Information communications technology experts expressed concern over the plan of the Philippine National Police to procure communications equipment featuring outdated technology.
ICT industry sources said the PNP had issued tenders to procure communications equipment worth almost P1.2 billion, split into two separate bids with an approved budget for the contract of P360 million and P820 million, respectively, using the so-called Digital Mobile Radio Standard.
DMR Standard is a digital radio standard specified for business mobile radio users developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute.
Experts said the PNP’s selection of the DMR Standard was a retrograde move as it was not appropriate as a mission-critical communications system that could be used even in times of disaster.
Being a digital radio standard specified for business mobile radio users, the DMR – even at its highest level”•is still far off from the regular functionalities of the more advanced technologies available today, experts said.