Present status:

TETRA is purely a digital system and offers not only the possibility of voice transmission but also several possibilities of data communication.

This new technology ensures a very fast (approx. 300 milliseconds) set-up of a connection. Only for comprehension, to build-up a call in a mobile telephone network (GSM) can take as long as 5 seconds and therefore such cannot be considered as a professional radio system for public safety organizations.

Also the support for group communication, group calls a.s.o. was considered.

TETRA uses a time-slot method (time division multiplex access - TDMA) for radio transmission and can therefore transfer 4 radio links over a 25 kHz wide frequency band. In that way the frequency economy can be increased by a multiple.

Contrary to today's analog radio systems with TETRA there are no more radio channels in the conventional sense, but each user is assigned to one or more groups.

In an operational situation though these groups can also be switched together, respectively new groups can be created, in order to make communication between the individual operational units, f.i. in an emergency situation, as simple and effective as possible.

With TETRA security was also emphasized. Radio calls and data communication are encrypted automatic. Radios can only be used when they are authorized by the system. A stolen radio can be shut down and is therefore worthless for a thief.