skip to content
Are you looking for support from US? GET SUPPORT
Your session has expired.

Your authenticated session has expired due to inactivity. You can close this message and continue as a guest or sign in again before proceeding.

Overview
Features
Interoperability
Products
Users
Pricing
Promos
FAQs
Support
Contact

STARCOM21 is the official statewide public safety radio network of Illinois.

STARCOM21 is a Project 25 compliant 700/800 MHz IP based radio system with over 300 radio tower sites across the state. More than 60,000 subscribers — from public safety agencies to municipalities and counties to universities — enjoy highly reliable high-speed mobile connectivity in every corner of the state… for a fraction of the cost of building individual networks.

The STARCOM21 network is founded on Motorola's 80 years of partnership with public safety professionals. With our extensive knowledge and expertise of first responder challenges, we provide the industry's most innovative, most trusted mission critical core platform.

We'd like to invite you to learn more about STARCOM21 and to ask you to join the official State of Illinois interoperable radio network. It's productive, it's efficient, it's secure, it's cost-effective and it's easy to join. We even have a no-cost trial program.

Starcom21 is About Safety, Security, Services, Savings And Simplicity

Whether your community or organization is large or small, communication and information networks and technologies are the keys to enhancing quality of life. The ability to communicate and share knowledge in both day-to-day operations and emergency situations is crucial. But that ability is neither easy nor inexpensive to obtain.

Today's fiscal challenges are making it harder to implement the advanced two-way and wireless communications systems your agency needs to provide residents with the services they need and want. Many communities are forced to rely on aging, incompatible communications systems that have not kept pace with rapidly changing and improving technology.

But in Illinois, you have a simple, cost-effective connectivity option. You can solve your communications challenges by joining STARCOM21.

Starcom21 Guarantees Coverage, Performance, Reliability And Support

The benefits of joining STARCOM21 are many. Our shared network approach relieves you of the hassles and expense of purchasing, deploying, maintaining and operating your own communications system. Your community is able to focus less on the technology itself and more on using it to deliver the high quality service your constituents deserve.

Turnkey Solution

Motorola leverages our more than 80 years of wireless technology leadership and innovation—and our long-standing partnerships with mission-critical agencies—to deliver a complete turnkey solution. STARCOM21 membership provides high-level service guarantees that include statewide coverage, system reliability, continuous availability, regularly upgraded equipment, network and technology maintenance and support.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Managed Network

STARCOM21 is a managed solution with enhanced levels of services that allow you to focus, not on how the communications network works or on keeping it running, but on your core competencies of delivering constituent services.

Reliability

Reliability

STARCOM21 has been designed to prevent equipment failures from affecting system performance. Individual system components are either fault tolerant or designed for redundancy, ensuring that communications will be continuous, most importantly in mission-critical emergency situations.

Interoperability

Interoperability

STARCOM21 communities have real-time communications with each department, enabling life-saving coordination of operations and emergency response. They can also communicate and coordinate with neighboring agencies for support and response assistance without having to worry about technology compatibility.

Statewide Coverage

Statewide Coverage

The STARCOM21 network will host over 85 sites and provide 95 percent mobile coverage across Illinois. Roaming is seamless, with users able to go anywhere and talk to anyone, no matter where they are in the state. These sites will provide portable and in many cases in-building coverage that local agencies can start to use as the backbone of their land mobile radio system requirements.

Advanced Features

Advanced Features

Text messaging, Over-the-air Programming, GPS Location and encryption are all supported on STARCOM21 to provide your users with the critical information they need in the moments that matter.

Affordability

Affordability

STARCOM21 provides an immediate, affordable means of providing the public safety and public service solutions every municipality, county and government agency in Illinois needs. By sharing a common statewide infrastructure with other agencies, you avoid millions of dollars in network implementation costs. Deployment costs are minimal, and as an STARCOM21 member, you can take advantage of pre-negotiated contracts to purchase radios and other equipment you may need at significantly lower prices.

Local Control

Local Control

Becoming an STARCOM21 member doesn't mean your control over your system will be compromised. The system is designed to encompass separate talk groups so each user agency is assured of local control and total security. How you want to administer and operate your services is entirely up to you. Motorola Solutions will also work closely with each subscriber to ensure the system will meet your agency's specialized communication needs.

