Tait Talks: A View Toward 2025

January, the start of a new year, is always a month to reflect on the past 12 months and a time to look forward to the new year ahead. 2024 was a year of growth for the critical communications industry and for Tait Communications. We are honored to have gained many new customers throughout 2024 and are delighted to continue to serve our strong base of current Tait users. In turn, we are excited about the prospects for ongoing growth in 2025.?

The following are several trends we witnessed last year.?

Converged technology solutions

In 2024, Tait Communications added several innovative technologies to our product portfolio. Early in the year, Tait announced its acquisition of RFI Technology Solutions, a global leader in manufacturing and integrating high-performance coverage enhancement solutions for radio and cellular networks. RFI operates three Australian manufacturing facilities and has business in adjacent sectors of the critical communications industry to expand Tait’s solutions portfolio.?

In North America, Tait LifeX by Frequentis is enhancing our LMR infrastructure and radio portfolio with dispatch center communications. Tait LifeX by Frequentis enhances situational awareness, streamlines communications including multimedia technology, and supports multiple dispatch centers and locations. We are excited to provide our LMR customers with a complementary advanced dispatch communications option.??

In addition, Tait Communications partnered with Handsfree Group to bring the R5 to our global markets and exclusively to North America. The Tait R5 is a broadband-based edge computing platform that integrates with P25 and DMR radio networks and Tait mobile terminals through an open standards Android-based single in-vehicle interface. The platform provides access to a broadband hotspot, LMR networks, push-to-talk over cellular (PTToC), 4G/5G cellular networks, and more.?

Enhanced customer experience

To ensure the best customer outcome, Tait Communications took a larger role in the rollout of New Zealand’s nationwide P25 public safety communications network (PSN). Tait Systems NZ, fully owned by Tait Communications, is delivering the network. The new entity deployed the pilot region of the new network consisting of eight digital radio transmission sites in South Canterbury. The pilot will help emergency services test new radios using operational scenarios. This will inform the upcoming 11-region rollout of the LMR network to emergency services across the country through 2026.?

For many of our customers, funding equipment purchases is a big hurdle. Tait Communications launched a new service last year that offers consulting to U.S. law enforcement agencies seeking grant funding to ensure they are well equipped to secure the resources they need. The service empowers agencies with a resource that is meticulously curated for public safety and critical communications needs. Personalized grant consultations ensure that an agency receives expert feedback on applications and has access to knowledgeable guidance throughout the process.?

The Tait Tough requirement.

The reliability of LMR is essential as natural disasters become more prevalent. From floods to fires to earthquakes and more, Tait radios and infrastructure offered reliability and coverage when all other communications went down. During major Brazilian floods in March 2024, the Military Police of Espírito Santo in Brazil saw their Tait radios and other equipment covered in mud from the flood. The Tait Tough equipment including a mobile radio control head continued to work after being subject to such an immense amount of water.?

When Hurricane Helene hit Ashville and Buncombe County, North Carolina, in September 2024, residents and first responders lost internet and communications connectivity. However, the U.S. county’s 14-site Tait Communications P25 trunked radio system maintained communications throughout the disaster and recovery efforts when other networks including cellular and fiber networks stopped functioning.?

Looking ahead in 2025, many changes are on the horizon and in fact already beginning. The following are areas where we see the biggest changes coming this year.?

The U.S. market.

No one has a crystal ball but predictions abound after a change in presidents in the United States. The new U.S. president has made several statements and signed executive orders that could prove positive for the U.S. critical communications industry. The utility and energy industries are expected to see growth. A strong economy brings strong budgets for public safety agencies nationwide. The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is tasked with slashing federal spending, which could affect communications purchases. However, as a follow-on to the U.S. Digital Service, created in 2014 to modernize the government’s technology, DOGE could have positive outcomes for the technology sector. The effect of new U.S. tariffs on Chinese and other imports should be further understood in coming months. Tait Communications’ long history of manufacturing in its New Zealand facility provides protection against Chinese, Mexican, and other tariffs.?

Continued focus on people and giving back.

The critical communications industry has always been composed of those who help others and are first to an emergency or disaster. Tait Communications customers make many sacrifices. In addition to first responders, utilities professionals are tasked with restoring power after storms or disasters, keeping the lights on and homes heated and cooled. Transportation and other critical industries are responsible for safe and orderly evacuations, reliable transit of goods and people, asset tracking, and other critical jobs. Our channel partners also work directly with first responders and critical infrastructure industries professionals.

We will continue to talk with and learn from our customers around the world and ensure we are doing whatever we can to make their jobs easier.?

The Tait Foundation continues to focus on science, technology, engineering and math education to help build the next generation of engineers. The University of Canterbury (UC), located in Christchurch, New Zealand, where Tait Communications has its headquarters and manufacturing facility, works with Tait engineers, such as Tait’s Client Specific Development Manager Dr. Alan Murray, to craft projects and partnerships with the university’s School of Engineering and Wireless Research Centre. The foundation supports primary school teachers as well.??

New interoperable open-standards products and solutions.

While Tait rolled out the TP9900 multiband portable radio last year, 2025 will see the announcement of the partner TM9900 mobile device to round out the portfolio. With the ability to access P25, DMR and analog channels in multiple frequency bands, the TM9900 significantly improves community safety outcomes with enhanced interoperability between first responders, schools, utilities, and other public sector organizations. With improved coordination between agencies, first responders can respond quickly, contributing to the safety of the community.?

While 2024 was a year of successes, 2025 will be another big year for Tait Communications, with additional significant technology releases and much more.?

The best is yet to come.?

Blog authored by: Sandi Wendelken – Strategy & Insights Manager | Tait Communications