Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, VA, USA

Tait delivered a five-channel, six-site TaitNet MPT 1327 radio network which uses the 220MHz band. The system gives REC a cost-effective infrastructure that allows voice and data on the same system and efficient two-way radio communications over a large geographic area.

Because MPT is such a well-developed technology, the TaitNet system was able to offer Rappahannock a number of proven worker safety features that other systems could not. For example, the TaitNet MPT 1327 control channel offers workers the ability to alert dispatch in an emergency with the touch of a single button.

The MPT system is complemented by 155 Tait mobile and 35 Tait portable radios used by line crews. These users can now easily roam throughout the REC service territory because the radio system automatically switches to the tower site that provides the best signal quality. Previously, crew members had to be aware of tower locations and manually change radio channels to get the best radio signal strength. The new system gives users the ability to talk from one end of the system to the other, regardless of location.

The MPT system also allows for more efficient management of, and communications between, staff with radios organised for private one-to-one, fleet and group calls. The network can host several conversations simultaneously, which is especially important when dispatching different crews for a coordinated crisis response.

The scalable, modular design of TaitNet MPT 1327 allows for expansion from a single channel to a regional network and the flexibility to add features including the eventual integration of an AVL system. In addition to the system build, Tait provided project management, installation and maintenance to ensure REC's network is used to its full capacity in the immediate and long-term future.