Spectrum Efficiency

Spectrum Efficiency

Because radio frequency spectrum is a valuable and limited resource, Motorola Solutions has designed the STARCOM21 system's frequency plan to take maximum advantage of the 700 and 800 MHz frequencies available to public safety agencies.

Consistent Audio Quality

Consistent Audio Quality

STARCOM21 uses Motorola Solutions ASTRO 25 digital two-way radios that consistently deliver exceptional signal integrity for clear, easy-to-understand audio, even at the edges of your coverage area.

Advanced Security

Advanced Security

STARCOM21 is designed to provide the communications privacy and security capabilities needed by public safety agencies through the use of enhanced encryption technologies.

Flexible Migration

Flexible Migration

A critical component of STARCOM21 is technological flexibility, with the goal of never inhibiting first responders from performing quickly and efficiently because of aging communications technology. The system includes continuous technology upgrades and a planned migration path for incorporating future technological advances.

Round-the-clock Support

Round-the-clock Support

Motorola Solutions leverages our network, equipment knowledge and radio expertise and leadership to provide 24x7, 365-day support to ensure mission-critical availability.

The official interoperable communications platform for Illinois

STARCOM21 provides interoperable communications to state, local, federal and approved non-governmental agencies in Illinois. The Statewide Communications Interoperabilty Plan defines the standard STARCOM21 statewide interoperable radio template.

The interoperability plan can be downloaded from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. IEMA's interoperable communications website has downloadable guides explaining the Statewide Interoperabilty Template and STARCOM21 radio quick start guides.

Illinois Mutual Aid Box Alarm System

STARCOM21 has a statewide Mutual Aid Box Alarm System talkgroup as part of the standard STARCOM21 Statewide Interoperabilty Template.

Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System

The Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System stays involved with statewide communications activities by representing its members on state-level communication committees to include the State Interoperable Executive Committee, Illinois Terrorism Task Force communications committee and STARCOM21 advisory sub-committee. ILEAS has created a series of Radio Quick Start Guides as training materials to help its membership understand the use of STARCOM21 radios and the Statewide Interoperabilty Template.

STARCOM21 Statewide Interoperabilty Template

There is a standard template for ITTF radios with all the statewide interoperable talkgroups. The template has talkgroups for each IEMA region, and specific disciplines. There are two templates in use now, the "current" and the "new" templates.

The IEMA regions correspond to the RGN XA and RGN XB talkgroups.

The  "new" statewide interoperability template

 

IESMA - Illinois Emergency Services Management Association

ILEAS - Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System

MABAS - Mutual Aid Box Alarm System

PUB HLTH - Illinois Public Health

IPWMAN - Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network

INCDNT X – Statewide incident talkgroups

North, Center, South interoperable A and B talkgroups

RGN XX Regional A and B talkgroups

Body-worn Camera and Digital Evidence Management

Capture more, worry less, and maximize the value of digital evidence. Discover our body-worn video solutions as well as CommandCentral vault: a simple, secure means of storing, managing, and retrieving the large amounts of digital evidence captured.

APX® & ASTRO® Project 25 (P25) Products

With our portfolio of P25 radios, infrastructure, dispatch consoles, and software applications, we can build you a complete communications system. Explore public safety grade communication solutions.

Command Center Software Suite

Work smarter and more efficiently from call to case closure with CommandCentral, our trusted and unified suite of public safety software. From Emergency Call Management, Command and Control software, Records and Evidence, to Broadband PTT, explore our end-to-end portfolio of software solutions designed for mission-critical environments.

Video and Analytics

Security solutions, powered by AI, that make your system smarter and your response times faster. Bring your critical communications and video surveillance together and discover advanced video surveillance, analytics, and access control solutions designed to provide you with the right information at the right time, so you can take quick, decisive action,

Public Safety LTE Broadband

Deliver the Data that makes a Difference. Combine the power of LMR anf public safety LTE and experience unprecedented access to real-time data with the most advanced mobile broadband technology available.

Managed and Support Services

As technology advances, so does the complexity of your devices and networks. Supporting them doesn’t have to be a burden—we can manage the complexity for you. Explore our wide range of managed & support services so you can focus on your operations and keep your teams mobilized everyday.

