Future of Motorola Zeon (TETRA) Network

[rustynswrail]

It is official, as of December 2019 (if not sooner) the Motorola 800 MHz Zeon network will be switched off permanently. This decision means current subscribers will have to look for alternatives.

What is taking some prominence in the market is the PTT over LTE/4G radio. They are of course secure and unscannerable. In some cases pricing is comparable with or better than standard two way systems. In metropolitan areas especially (depending on your host network) coverage is excellent.

There are interesting times ahead for the hobby and radio in general.

R

[cartman]

Don't know how long this has been around publically but it appears all ZEON tetra customers are getting moved over seamlessly to ORION DMR

http://images.campaignresources.motorol ... etwork.pdf

[rustynswrail]

On the contrary not all Zeon customers are not being moved to DMR. A good number have taken up other options such as the Vertel network and LTE network radios. At the moment LTE is going to be a force to reckon with when it comes to wide area communications. Generally speaking the equipment is cheaper, the coverage is second to none and the monthly costs are less than conventional (trunking) two way systems. While it has its limitations it is becoming more and more popular almost on a daily basis.

As it stands most will probably go the Orion, while high percentage of former Zeon customers will seek alternative (non Motorola) systems mainly due to their disgust with Motorola.

There is a lot more I could say but...

R

[Wonky]

I like this line:

Migrating our current Zeon Digital customers onto the Orion network will enable us to continue to provide the highest levels of service and performance that you experience today.

Well not exactly, reading the recent minutes from the Brisbane City Council (ok ok, I know, I had a some spare time on my hands ) it sounds like Orion will not provide them with same level of 'performance' as Zeon (which they currently use). And looks rather like the GWN is highly thought of as a potential...would it be cynical to think that Moto wants them to go with the GWN as they can make more money with thousands of APX's over DMR radios



D STORES BOARD SUBMISSION – SIGNIFICANT CONTRACTING PLAN FOR THE PROVISION OF FIELD COMMUNICATIONS
165/830/179/495
308/2018-19
30. The Chief Executive Officer provided the information below.

31. The Chief Executive Officer and the Stores Board considered the submission, as set out in Attachment A, on 16 October 2018.

32. The submission is recommended to Council as it is considered the most advantageous outcome for the provision of the required services.

33. Commercial-in-Confidence details have been removed from this report, highlighted in yellow and replaced with the words [Commercial-in-Confidence]. The Commercial-in-Confidence information is available at Attachment A (submitted on file).

Purpose

34. The Stores Board recommends approval of the Significant Contracting Plan (SCP) for the provision of Field Communications.

Background

35. On 4 September 2007, Council approved entering into a contract with Motorola Australia Pty Ltd (Motorola), for the provision of a Mobile Radio Network and Related Infrastructure and Services. Council staff use the radio-based services to communicate with each other, raise duress alarms, track locations (of staff, buses, ferries, and other vehicles), effectively manage daily operations, notify Council depots of incidents and assist the Brisbane community during significant events such as severe weather.

36. The contract was approved for an initial term of five years, with one optional additional period of two years, followed by three optional additional periods of one year each, not exceeding a maximum term of 10 years.

37. On 14 August 2017, the Establishment and Coordination Committee approved varying and extending the existing contract with Motorola for the provision of a Mobile Radio Network and Related Infrastructure and Services, without seeking competitive tenders from industry in accordance with section 2.4 (Sole or Select Sourcing) of Council’s Contract Manual. The contract extension was for a term of two years, with one optional additional period of one year.

38. The contract is due to end on 12 September 2019, and there is another one year extension option available to Council. It is not intended for Council to exercise the final one year extension as the current network is experiencing performance issues and it is increasingly difficult to source new handsets. The current equipment is approaching its end of life, as identified by Council employees that manage and use the equipment.

39. The current contract contains a provision for an 18-month transition-out period. Rather than take up the further one-year optional contract extension, it is recommended that Council uses the 18-month transition-out period at the completion of the existing contractual term, from 13 September 2019.

40. Motorola has advised that it intends to close down the network which is underpinning the current Council service because it is no longer commercially viable. This network is the Motorola TETRA Track Zeon network. Motorola has advised that it will close the network once Council successfully migrates from it.

41. Council has explored the option of migrating to the Queensland Government’s Wireless Network (GWN). GWN is the project25 phase two wireless network funded by the Queensland Government to a value in excess of $550 million and is intended to be used by the Queensland public safety agencies (PSA) (Queensland police, fire and ambulance services). The GWN is managed by Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra) and uses equipment supplied by Motorola. The GWN is contracted between the Queensland Government, Telstra and Motorola until 2028.

