Radio Frequency over Fibre Optics Repeater for Mission-Critical Communications: Design, Execution and Test.

Area of Science:

• Telecommunications Engineering
• Wireless Communication Systems
• Public Safety Technology

Background:

• Mission-critical communications are vital for public safety and disaster relief (PSDR) operations.
• Existing Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) systems face challenges with radio frequency (RF) coverage gaps, impacting response times and coordination.
• Reliable, high-availability communication systems with prioritization are essential for PSDR users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a technical solution for extending RF coverage in mission-critical communication networks.
• To improve reaction time and coordination for PSDR users during emergency scenarios.
• To design a flexible and scalable architecture for mission-critical communication systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of an optical repeater model specifically for the TETRA standard.
• Analysis of the repeater's performance in terms of gain (downlink and uplink) and coverage distance.
• Consideration of flexibility and scalability for cost-effective deployment.

Main Results:

• The proposed optical repeater achieves significant gain: up to 52.6 dB downlink and 65.6 dB uplink.
• The system demonstrates a coverage distance of up to 3.71 km in a radiating cable installation.
• The design principle is extendable to other mobile radio standards.

Conclusions:

• The optical repeater effectively addresses RF coverage gaps in TETRA networks, enhancing mission-critical communications.
• The flexible and scalable architecture offers a cost-effective solution for PSDR organizations.
• Improved communication reliability and performance are crucial for effective emergency response.