Subscribe and join Illinois' most esteemed public safety agencies.

One of the most compelling reasons to consider becoming a STARCOM21 subscriber is the roster of the colleagues you'll be joining. The system currently has more than 60,000 users representing more than 1,700 agencies, municipalities, counties and other organizations.

Joe Spero, Illinois State Sales Representative
spero@motorolasolutions.com
954.232.2513

Tim Richardson, Starcom21 Service Delivery Manager
Tim.Richardson@motorolasolutions.com
847-344-1130

System Configuration

60,000+

Users

4

Zones

311

RF Sites

2579

RF Channels

94

Connected Dispatch Sites

567

Dispatch Operator Positions

115

Third Party Leases

389

T1 Circuits

30

DS3 Circuits

State and federal agencies

 

Argonne National Laboratory

Illinois State Police

Illinois State Police Statewide Task Forces (30 total)

Illinois Commerce Commission Police

Illinois Department of Transportation

Illinois Department of Corrections

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Illinois Department of Public Health

Illinois Department of Revenue

Illinois Emergency Management Association

Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System

Illinois Office of the Attorney General

Illinois Secretary of State

Illinois Terrorism Task Force (more than 1,500 agencies)

Illinois Tollway Authority

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Police

Mutual Aid Box Alarm System

Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall

PACE Bus (currently implementing)

University of Illinois Police Department

US Marshals Service

Local agencies

 

Adams County

Bond County

Boone County

Clinton County

Cook County

DeWitt County

DuPage County
(60 police and fire agencies)

Knox County

Lee County

Macon County

Madison County

McHenry County

McLean County

Monroe County

Ogle County

Sangamon County

St. Clair County

Stephenson County

Union County

Northwest Central Dispatch System (currently implementing)

  • Arlington Heights
  • Buffalo Grove
  • Elk Grove Village
  • Hoffman Estates
  • Inverness Police
  • Mount Prospect
  • Palatine
  • Palatine Rural Fire Protection District
  • Prospect Heights Police
  • Rolling Meadows
  • Schaumburg
  • Streamwood

Prairie Shield

City of Amboy

Village of Barrington

City of Belvidere

Village of Bethalo

City of Bloomington

Village of Chatham

City of Collinsville

City of Decatur

City of DeKalb

City of Effingham

City of Freeport

City of Galesburg

Village of Glen Carbon

Granite City

Village of Jacob

City of Joliet

City of Knoxville

Village of Maryville

City of Normal

City of Peoria

Village of Plainfield

City of Rochelle

City of Rockford

Village of Romeoville

City of Springfield

Village of Steger

City of Troy

Village of Valmeyer

City of Vandalia

City of Waterloo

College of DuPage

Illinois College of Emergency Physicians

Joliet Junior College

Lincoln Land Community College

Non-Governmental Agencies

Ameren Energy
BNSF Railway Company
Exelon Nuclear

User Group Meeting August 2018

Pat Combined

PPTX 2.08MB

PowerPoint Presentation

2018 PS BB Presentation

PPTX 5.29MB

Illinois Publis Safety Communications Planning to use the Public Safety Broadband Network - 2018

STARCOM21 August 2018 Meeting

PPTX 11.20MB

STARCOM21 User Group Meeting

IDOT August

PPTX 10.86MB

Disaster Communication Recovery

ASTRO Subscribers Devices Accessories

PPTX 31.43MB

MISSION CRITICAL MOBILITY AND DEVICES TEAM

Affordable STARCOM21 fee options can save you millions of dollars

 

Affordable STARCOM21 fee options can save you millions of dollars.

The STARCOM21 network is a unique public/private partnership that makes it unnecessary for government agencies to fund and deploy their own mobile communications networks, potentially saving millions of dollars.

STARCOM21 provides the critical communications for first responders and other public safety and public works agencies need … with minimal capital expense and remarkably affordable fixed user fees that deliver exceptionally low total cost of ownership (TCO).

