08/15/2025
Banks County Public Safety purchased their own Kenwood UHF NexEdge Digital Trunking system back in 2014 spending a little less than $1 Million dollars. Other area counties purchased Motorola MotoTurbo Digital trunking systems during this same time period costing in excess of $1 million dollars. Motorola has discontinued support of those systems forcing those counties to purchase new.
In the last two years, one NEGA county has spent approximately $30 million and another NEGA County has contracted for approximately $14 million on a new 800 Mhz P25 system. A third NEGA county currently has gone out to bid for a 800 Mhz P25 system that is expected to come in around $11 Million. These systems will have little coverage outside their respective counties unless they purchase the PTT over Cellular option for the mobiles and portables. This option cost roughly $500/radio plus a cellular cost per unit of $30-40/month.
For rural counties with limited tax base who may be considering upgrading their Public Safety Communications systems there are alternatives to these multi-million dollar systems.
1) Kenwood does not obsolete systems. The Banks County system is in fact adding two new sites to their current 6 sites to improve portable coverage in adjacent counties and add redundancy to their in county portable coverage.
2) Since the Banks County system is compatible with our FleetTalk system, we have programmed all their mobiles and portables to roam to our system when outside the coverage of their own system. Sheriff and Fire units will be able to remain in contact with their departments throughout much of Georgia and upstate SC. Substantially less monthly cost than PTT over Cellular.
3) FleetTalk radios are roughly 1/5th the cost of 800 Mhz P25 radios, you can incorporate schools, mutual aid entities, city departments, state agencies, contractors, etc into your system at a reasonable cost.
P25 alone does not make a Public Safety grade system. Designing for redundancy, capacity, growth, interoperability and life expectancy make a Public Safety grade system.
Call if you would like a demonstration of what Kenwood and Gunby Communications can do for you.
