P25 Video Library
The Project 25 Technology Interest Group is pleased to publish links to three new P25 Videos:
- “Funding and the Future of P25”
- “Basics of P25”
- “Encryption in 3 Minutes”
The Videos are from the P25 Steering Committee produced by DHS CISA, P25 Support Team
The Funding and the Future of P25 Video can be accessed using the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq5CozWWFN4
Or from the DHS CISA Website https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/technology
The Basics of P25 Video can be accessed using the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GTAptVOpkE
Or from the DHS CISA Website https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/technology
The Encryption in Three Minutes Video can be accessed using the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1sKPEaHWUc
Or from the DHS CISA Website https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/technology.
CISA Video: “Funding and the Future of P25”
This exciting new video features a diverse group of experienced Project 25 System Directors sharing their first-hand views of Project 25 and the benefits that it offers to their agencies and the public. It reinforces the need for continued funding for Project 25 technology and Systems and the value it offers.
Key Messages from the Video:
- Project 25 is a great value for Public Safety.
- A Multi-vendor market drives competition.
- P25 Sharing = Cost Savings for participating agencies.
- Grant Funding is available.
- P25 LMR is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
- P25 works when the network is down. Direct mode is important to public safety.
- P25 “One to Many” PTT communications are essential to Users.
Agencies need to continue to prioritize funding and development for P25 technology
CISA Video: Basics of P25
By: Jim Downes, P25 Steering Committee Chairman
One only has to talk with public safety personnel who routinely use P25 to get a real sense of its value to communities nationwide. A new five-and-a-half minute CISA video—” Basics of P25”—does just that. Through interviews with responders, communications managers and engineers, emergency operations managers, and Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (SWICs) from across the Nation, the video covers:
- P25’s role in public safety
- Its value in both daily operations and emergencies involving mutual aid partners and outside agencies
- Its advantages for enhancing personnel safety and operational efficiency
- Cost savings it offers communities, and
- Practical recommendations for planning and implementing a P25 radio system.
For agencies considering a P25 system, the video offers a clear, practical overview of the technology’s ever-increasing role in law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical organizations and a foundation for exploring P25 in greater detail through CISA’s and SAFECOM’s library of P25 documents.
CISA Video: Encryption in Three Minutes
Drawn from interviews with emergency communications practitioners nationwide, “Encryption in Three Minutes” presents an overview of LMR and P25 encryption in public safety operations. The video outlines encryption’s role in protecting sensitive tactical and operational communications as well as the personal identifiable information and medical status of civilian patients during emergencies. Discussion focuses on implementing a practical, reliable encryption system while preserving interoperability with mutual aid partners and outside agencies. Special attention is given to selecting the most secure encryption algorithm. It is an ideal brief overview of LMR encryption aimed at community leaders and public safety administrators, officials, and responders.
Why Choose P25?
The Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG) is pleased to publish a page dedicated to answering the question: When making a decision on the best communications technology for Mission Critical Communications;
Why Choose Project 25 ?
P25 Transcending Boundaries, Enabling Interoperability
Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies continue to embrace Project 25 (P25) as the defacto American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) accredited technical standards for land mobile radio (LMR) communications interoperability. Thirty years ago, P25 began as a user requirement driven standards development process, which remains that way today. P25 has enabled nationwide holistic interoperability for mutual aid that led to preprogrammed channels, common infrastructure, flexible subscriber units (SU) and talkgroup naming conventions, forever changing the effectiveness of field response and operations for public safety first responders.
The Top Reasons to Choose P25 are detailed below:
Public Safety Grade Reliability and Performance Project 25 has been defined and implemented from its inception with Public Safety Grade Reliability and Performance; assuring user satisfaction and safety. Direct radio to radio operation outside of the system has always been a P25 capability.
Project 25 is a mature, proven, and well accepted radio standard for conventional and trunked applications with hundreds of thousands of Public Safety radio users. A Large Installed Base of over 2800 P25 Public Safety, Federal, and Government Systems in the USA (conventional and trunked), offer interoperable roaming and mutual aid beyond jurisdictional boundaries.
The reliable, de-facto, choice for mission critical communications during Natural Disasters, Large Sporting and Entertainment events, and Social unrest.
Well defined, P25 Air and Wireline Standardized Interfaces create seamless interoperability to link multiple users, agencies, and systems with local, state-wide, and national coverage, independent of manufacturer. Shared P25 Infrastructure = Significant Cost Savings
Superior Communications Security (COMSEC) using 256 bit AES for encrypted voice, data, GPS location, and key distribution both over the air (OTAR) and through directly connected key fill devices. P25 also provides Link Layer Authentication to further identify, validate, and secure SUs and the system infrastructure
.
The preferred radio technology for Federal Grant applications offering product choices, multiple price tiers and competition from a vibrant market-place of Interoperable P25 Products and Services offered by 38 P25 suppliers.
