Supporting and expanding Manx Utilities’ MOTOTRBO™ capacity plus multi-site system
integrated with WAVE broadband PTT and TRBOnet™ Plus.
Manx Utilities is a £100m turnover business, with a committed team of 360 people serving 49,000 customers. The organisation is responsible for providing safe, reliable and efficient supplies of electricity, wholesale natural gas and clean water, as well as processing waste water and delivering flood risk management services, across the Isle of Man.
“We first decided to replace our legacy analogue VHF system with a reliable, robust MOTOTRBO system so we could link our sites, have greater dynamic channel availability and utilise the advanced functionality to increase worker safety – via features like GPS tracking, Geofencing, Lone Worker, Man Down and voice recording, all of which we manage through TRBOnet PLUS. We were able to run the two systems in parallel during migration to ensure no loss of service. Of course, there are loads of other benefits of moving to digital too, such as text message functionality, privacy measures including encryption and improved reliable coverage: indeed, moving to a UHF digital system, we have eliminated our previous blackspots inside our power stations.
Adding WAVE PTX into the mix means that our off-site staff and homeworkers can access our radio network wherever they are. However, having specified and installed this fantastic system, we really needed it to be supported and maintained by a Motorola Solutions specialist, to keep it updated and functioning optimally. That’s where Radiocoms comes in. The support and service that Radiocoms has offered have been exceptional; their team is knowledgeable and proactive, which means that we can relax and get on with our job of delivering essential services to the island, knowing our MOTOTRBO system is in very safe hands.”
David Osborn, Control Systems Engineer, Manx Utilities
The Challenge.
Manx Utilities launched a tender for a 24/7 servicing and support contract for its MOTOTRBO Capacity Plus Multi-Site system. The tender requirements included elements such as software and firmware upgrades, phone and email support for end user and engineering enquiries, and software and Ofcom licence renewals to ensure optimal system availability and operability, as well as effective interoperability between the various technologies deployed.
Manx Utilities specified that the supplier had to be a Motorola Solutions approved partner with extensive technical capabilities for all elements of its system, including WAVE Broadband PTT.
The Solution.
Motorola Solutions platinum partner Radiocoms Systems Ltd, who has a strong presence within the utilities vertical, won the tender and has been awarded a three-year contract to service and support the Manx Utilities MOTOTRBO system. Its first job was to review the whole system and bring it completely up to date, from licences to software and firmware, resolve any system bugs and ensure all components were effectively integrated. Radiocoms continues to update, service and maintain the whole system on an ongoing basis 24/7, having significantly also built a Motorola Solutions service contract into its offering to ensure further support.
However, Radiocoms has not stopped there; it has since also introduced new elements, such as MOTOTRBO Radio Management, for real-time, remote management, programming and updating (for example of protocols when sites were added) of the DP4801e radios, which saves time and cost. Radiocoms has also supplied two further MOTOTRBO DMR SLR 5500 repeaters for use at Manx Utilities’ two main gas pressure reduction sites.
The repeaters at the Pulrose and Peel power stations, as well as at the Glen Mooar and Glen Vine gas pressure reduction sites, provide robust, reliable on-site communications; and each on-site mobile worker is equipped with their own personal issue DP4801e, or an ATEX-certified DP4801 Ex if they are working in a potentially explosive environment. As staff safety is paramount, dispatchers in the Pulrose control room use TRBOnet PLUS to record all communications and to track and locate any employee in difficulty via the radio’s integrated GPS when they are working outdoors and via the 55 strategically placed iBeacons and radios’ integrated Bluetooth for uninterrupted indoor tracking.
Transmit Interrupt prioritises critical communications when needed and radio users can raise emergency alerts. Lone Worker (set to a 30-minute timeout via the radio’s transmit button) and Man Down features are also activated and managed by TRBOnet PLUS; meanwhile, geofencing enables lone worker policies to be implemented automatically when staff enter unmanned sites or areas out of hours, for example.
Complete visibility.
Finally, via WAVE broadband PTT, staff working off-site or from home can still have access to the generation operations team and the gas team talk groups via an application running on their robust enterprise LEX L10s, on their mobile devices or on their desktop PCs.
The WAVE app also offers enhanced functionality such as status, presence, mapping and group text providing great flexibility which is particularly useful out of hours when people are out of range of the radio system or do not have a radio with them.
Close partnerships deliver optimal systems and growth.
Initially, the system was fully updated with relevant renewals and upgrades by Radiocoms to ensure the existing hardware, software and integrated combined technologies were all working optimally.
Radiocoms has subsequently worked with Manx Utilities to effectively double the size of the system, and network usage has significantly increased.
Manx Utilities knows that it can rely on the expertise and support of a Motorola Solutions Platinum approved partner to guarantee its comprehensive MOTOTRBO system is always up to date and operating efficiently.
Conclusion.
David Osborn explains why he rates the MOTOTRBO system: “Motorola Solutions is the technology leader. Our Capacity Plus Multi-Site system is reliable, scalable and flexible; and the equipment is robust and long-lasting. Most importantly, it delivers everything we need and gives us visibility over our staff, to increase worker safety. Radiocoms ensures our system is up to date and operating efficiently, whilst keeping us abreast of any new technologies and developments.”
Simon Bingham, Senior Account Manager, Radiocoms, meanwhile, summarises by talking about the importance of the collaboration: “The success of this deployment has been all about the partnerships; our partnership with Manx Utilities and our partnership with Motorola Solutions. We all understand the system, how the different technologies integrate and the precise requirements; and we’re all working hand in hand to provide the best possible support and service, which has ultimately led to the network effectively doubling in size. And, who knows what the future will bring?”
Connect with Simon Bingham.