42. A discussion with Council and GWN representatives in 2017 identified that GWN has the ability to remove non Queensland PSA, including Council, from the GWN during a significant event to ensure bandwidth availability for the Queensland PSA. A subsequent meeting between Council and GWN on Thursday 27 September 2018 resolved that this ability to remove non-Queensland PSA users is no longer valid. As such, the GWN now presents as a viable solution to Council.

43. Council’s in-field services are a key part of Council’s operations, as significant portions of Brisbane Infrastructure’s and most of Transport for Brisbane’s operations are field based. These services play an important role in ensuring efficient and effective delivery of Council’s core services. These in-field services rely on a 100% available mobile radio network to ensure safe and efficient service delivery to Brisbane residents.

44. The SCP recommends a procurement strategy to facilitate an integrated and consolidated approach that meets Council’s field communication requirements into the future. This procurement strategy will consist of Council conducting a technical and commercial evaluation of the GWN while an open market Request for Proposal (RFP) is conducted.

45. The RFP will seek proposals that provide:
- GPS location for dash-mounted (mobile) and portable (handheld) devices, intended to locate a vehicle only and not a full asset tracking service
- continuous communications during significant events (e.g. a severe weather event)
- Council to third-party communications (e.g. RACQ)
- duress alarms
- safe handheld devices for staff working in high risk areas.

Policy and other considerations

46. Is there an existing Corporate Procurement Arrangement (CPA)/contract for these goods/services/works?
Yes, contract i70096-2006/2007– Provision of a Mobile Radio Network and Related Infrastructure and Services. The contract commenced on 13 September 2007 and is due to expire on 12 September 2019.

47. Could Council businesses provide the services/works?
Consideration was given to Council building its own network. It was noted that the Queensland Government has invested more than $550 million in to building the GWN and is constantly building out blackspots in its coverage. It was therefore considered that building its own network is an expensive option that Council is not currently positioned to undertake.

48. Are there policy, or other issues, that the delegate should be aware of?
Under current Council Zero Harm practices, a bus is not allowed to leave a Council depot unless it has a fully functioning field communications device.

49. Have the following issues been considered in the development of the specifications and evaluation criteria: Environmental sustainability, Access and Equity, Zero Harm, Quality Assurance (QA) and support for locally produced and Australian products?

The GPS location and duress alarm functionality are a significant component of the bus drivers and in field staff safety.

There is provision within the commercial factors section of the evaluation criteria to assess all tender responses on accessibility, good corporate citizenship, social enterprise, environmental procurement and innovation.

50. Does this procurement exercise need to be managed under the PM2 Governance and Assurance Framework?
Yes

Market analysis

51. Council completed a market sounding activity in 2016-17 to investigate the field communications market. The key findings from the market sounding were as follows.
- Few suppliers could supply all required components of a field communications and GPS tracking solution. Many minor point solutions were proposed that Council will be unlikely to consider.
- Some suppliers offered a service integration role rather than directly providing solutions and Council would be unlikely to consider a pure service integration role.
- Estimated solution costings provided by suppliers were not as useful as anticipated. Many suppliers required more information than what was provided in the high-level problem statement.
- Many suppliers did not demonstrate a track record and experience for what Council is trying to achieve from a scope and scale perspective.
- Many suppliers underestimated the scale of implementation effort.
- Council’s understanding in 2016-17 was that the Queensland Government reserves the right to remove non-Queensland PSA users from the GWN in the event of a significant incident. This would render Council without a field communications device. This concern has now been resolved to Council’s satisfaction

52. A desktop review of the marketplace indicates that the following suppliers would be able to compete for Council requirements.

53. P25 Network Infrastructure
- Orion Network offers coverage for Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and New Zealand. The Orion network is powered by Motorola’s MOTOBRO Connect Plus Digital and provides voice, data, messaging, GPS location, dispatch console services and telemetric services.
- Telstra – GWN has provided the Queensland Government PSA in-field communications services for Queensland PSA since 2016. The GWN is powered by Motorola’s project25 phase 2 technology to provide a fault-tolerant architecture for highly available, secure voice and data services. The main objective of the GWN is to provide an enhanced digital radio voice and narrowband data communications network for the State's PSA.
- Tait Limited (trading as Tait Communications and formerly known as Tait Electronics Ltd) (Tait Communications) provides services for Queensland Rail, including digital voice and data functionality. The system provides important communications infrastructure for Queensland Rail's day-to-day operations in and around Brisbane. Tait Communications was recently awarded a contract to provide network and equipment to London buses.
- Auria Wireless Pty Ltd has provided radio solutions to mining, utilities, emergency services, public safety, law enforcement and defence.
- BAI Communications delivers communications infrastructure to large-scale transport systems across the globe.
- HARRIS Communications (Australia) (Harris Communications) is a designer and supplier of tactical communications technology and engineering services for the long-term modernisation programs of the Australian Government’s Department of Defence.
- Long Term Evolution (LTE) (4G/5G) suppliers such as Telstra, Optus Networks and Vodafone Australia/TPG.
- SIMOCO Wireless Solutions Pty Ltd (Simoco) delivers high-quality communications infrastructure to large-scale transport systems across the globe.
- Leighton Fire and Communications (Leightons) has a primary focus in the construction and mining industry. Leightons was one of the solutions that missed out under the GWN solution.
- AIR@WAVE COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD is a Motorola company that provides solutions to United Kingdom emergency services.