A User-Driven technology that embodies: secure direct mode operation, backward compatibility to legacy analog radios, forward migration to improved spectrum efficiency and cost effective coverage using a variety of P25 system configurations for urban, rural and remote areas using any frequency band or combination of bands (VHF, UHF, 700/800/900 MHz)
A live, active, technology that continues to evolve with new capabilities of wireless and IP network evolution, security upgrades, and test standards.
Superior Audio volume and clarity in extreme environments through an advanced P25 vocoder combined with high performance radio designs for specific, high noise, Public Safety environments.
Independent testing for performance and interoperability through labs approved by the Department of Homeland Security CAP program.
Multiple P25 System Configurations: (direct mode, repeated, single site, multi-site, voting, multicast, and simulcast configurations) and optional features create cost effective system applications and geographic coverage based on unique user requirements.Backward and forward compatibility considerations are built-in to the P25 Standards and ease future system expansions and migration to new technology upgrades.
The public safety community realizes P25’s value in providing of the secure, highly available, scalable, and shareable critical communications solutions purpose built for the public safety environment with immediate system access, P25 provides effective cost containment/avoidance, and enhanced spectrum efficiency and operational benefits of multi-jurisdictional, regional, and shared systems of systems environments that P25 systems may provide.
Download Links for: Supporting Resources and Documents- Why Choose P25
Benefits of P25 E-Book article
Why is P25 the best technology for MCPTT
P25 Funding and Future Video DHS CISA
P25 ISSI/CSSI Interoperability
P25 ISSI/CSSI Documents and Papers
P25 ISSI/CSSI Primer
Full Document Link: P25 ISSI/CSSI Primer SAFECOM-FPIC-NCSWIC
This document’s purpose is to introduce the Inter-RF Subsystem Interface (ISSI) and Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) technologies and highlight potential benefits and uses, discuss the existing Project 25 (P25) LMR standards that govern the technologies, briefly introduce some of the challenges associated with the implementation of the standards, and discuss how best to address these challenges in the future.
The document was developed by SAFECOM, The Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications (FPIC) and the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC)
P25 ISSI/CSSI Best Practices Volume I
Full Document Link: P25 ISSI/CSSI Best Practices Guide FPIC-SAFECOM-NCSWIC
This document’s purpose is to outline components for practitioners to consider when planning for and implementing an ISSI or CSSI implementation. The high-level components are rooted in best practices observed during all project phases by local, county, regional, and state agencies implementing ISSI/CSSI and are provided as a resource for others in the community who may be contemplating or implementing ISSI/CSSI
- Pre-Planning
- Partnerships and Governance
P25 ISSI/CSSI Best Practices Volume II
Full Document Link: P25 ISSI/CSSI Best Practices Volume II FPIC-SAFECOM-NCSWIC
This document is a follow-on to Volume I. It’s purpose is to outline additional components for practitioners to consider when planning for and implementing an ISSI or CSSI implementation. The high-level components are rooted in best practices observed during all project phases by local, county, regional, and state agencies implementing ISSI/CSSI and are provided as a resource for others in the community who may be contemplating or implementing ISSI/CSSI
- Stakeholders
- Technology
- Policies
- Thinking Ahead
Patching and Dynamic Regrouping: Project 25 Inter-RF Subsystem Interface (ISSI) and Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) Features and Functions
This document is part of a series of Project 25 (P25) Inter-Radio Frequency (RF) Subsystem Interface (ISSI) and Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) Features and Functions white papers designed to increase awareness of P25 features, terminology, and implementation considerations learned during ongoing discussions with the Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications (FPIC) ISSI/CSSI Focus Group. This document uses vendor neutral P25 Standards terminology, but the reader should be aware that different manufacturers and user communities often use different terms to describe these features
ISSI/CSSI Patching and Dynamic Regrouping Whitepaper FPIC
ISSI/CSSI Non-CAP Interoperability Testing Template
Manufacturers have been doing lab to lab testing of commonly supported ISSI/CSSI standard feature sets for some time now.
This template describes a method for reporting ISSI and/or CSSI P25 Interoperability testing results outside CAP.
At the time of this template’s publication, there were no ISSI or CSSI testing results available yet from the DHS OIC Compliance Assessment Program (CAP)
The template allows reporting on interoperability of testing equipment from two manufacturers. That testing may have been performed in a single lab, in a lab to lab setting or in an installed customer setting. That testing may have been performed by personnel with or without ISO/IEC 17025 recognition.
The template does not intend to prescribe a list of standard functionality that could or should be tested. The functionality covered by a published report should be determined by the manufacturers completing the report. The PTIG P25 Capabilities Guide may be used as a reference for P25 features and testing methods included in published P25/TIA-102 standard documents.
