combat requirements can be said to be a rather complete solution for China's public security special wireless communications problem, embodying the deep thinking of large planning, high conception and long-term deliberation.

In August 2008, the Information and Communication Bureau under Ministry of Public Security (now the Science and Technology Information Technology Bureau) convened domestic police wireless communication equipment manufacturing enterprises with actual strength to conduct a special demonstration and research on formulation of the PDT standards. The idea received overwhelming response and support from the enterprises, all thought that they should and have the ability to formulate their own standards system and were willing to contribute for this purpose. The meeting determined Hytera Communications Stock Ltd, one of the top five companies in global professional wireless communication system field, as general research leading unit, all the participating enterprises tackled the key problems of the standard in grouping in items, and shared the relevant technical patent and research results.

On the basis of full reference and absorption of advantages of other standard, the new standards put forward implementation of function requirements of single cell coverage, such can implement networking at low cost, and can also meet high quality voice communication and short data application etc demands; and put forward the requirements of encryption function and meeting reliable communication security; in system networking aspects, it can be compatible with existing communication system, thus it can implement the smooth transition from the public security wireless communication simulation trunking system to the digital trunking system, and to create conditions and pave the road for national public security networking etc. Based on these ideas and principles, after 2 years of hard work, the PDT standard system framework was basically formed, the draft standards have been basically completed, which has the research and development conditions to guide products. The enterprises participated in formulation of PDT standard are being stepped up research and development of related equipment in accordance with standards, some test devices have entered the field test, before the end of this year it is expected to have a commercial conditions.

Ma Xiaodong told the reporter: "from the point of view of these devices currently have been researched and developed successfully, I feel I have bright future, I am fully able to overcome the previous lack of those.”

Vision:

The end users shall obtain the maximum benefits

 "As for such great research project, we did not invest any fees to research and development unit and it was basically completed, because we depended on the support and the contributions of a number of enterprises like Hytera, showing the innovative spirit of Chinese entrepreneurs. "Ma Xiaodong said.

“In fact, the PDT is equivalent to the 3G standard formulated by the public security internal, " evaluated by an expert of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. However, this "3G" standard of great significance for public security communication, the Ministry of Public Security has not put a penny in research funds starting from research and development at the beginning to basically formed products, all were invested by enterprise. Ma Xiaodong told reporters with a smile: "so far, as for several aspects of participating in the project, I can say only researchers of enterprises profited. Achieving results, it is natural to pay salary increases, and plus bonuses. ”

So, the enterprises how to get in return? Is there any commitment? " Without any commitment. "Ma Xiaodong said:" As for saying the return, we only give the enterprises a market expectations, tell them there are demands, investment or not is only made by their own decision. There is somewhat ' top design ' or ' guidance ' meaning. As for research and development of products, the products market share shall be determined through market competition. ”

In fact, what the enterprises consider is a more far-reaching. The domestic professional wireless communication market capacity is limited after all, which can’t be compared with civilian goods market. However, as the Hytera Communications Stock Co., Ltd. President Chen Ching said: "because the PDT standards are compatible with international standards, they are of great benefit for Chinese manufacturers moving towards the international, in particular the developing countries markets, at the same time attracting foreign manufacturers to enter the Chinese market, lowering product cost, improving product performance and enhancing the competitiveness of products” .

Development model of PDT itself is a successful sample for innovation of mechanism. The client party set up an Advisory Committee on police wireless communication digitization, responsible mainly for organizing, coordinating and guiding jobs. The research and development party established PDT Alliance, thus forming benign mutual collaboration relationship, and at the same time, the PDT Alliance door is always open to welcome domestic and foreign companies to join. At present, 19 companies in China and New Zealand Tait Company have become Alliance enterprises, companies of the United States, Japan and Britain also expressed their wish to join, still under negotiation. Many successful examples indicate the more enterprises confirm and participate in a technical standard, the more hopes to be bigger and stronger, turning into mainstream products of the market. The future PDT products market surely will form the competitive situation of international and domestic manufacturers, and among which the end users shall benefit the largest.

Ma Xiaodong describes: "this task has some finishing works, but the main difficulty has been broken through, I can say it has largely succeeded. Now, some provinces are facing problems of old simulation trunking system equipment needs to be updated, several city public security organs have notified to become the first group of PDT systems users. Introduction of the results of this study was the proper time. ”