Northern States Power Maximizes Radio System Performance With Digital Voice and Data Capability

According to Michael Phillips, telecommunications manager for Northern States Power, "Motorola's adaptations to the company's existing conventional system will create specialized talk groups similar to those found in trunking systems such as unit identification and emergency/alert capability.

"Motorola's enhancements to our VHF system will improve service coordination, emergency response and operational efficiency," explained Phillips. "The combined voice and data capability means that detailed information and system specifics can be relayed in real time, streamlining our communications to better serve our customers."

Scheduled to be completed in July, 1996, the system will use 52 repeaters operating on 26 sites throughout a 20,000-square-mile area including northwest Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan.

The system will employ 48 Quantar[tm] base stations, 320 ASTRO Spectra(R) mobiles, and 150 ASTRO SABER[tm] portables and an 8-position CENTRACOM Classic CRT[tm] console. Northern States Power will use the system to help manage the generation, transmission and distribution of gas and electricity for more than 276,000 customers.

"In the future, we're looking to add fixed-data capability, and increase our number of ASTRO digital portables," added Phillips. "The flexibility of this system means we will be able to make those enhancements easily."

By integrating voice and data, Northern States Power can take advantage of the many benefits provided by EnerConnect[tm] -- Motorola's complete utility wireless communications and information network. EnerConnect integrates transmission and distribution automation, mobile data, and voice communications onto a single network allowing utilities to streamline the flow of information and significantly reduce response times while controlling costs.

Motorola's Land Mobile Products Sector is one of the world's leading providers of analog and digital two-way voice and data radio products and systems for conventional, shared and private applications worldwide. In addition, Motorola, Inc. is one of the world's leading providers of wireless communications, semiconductors and advanced electronic systems and services. Other major equipment businesses include cellular telephone, paging and data communications, personal communications, automotive, defense and space electronics and computers. Communications devices, computers and millions of other products are powered by Motorola semiconductors. Motorola's 1994 sales were $22.2 billion.