Another problem haunting Ministry of Interior: police radio communications

Another problem haunting Ministry of Interior: police radio communications

"Matra the ghost" has emerged from the fog of domestic radio-communications to haunt the Czech Ministry of the Interior and its civil servants while satisfying the media's insatiable hunger for the sensational. The issue is quite simple: The Czech police force has no use for more expensive high-tech French transmitters (Matra), because the signals broadcast by professional radio network Pegas (not the commercial cellular GSM network Paegas) cover only a small fragment of the country's territory.
A desperate lack of funds is the cause of this often-simplified "police walkie-talkies" problem. For the last five years, the Ministry of Interior, which operates the Pegas network, has been unable to come up with the financial means to build a countrywide network which would cover all of the Czech Republic's territory. The usual statements heard, like "It doesn't work, so let's throw it away and build something better and cheaper" have been heard. But there is no reason to switch up the communications system now in place, says Ministry of the Interior's Director of Communications and Information Department Jaroslav Mráz: "The transmitters are OK, but there are not enough of them, and there are not enough of them because there is not enough money."
The government endorsed building the statewide radio-communications network based on Tetrapol technology called Pegas in 1994. The communications system was designed to be used by police and security forces, including some departments of the Ministry of Interior. The system would also serve as a unified radio-network for all emergency services, fire departments, civil defense units and the like. The French company Matra Communications, now called Matra Nortel after last year's merger with a Canadian company, won the international contest to supply the republic with its communications system.

Paegas ahead of Pegas

The development of the Pegas network could be compared to the two commercial GSM networks provided by the EuroTel and RadioMobil (Paegas network) companies. But while the two private companies were firmly backed by foreign capital and have therefore been able to invest big money into their profitable networks, the state-owned security network is a non-profit organization and is therefore financed only by the government, or the Ministry of the Interior. Its budget can pay for coverage of only a small part of Prague, some parts of northern Moravia and some other towns. For some police departments, especially for those in high crime areas, a system like the one in place is useless, because in order to be effective, coverage has to be nationwide.
In fact, of the 125 base-transmitters needed, only 21 are operating as of now. Those 21 cover approximately 15 percent of the country. To finish the network, the Ministry of the Interior would need 4.8 billion Kč to the more than 700 million Kč already invested so far. Since the ministry has no way to access that kind of money, the problem falls into the government's jurisdiction.

Compatibility

The spectre of "Matra the ghost" raises two great fears: Could the new technology cut the Czech Republic off from its neighbors which have started to build networks based on teleommunications technology which is altogether different? And could the problem cause problems when the Czech Republic joins NATO?
Tetrapol-based networks under different names are being used in 15 different countries worldwide. Those networks cover around 600,000 square kilometers. Tetrapol was chosen by France, where the system originates, and it has been introduced in Spain and Switzerland as well. The Slovak Republic is currently in the process of finishing its network, financed by loans. Romania, also a candidate country hoping to join the European Union soon, has chosen the system. There are a number of big municipal and private companies in Germany which have made the same decision. And the NATO air-base in Geilenkirchen is on the system, too. This air-base provides support for US early-alert AWACS airplanes. It is hard to imagine that NATO has chosen a technology which would not meet the Alliance's strict security standards.

Bořek Otava
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