54. End user devices:
- Simoco
- ICOM PTY LTD
- Qualcomm Incorporated
- Tait Communications
- Harris Communications
- ZETRON Australasia Pty Ltd
- RF Industries Pty Ltd
- Motorola.

Procurement strategy and activity plan

55. Procurement objective:
To procure effective field communications and any associated services in a way which complies with the Sound Contracting Principles set out in section 103(3) of the City of Brisbane Act 2010 and provides the most advantageous outcome for Council.

The achievement of the above procurement objective will be measured in the post market submission.

56.
Title of contract: Provision of Field Communications services
Type of procurement: Utilising the GWN or establishing a CPA if a supplier is selected through the RFP.
Process to be used: Evaluating the GWN functionality against the specifications while undertaking an open-market RFP.
RFP standard to be used (and any amendments to the standard): The RFP will use Council’s corporate RFP standard with no amendments.
Advertising/sole or select sourcing: Offers are to be sought publicly via Council’s supplier portal.
How RFP is to be distributed and submitted: Via Council’s supplier portal
How tenders/proposals are to be lodged: Via Council’s supplier portal
Part offers Part offers will not be considered
Joint offers Joint offers will be considered. This will allow tenderers the opportunity to implement their own consortia type approach if they wish to. However, Council will seek to contract with a single entity.
Contract standard to be used (and any amends): If Council selects the GWN, the contract is expected to be under the GWN contractual terms.

If Council selects a supplier under the RFP then the Queensland Information Technology Contracting (QITC) framework – Comprehensive Conditions of Contract will be used. The QITC document released with the RFP will include a liability cap of $20 million per event and in total.
Period/term of contract: GWN: The GWN is contracted between the Queensland Government and Telstra until 2028. The Telstra equipment partner under the GWN is Motorola. Motorola is contractually required to support all equipment for the term of the GWN contract.

RFP: To be determined during the RFP negotiation process. However, the RFP will suggest a contractual arrangement consisting of:
- a transition-in period of 18 months
- an initial term of five years with optional extensions of up to five years
- a transition-out period of up to 18 months
- a maximum term not exceeding 13 years.
Insurance requirements: If under the RFP:
- public liability $20 million
- product liability $20 million
- professional indemnity $10 million.
Price basis: Schedule of rates approach will apply to both the GWN and RFP suppliers.
Price adjustment: To be established as a result of negotiations and advised in the post-market submission.
Liquidated damages: Liquidated damages may be negotiated as part of the RFP process.
Security for the contract: No bank guarantees or security deposits are being requested. However, service level rebates will be required for poor performance under the contract.
Defects liability period/warranty period: Not applicable
Other strategy elements: Nil
Alternative strategies considered: Mobile broadband (MBB) based on mobile phone technology was considered and has not been discounted, however, Council has a requirement that any replacement service is available 99.99% of the time so as to facilitate an effective duress alarm functionality. It is possible that a hybrid solution of a trunked radio and MBB technology could provide an effective solution.

Consideration was given to Council building its own network. It was noted that the Queensland Government has invested more than $550 million in building the GWN and is constantly building out blackspots in its coverage. It was therefore considered that building its own network is an expensive option that Council is not currently positioned to undertake.

57. Anticipated schedule:
Pre-market approval: 29 October 2018
Date of release to market: 31 October 2018
Tender closing: 18 January 2019
Evaluation completion: 30 June 2019
Contract prepared: 15 July 2019
Post-market approval: 27 August 2019
Contract commencement: 12 September 2019

Budget

58. Estimated total expenditure under this CPA/contract (including any options):
Transition costs are estimated to be [Commercial-in-Confidence] for each transition period, totalling [Commercial-in-Confidence]. Once the service delivery commences, annual expenditure is estimated at [Commercial-in-Confidence], equating to [Commercial-in-Confidence] over the potential 10-year agreement. Reflecting the 18 month transition-in and an 18-month transition-out period, total expenditure over 13 years is approximately [Commercial-in-Confidence].

