Mobile data access via TETRA
Introduction
Users carrying a mobile radio or users in a vehicle can access information available in the corporate network, government registers or for the example internet.
End user perspective
A police officier that wants to get vehicle information can for example send the license plate number via SDS to a server connected to the TETRA network. The server collects the information at the government registers and send back the details of the vehicle owner, and the characteristics of the vehicle using a SDS.
At a container terminal the container number can be send to the port database to get the details of the container. This again can be done using a SDS or for example using wap.
When WAP is used the user opens the browser on its terminal and navigates to the required page where the license plate number or container number can be filled in. The (wap) server in the TETRA network collects the information at the relevant servers and sends back the information in the form of a WAP page.
The benefit of the above examples is that the users only needs a TETRA radio and no mobile data terminal needs to be connected to the TETRA radio. Providing the TETRA radio contains a WAP browser (SDS is usually supported on every manufacturer TETRA terminal).
Note: WAP (wireless access protocol) was hyped in the beginning of 2000 and promised to be the mobile internet enabler. It could not meet the high expectation that was set. This gave WAP a wrong start. However on a small bandwith TETRA network WAP is a usable method of accessing information.
To make it easier to access information when using a vehicle a computer/laptop/mobile data terminal can be connected to the TETRA radio and start the data connection from the vehicle computer. This provides the user with a bigger screen and keyboard. Additional custom made software can be used on the vehicle computer that communicates via the TETRA network with the central server. For example displaying and updating day task lists for field engineers.