Tait Communications signs Costa Rica contract

Christchurch-based Tait Communications has signed a contract with Costa Rica's largest electric utility company, Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad to provide more than 1800 mobile and portable digital radios for its workforce, the company said.

San José-based Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) is a state-owned electric utility that also provides fixed-line and mobile telephony, internet and data communications services throughout Costa Rica.

ICE personnel will use the Christchurch-designed and manufactured Tait equipment when installing and repairing electricity and telecommunications networks.

Tait's chief marketing officer James Kyd said the digital radios ICE has chosen are compliant with P25, an international open standard that allows for improved communications within and between agencies - especially emergency services.

Kyd said Central and South America were becoming increasingly important markets for Tait.

Last year, military police fighting organised crime in the Brazilian state of Paraná selected high-tech digital mobile radios designed and built by Tait.

Brazil's Sao Paulo Civil Police had also committed to a new US$4 million upgrade of its existing Tait P25 digital radio network to trunking operation, which will further help officers combat organised crime in the city of more than 11 million people.

Tait, which is owned by a charitable trust, was founded by electronics pioneer the late Sir Angus Tait in 1969. It employs about 800 people globally.