Council may be required to maintain and pay for both the existing system and a new system during the 18-month transition-out period leading to the [Commercial-in-Confidence] for each transition period.

It is anticipated that the GWN may offer better pricing.

59. Sufficient approved budget to meet the total spend under this CPA?

No, the initial five-year contractual term is in excess of the Council budget cycle. Budget approval will be sought from Council via the post-market submission.

All subsequent extension periods would be subject to allocation of budget funding at that time.

60. Anticipated procurement savings (if any):
The existing system has reached its ‘end-of-life’. Moving to a new system may increase projected expenditure.

Procurement risk

61. Summary of key risks associated with this procurement:

Procurement risk Risk rating Risk mitigation Risk allocation
Time to evaluate takes longer than planned Medium - This will be a complex solution that will require extensive demonstrations to satisfy business owners as to a solutions ability to meet requirements. The one-year option planned for 13 September 2019 can be utilised if required. Council
Time to transition-in takes longer than the 18-month period allowed for under the contract Medium - Transition-in is limited contractually to the 18-month transition-out period in the current Motorola contract. Current planning will mean that the transition-in activities need to be effectively managed to meet the timeframe allowed.
- GWN has advised that it would be able to have existing Council devices function on the GWN within a 24-week migration period, allowing for continuity of services and removing the need for more than one field communications device being used during this transition-in period. Council
There may only be a limited number of viable RFP responses Medium - Specifications are to allow for bespoke solutions. Council


62. Is this contract listed as a ‘critical contract’ requiring the supplier to have in place a Business Continuity Plan approved by Council?
Yes

Evaluation criteria:

63. Mandatory/essential criteria:

The Council technical specifications contain:
- three business requirement mandatory criteria
- nine functional mandatory criteria
- one non-functional mandatory criterion
- one service and support mandatory criterion
- two implementation mandatory criteria
- if the Solution Security Capability Assessment is not completed and provided with the tender submission, then no further evaluation of that tender response will be conducted.

64. Non-price weighted evaluation criteria:

Weighted evaluation criteria Weighting
(%)
Capability and capacity 40
Commercial 20
Security 10
Whole-of-life support 10
Safety 10
Track record and experience 10
Total: 100

65. Price model:

The Evaluation Team will prepare a complete pricing estimate for each tenderer’s solution that will comprise an estimated whole-of-life cost based on the evaluation criteria (this is expected to include a lump sum for project implementation and a schedule of rates used to estimate any additional solution costs).

The Evaluation Team may also allocate a value to each value-add item proposed as part of the pricing component of the tenderer’s submission.

The GWN pricing will be evaluated in the same manner.

Evaluation methodology

66. Initial assessment:

During stage 1, conforming tenders will be evaluated against the mandatory/essential criteria. Any tenders not satisfying the mandatory/essential criteria shall be excluded from further consideration.

GWN will be evaluated by comparing the GWN functionality from its technical documents against the requirements contained in the Council technical specification.

The objective of stage 2 of the evaluation is to evaluate all RFP responses against the criteria contained in the Council technical specifications. The Evaluation Team may then recommend a shortlist of tenderers to the PCG. The objective is to achieve a competitive field of suitable tenderers from the submissions received that the Evaluation Team considers are highly capable of delivering the project in line with the stated objectives of the RFP.

The GWN will be evaluated in the same manner as the RFP responses and be considered for possible shortlisting as part of stage 2.

[cartman]

Excellent work Wonky on finding that!
It does seem from the council minutes that the GWN is likely to be the new home for Brisbane City Council (which covers services for at least 1.6 million residents)

[frankc]

It is official, as of December 2019 (if not sooner) the Motorola 800 MHz Zeon network will be switched off permanently. This decision means current subscribers will have to look for alternatives.

What is taking some prominence in the market is the PTT over LTE/4G radio. They are of course secure and unscannerable. In some cases pricing is comparable with or better than standard two way systems. In metropolitan areas especially (depending on your host network) coverage is excellent.

There are interesting times ahead for the hobby and radio in general.

R

Wonder if Nib Stadium and Crown Casino in Perth will be moving to Orion/CSE Crosscom ?

[system_tech]

Stand by for the current Telstra Fleetcoms to perhaps end up on 4G LTE Radio.

[Wonky]

Interesting ST, is there a proposed time line for Fleetcomms to get shut down?

[cartman]

Stand by for the current Telstra Fleetcoms to perhaps end up on 4G LTE Radio.

That makes sense .... Telstra 4G.
That is going to free up some bandwidth on VHF and UHF

[system_tech]

Interesting ST, is there a proposed time line for Fleetcomms to get shut down?

Internally there is a rough time frame but not released to customers. I understand that the 4G solution has been tested. That's about all I can say.