South Australian Government Radio Network (SA-GRN)

The South Australian Government Radio Network is a trunked radio network usually using Motorola SmartZone. In essence this is a system of interconnected repeater sites, mobile (vehicle mounted), portable and static radio transceivers used within Australia for radio communications.

The system is employed in South Australian by Country Fire Service, Metropolitan Fire Service, Ambulance Service, State Emergency Service, Department Of Fisheries, Volunteer Marine Rescue, Department Of Transport, St John Ambulance. It is in use in several other government agencies, as well as some private companies.

The SAGRN provides both analogue and digital voice radio communications. The South Australian Police department (SAPOL), SA Ambulance Service and South Australian Department of Fisheries use encrypted digital radios while all other users use unencrypted analogue radios.

Frequencies are allocated dynamically to each TalkGroup (a group of authorised, connected radios) as required and are only activated in areas which contain radios belonging to that TalkGroup. The network also has Multi-Agency TalkGroups that allow the different services to be able to talk to each other during mass emergencies, major events or whenever is needed. These operate on analogue, without encryption.

The SAGRN data network is also used by the South Australian Police for their in-vehicle mobile data terminals.

The SAGRN also has a state-wide paging network.

All radio communications frequencies are subject to licensing by the ACMA. Those licensed to the GRN are outside of the Citizen's band, and as such are relatively secure from casual interference, although they can be monitored by scanners (requiring a trunk or trunking scanner).

Equipment and features[edit] The current voice equipment is supplied by Motorola.

It is possible to disable a lost or stolen radio remotely through an 'inhibit' feature.[9] If the radio is on, the inhibit command will block the radio's use. Only Motorola, the vendor, can re-enable.

In 2010, Motorola entered into a contract with the South Australian Government to support the SAGRN.[10] Prior to this, Telstra was the primary on the SAGRN support contract, with Motorola assisting with Voice and Data network support.