Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

): I welcome the opportunity to address Members on a new telecommunications technology, the TETRA system, an acronym for terrestrial trunked radio. It is a new digital mobile radio service primarily intended for use by the emergency services in responding to emergencies. It is envisaged that all emergency services in Ireland, including the Garda Síochána, the fire service, the ambulance service, the Coast Guard and the mountain rescue service, will use the technology.

The procurement of the TETRA network was undertaken by an interdepartmental committee chaired by a representative of the Centre for Management and Organisation Development, CMOD, which is part of the Department of Finance. Following the procurement process which was conducted by open tender, the highest ranked bidder, Tetra Ireland Limited, was selected to install and operate the TETRA network which was designed to be resilient and reduce reliance on public communications networks for the emergency communications of the emergency services. The network is based on digital technology and primarily designed for voice communications. The digital technology also allows for secure communications and is protected from eavesdropping.

A competitive tender process commenced in June 2006 and attracted bids from five consortia. Tetra Ireland Limited, comprising Motorola, Eircom and Sigma Wireless - the preferred bidder - deployed a pilot system in a service performance evaluation phase of the tender process. Following the successful pilot, a full roll-out began in September 2008 under an eight-year build-own-operate contract, with completion of full nationwide coverage by the middle of this year. It is envisaged that approximately 600 base stations will be deployed to provide coverage for more than 95% of the country. It is planned that the system will be fully integrated with the mobile or cellular and fixed line networks, with which there will be full interoperability.

As an inherent design feature of the TETRA network, each user will be able to operate its own talk groups and talk to other emergency service talk groups. The network is fully interoperable between existing communications systems and communication user groups. Using TETRA, Ireland's emergency services will, for the first time, be operating on a shared platform where inter-agency calls may be made at any time in a confidential and secure manner. It is considered that this facility will result in better management of emergencies, in particular, where the assistance of multiple agencies is required.

As the TETRA technology is dependent on the use of radio spectrum, the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, has been consulted by Tetra Ireland Limited to secure the necessary authorisations, licences and approvals which are granted within its remit and pursuant to the Communications Regulation Act 2002. To grant the TETRA licence, ComReg was required to make secondary legislation which prescribed the terms and conditions, fees and specific radio spectrum to be allocated. The frequencies used for the network are harmonised throughout Europe. The rationale behind this decision was to facilitate the manufacture of equipment that would serve the European market where economies of scale would reduce the cost of the equipment. Another reason for this common approach throughout Europe was to ensure emergency services in neighbouring countries would use the same technology where interoperability between emergency services in other jurisdictions was possible. I consider this point important in that the Irish emergency services adopt and align with technologies being deployed by other emergency services across the European Union.

I understand some Senators have expressed concern about interference with television reception quality arising from the deployment of the TETRA technology. The functions under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts 1926 to1988 for the investigation of interference to radio-based services were transferred from the Minister to the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation pursuant to the Telecommunications (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1996 and subsequently to ComReg pursuant to the Communications Regulation Act 2002. Accordingly, I have no function in this regard.

Within ComReg, however, a spectrum compliance team investigates matters of interference to users of the radio spectrum. The team has received reports of interference to television reception in certain parts of the country from the building and deployment of TETRA base stations. Following its investigations, ComReg has published information on the problem of interference to television reception from the installation and operation of TETRA base stations. The ComReg publications indicated that the problem of interference is arising owing to the use of unfiltered wide-band masthead amplifiers installed with television aerials. Mast head amplifiers are generally used in the reception of weak signals over considerable distances. In Ireland most mast head amplifiers are used for the reception of signals that do not originate in Ireland but originate in Britain. The reception of Irish terrestrial stations should be possible without the use of such devices. In addition, mast head amplifiers which are old or of poor quality can cause problems not only for the user but also for their neighbours' television reception as they may emit unwanted radio signals causing additional interference to neighbouring television reception.

Recent EU legislation, the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive 2004/108/EC, requires that all electrical equipment, including communications equipment, complies with the appropriate standards that allow users of communications equipment to coexist without causing interference to one another. The application of the standards associated with this directive is becoming increasingly important as the use of the radio spectrum intensifies and a greater number of users seek to use the radio spectrum for multiple purposes. The interference arising in this case is a good example of why this directive was introduced and reflects how old mast head amplifiers functioned without any difficulty in the past but now are suffering interference owing to increased use of the radio spectrum.

It should also be noted that the spectrum allocated to television broadcasting and the TETRA network is the same across the EU. Consequently this problem may not be unique to Ireland. The same compatibility issues may arise elsewhere and the use of directive compliant equipment is the only way forward.

To assist consumers in purchasing and using the appropriate equipment, the directive provides that the CE mark must be displayed on all electrical equipment that is placed on the European market. This marking is the tool which signifies that the equipment has been manufactured to the appropriate standard in order that problems such as television interference will not arise and users of the radio spectrum can coexist without causing any mutual interference.

ComReg advises that mast head filters can be purchased for as little as €15 and should be available from electrical suppliers who stock television aerials and related equipment. Where consumers use a mast head amplifier for the reception of weak television signals, they should ensure it is of high quality, is screened, filtered and carries the CE mark. Following the investigation of complaints to television reception from TETRA base stations, ComReg has published an information notice on this matter and have provided information on this matter on its website, www.askcomreg.ie.