 

Rates And Rate Classes

STARCOM21 offers a range of options and five basic rate classes, shown as a per user/per month cost:

Rate Category Description Year 1 7/1/2012-6/31/2013 Year 2 -10 7/1/2013-6/31/2022 Loading Discount*
(per every 500 radios over 36,000) Based on Total System User Count
Statewide Use* Allows for routine Statewide system access.
State Agency User Count
<=9,500		 $53/mo $65/mo $1 (up to $30 max discount)
Level 1 Reduction State Agency User Count
>9,500 & <=13,000		 N/A $58/mo $1 (up to $23 max discount)
Level 2 Reduction State Agency User Count
>13,000 & <=16,000		 N/A $54/mo $1 (up to $19 max discount)
Level 3 Reduction State Agency User Count
>16,000		 N/A $50/mo $1 (up to $15 max discount)
County Use

Applies to Users that typically operate within the geographic boundaries of a single designated County. Usage outside the designated County is allowed only for emergency or mutual aid situations.
$35/mo $39/mo $1 (up to $11 max discount)
Local Use

Applies to Users that typically operate within the jurisdictional boundaries of a City, Village, Town or designated campus type environment. Usage outside the designated boundaries is allowed only for emergency or mutual aid situations.
$30/mo $34/mo $1 (up to $9 max discount)
Limited Use

Applies to Users that require access on a limited basis for the purpose of mutual aid, interoperability or intermittent operations. May also apply to occasional access to data features, local emergency and event coordination outside of the ITTF program irregular or infrequent use.
$18/mo $18/mo None
Specialty Use

Applies to Users that require only occasional emergency use of the network or as authorized under agreement with the Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF), IDPH or other entities as approved by the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee and/or its designee and Motorola Solutions.
$10/mo $10/mo None
Campus Use

Applies to Users with geographically concentrated operations and high User counts. Typical examples include prisons, college campuses or hospitals. Assumes Users will rarely roam off their designated campus. Use of the Campus Use rate is subject to the approval of the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee and/or its designee and Motorola Solutions. Rates are negotiated on a case-by-case basis and are determined by assessing User operational and technical parameters and will be reviewed by the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee and/or its designee. Rates are memorialized in the State's Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) for State Agency Users and in User Agreements for non-State Agencies Users.
Variable Variable None
Port Access

Applies to Users that have unique requirements and do not fit any of the defined rates categories. Typically Port Access will apply to operation on User owned sites connected to the STARCOM21 Network Master Site. Port user fees are negotiated between Motorola Solutions and the applicant Agency(s) on a case-by-case basis. Port access is subject to STARCOM21 Oversight Committee approval and/or its designee.
Variable Variable None
Gateway Access

There are two types of Gateway Access supported, traditional Audio Patching and P25 ISSI.

Audio Patching

Users that require Gateway Access for audio patching that has been approved by the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee and/or its designee will pay a monthly fee for Gateway Use which shall be calculated as follows:

  • The base rate shall be equivalent to the Specialty Rate ($10 per radio per month)
  • Usage outside the parameters of the Specialty rate shall be charged airtime as follows:
    • ISR Sites – $1 per minute/per site (rounded to the nearest minute and billed monthly)
    • Simulcast Sites – $2.25 per minute/per site (rounded to the nearest minute and billed monthly)

P25 ISSI

Project 25 (P25) Inter RF Subsystem Interface (P25 ISSI) provides an IP interface for connecting multiple P25 systems together. This will allow users to roam onto other P25 systems providing network-to-network interoperability and will be used as approved by the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee and/or its designee.

  • The specific rate structure for P25 ISSI services will be determined when the technology is fully enabled on the STARCOM21 network. An associated Impact Fee and the installation of User purchased Infrastructure equipment may also be required to utilize P25 ISSI services.
Variable Variable None
Dual Radio Discounting*

Users with vehicles that have a mobile and portable STARCOM21 radio assigned would be billed at the $18 per month Limited use rate for their secondary radio. The primary radio would be billed at their normal rate class. Limitations apply. See notes below.
$18/mo $18/mo None

Total Cost Of Ownership

When you're under strict budget pressure, Total Cost of Ownership becomes one of your major network management concerns. The STARCOM21 network offers the opportunity for agencies to possibly lower or eliminate some TCO expenses they would otherwise incur if they were operating their own networks. Operating a Project 25 radio network can require significant ongoing investments because of the large amount of maintenance and support this type of network requires. Typically, owning a Project 25 network causes an agency to incur a wide range of support costs, as shown in this example.

