The Background
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) is situated in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. BCMM is a relatively new municipal structure, which came into existence after the 2000 local government elections. It includes the towns of East London, King William's Town, Bhisho, and Qonce, as well as the large townships of Mdantsane and Zwelitsha. The total population of BCMM was approximately 835,000 in 2016.
The Challenge
Previously, each department in BCMM used an analog two-way radio system. The Fire Department and the Disaster Management Department made use of simplex VHF frequencies, while the Traffic Department, Law Enforcement, and the Water & Solid Waste Department made use of semi-duplex repeaters in the mid-band frequency range. Mid-band repeaters were installed at various sites around
East London, King William’s Town (referred to as KWT), and the surrounding areas. These repeater systems made use of multiple sub-audio tones to provide talk groups for the different departments.
One problem was that East London and KWT had little or no cross-communication between them due to the fact that the towns are 60km apart from each other. Their fire departments did, however, make use of a UHF link combined with a mid-band repeater sited midway between East London
and KWT to intercommunicate. Overall, the lack of continuous coverage and unified
technology made it difficult for the various teams from different departments to communicate in emergency situations. This hampered the effectiveness of the emergency response with the potential to put lives at risk. The BCMM council decided it needed to invest in a new communications system.
The Solution
Early in January 2020, the Disaster Management Department issued a Request for Tenders for a digital tactical radio solution to meet the communication requirements of the Traffic Department, Law Enforcement, the Fire Department, and the Disaster Management Department. The contract was awarded to East London-based firm M.H. Communications, a reseller with Hytera distributor Altron Nexus.
The first task M.H. Communications undertook was to assist BCMM to apply for new spectrum licenses in the shape of 10 new VHF repeater frequencies from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Portal. M.H. Communications recommended BCMM implement a Hytera DMR Tier III digital trunking solution.
Work began on implementing the new radio equipment in April 2021 and continues to date. Phase 1 work for the DMR Tier III system comprises nine DMR base stations and four carrier repeater sites linked over an IP network to expand network coverage across the municipality. Three of the single repeater sites are now active. In Phase 2, an additional repeater will be installed at each of the sites to provide additional capacity.
In addition, M.H. Communications has supplied a Hytera SmartOne Dispatch System with one active SmartOne dispatch client and a license for seven users. SmartOne has the capability to support interconnections with PABX/PSTN fixed telephone systems, but at this stage, the BCMM network does not allow for this direct interface. Hytera also supplied 175 HM785 DMR mobile radios for various vehicles and 107 DMR handheld radios.
M.H. Communications assisted with the removal of the old analog repeaters, base stations, mobiles, and portable radios. The company is still in the process of assisting the client to maintain the operation of the system for day-to-day use and has handed over training documentation for the operators.
The Benefits
Inter-departmental Cooperation Increased
Now that all BCMM departments are using the same radio technology, it is much easier for all the departments to communicate with each other. This enables them to deliver a faster and more effective response in the case of emergency incidents and to cooperate more efficiently during day-to-day operations.
Enhanced Audio Quality
The new digital Hytera DMR radios provide much better audio quality compared with the old analog radios, BCMM sta used before, as they are fitted with the latest Hytera noise canceling technology, which mitigates background noise, interference and howling when radios are too close to each other.
Efficient Dispatch Services
The Hytera SmartOne dispatch system provides BCMM with the ability to dispatch different teams from different departments in the event of an emergency situation in a much more efficient way. SmartOne offers powerful dispatching functions, such as voice calls, GPS positioning services, messaging functions, voice recording, and call logging.
Location Tracking and Monitoring
GPS technology in the radios allows dispatchers to see the location of vehicles and personnel displayed on maps on their consoles in real time. This allows them to dispatch the nearest or most appropriate sta to the scene of the incident much more quickly