A copy of the template can be downloaded using the link below:
ISSI/CSSI Non-CAP Interoperability Testing Template
The PTIG P25 Capabilities Guide
ISSI/CSSI Non-CAP Interoperability Test Reports
190220 MSI-Avtec Non CAP ISSI/CSSI Interoperability Test
200123 TELEX-TAIT Non-CAP ISSI-CSSI Interoperability Test
200922 Bosch Telex- Motorola Solutions CSSI Non CAP Interoperability Test
210128 Motorola-Zetron CSSI Non CAP Interoperability Test
210602 Motorola Solutions - Intertalk Non CAP CSSI Interoperability test
TIA TR-8.25 Compliance Assessment Subcommittee
Project 25 Compliance Assessment and Interoperability
Mission & Scope
The Compliance Assessment Subcommittee shall be responsible for resolution of compliance assessment related questions. The resolution process is to investigate questions of Conformance, Performance (i.e. measurement methods), and Interoperability, recommend a resolution, test compatibility of the resolution with existing implementations, then migrate the impacted standard (or standards) in the recommended direction, deprecating the older standard (or standards) in favor of the newer standard (or standards) recommendation. The resolution process would be maintained by TR-8.25. The process shall also make clear that new standards do not invalidate older products validated by previous standards.
The Compliance Assessment Subcommittee will also be responsible for the development and publication approval of identified TIA standards for Project 25 Conformance, Performance (i.e. measurement methods), and Interoperability not assigned to other TIA TR-8 subcommittees.
Leadership
Chair |
RELM Wireless Corp. |
Jim Holthaus |
Vice-chair |
U.S. Department of Homeland Security |
James Downes |
DHS OIC P25 CAP Testing Program
DHS CAP Program Overview (definition from DHS S&T Website)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) partnered with the Department of Commerce Public Safety Communications Research program to establish the P25 Compliance Assessment Program (P25 CAP). P25 CAP is a formal, independent process for ensuring communications equipment declared by the supplier actually is P25 compliant and tested against the standards with publicly published results. Through this open standards testing process, P25 CAP provides responders confidence the communications equipment they use will be interoperable, regardless of manufacturer. Specifically, this voluntary program provides public safety agencies with evidence that the communications equipment they purchase is tested against and complies with the P25 standards for performance, conformance and interoperability. Compliance testing concludes with official summary test reports and suppliers’ declaration of compliance, which are available to first responders at https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/p25-cap. This website also provides a repository of all information on P25 CAP. Helping
DHS OIC Compliance Assesment Program (CAP) Update
DHS OIC is updating and renewing the P25 CAP Testing program. A new Advisory Panel (AP) has been established and holds quarterly Open Meetings. New (2016) Compliance Assessment Bulletins (CABs) have been posted. P25 Test Laboratories will need to achieve ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation from a 3rd-party certified Accreditation Body before P25 CAP testing based on the 2016-released CABs can occur. Testing based on the 2010 CABs is available in currently recognized labs but any SDoCs/STRs from testing done using the 2010 CABs will need to be re-submitted based on the 2016 CABs by the end of August 2017. The new CABs include additional tests. Previous testing does not need to be repeated for cases where the subject equipment has not changed and the test itself has not changed. Information and details about P25 CAP testing and the 2016 CABs can be found at https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/p25-cap.
P25 CAP testing results are posted on the DHS P25 website.
https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/approved-grant-eligible-equipment#
All the previously published and new Suppliers’ Declaration of Compliance (SDoCs) documentation and Summary Test Reports (STR) can be found at this site. If there are questions about any documentation, please send the questions to P25CAP @hq.dhs.gov .
Are CAP tested products “Certified” to meet P25?
The word “Certified” is not used in the description of CAP testing by DHS, NIST, TIA, or the PTIG member companies. A more appropriate statement would be: “The posting of SDoCs & STRs on the DHS OIC P25 CAP website means that the referenced products have been tested for specific features, functions and services listed in the P25 CAP Summary Test Report (STR), validated by a P25 CAP recognized P25 Test laboratory and approved by DHS OIC to be posted on the DHS OIC P25 CAP website https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/p25-cap. If the SDoC and STR documents are not posted on the DHS website, they have yet to be approved by DHS OIC.
How are P25 Test Documents created?
P25 Test standards are typically created along with the associated P25 standard in TIA sub-committees.
"RCATS are TSBs, Telecommunications Systems Bulletins, and as such, are recommendations and not standards. The following describes how RCATS, Recommended Compliance Assessment Tests, are created.
- RCAT drafted by the creators of the associated TIA Standards with Industry lead and consultation with User Agency representatives.
- Project 25 Steering Committee adopts the TIA RCAT TSB as part of the suite of P25 Standards.
- TIA publishes and maintains the P25 RCAT TSB.
- P25 Steering Committee forwards P25 RCAT TSB to the DHS Compliance Assessment Program (CAP) Advisory Panel (AP) for consideration during Compliance Assessment Bulletin (CAB) creation or modification.
- The Compliance Assessment Bulletins (CABs) are the official documents used in P25 CAP Test laboratories for testing. CABs are published by DHS OIC.