Standard Support Item Typical Annual Cost
Site Lease Costs $480,000
Telco (T1) Lease Costs $72,000
Utility Costs $36,000
Generator Fuel Costs $3.600
Headcount Costs $132,000
Preventative Maintenance (Test Generators, Inspect Grounding, Examine Equipment) $7,200
Onsite Response Services $19,200
Extended Warranty $78.000
Software Subscription Agreements $250,000
Remote Monitoring $12,000
Security Updates $12,000

When you join the STARCOM21 network, the cost of maintaining and supporting the system is incurred by Motorola as the network owner, significantly reducing your TCO.

First-response organizations trust Motorola to deliver technology that's second nature — seamlessly connecting users to real-time information and allowing them to focus on the mission, not the technology. Public safety organizations around the world trust Motorola to securely design, integrate, support, operate and manage essential communications networks.

PUT OUR BODY-WORN CAMERAS TO THE TEST

TAKE THE 30-DAY FREE TRIAL

Jump to ...

If I join STARCOM21, would my agency still own our frequencies?

STARCOM21 customers maintain local control of their radio equipment and operations.

Do STARCOM21 user fees vary or are they fixed?

User fees are fixed for the duration of the contract.

Other than the network access fee, are there any other charges associated with the STARCOM21 network?

Applicable access fee is a flat rate with no additional charges.

Are there any other charges associated with joining the STARCOM21 network?

Agencies should not fear unexpected usage charges.

With a STARCOM21 subscription, who controls radio equipment and operations?

STARCOM21 customers maintain local control of their radio equipment and operations.

What coverage is available to STARCOM21 customers?

All users have full access statewide for communications (subject to program guidelines).

How do I join STARCOM21?

Please review these STARCOM21 applications.

STARCOM21 Oversight Committee System Access Application

Updated 2021/02/05 | PDF 384.99KB

Please answer each applicable section as completely as possible. Once this application has been submitted, a member of the STARCOM21 team will contact the agency’s supervisor or interoperation’s coordinator if additional information is required to process the application.

STARCOM21 Oversight Committee System WAVE Access Application

DOCX 51.94KB

The STARCOM21 network offers the WAVE application as an enterprise-grade, push-to-talk feature for use on smartphones, laptops, tablets and other handheld devices. Please answer each applicable section as completely as possible.

SUPPORT PROVIDED

The Motorola Solutions Managed Services Network Operations Center (MS-NOC) is now up and running in Schaumburg, staffed by experienced technologists who ensure STARCOM21 customers operate at peak performance. The services provided by the MS-NOC allow customers to entrust their network operations and management to Motorola Solutions, enabling STARCOM21 users to focus on their primary mission.

All customers benefit from support services

Call Management

24x7 Dispatch Notification/Escalation

Infrastructure Maintenance and Repair

24x7 Monitoring/On Site Response (2 Hour) BackHaul Management Depot Repair Technical Support

Site Management

Property Maintenance Utilities/Power Systems/HVAC Generator Maintenance/Fueling Tower/Antenna/Line Maintenance

Network Management

Fleet Map Management Configuration Management Performance Management Security Management Fault Management Database Administration Software Support/Upgrades

Motorola Solutions System Manager

Service Level Compliance Single Point of Contact Response Management Provisioning/Activation Disaster Response Performance Reporting

Fill out the form and a Motorola Solutions Representative will contact you shortly

For more immediate assistance, contact

Joe Spero, Illinois State Sales Representative

E-mail: spero@motorolasolutions.com

(954) 232-2513

 

MANAGED Network Operations Center

STARCOM Dedicated Number
1-866-297-6342
Option 9 – System or Service Emergencies
Option 1 – Add/Change/Delete Subscriber Requests
Option 2 – Vendor or Payment Inquiries
Option 7 – Return Authorization (RA)
Option 0 – For ALL Other Support

ALL requests and service issues will be handled through the new number and phone tree or you can email to: starcom@motorolasolutions.com
For all Billing or Invoice inquiries, email Lisa Wilkins at lisa.wilkins@motorolasolutions.com or call 224-301-3386.