P25 Essentials Licensing Program
P25 Essentials Licensing Program
APCO Project 25 Standard
APCO Project 25, , also known as Project 25 or P25, is a North American standard for digital radio communications used globally by federal, state/province, local public safety agencies and mission critical operators to enable communication with other agencies and response teams in emergencies. The standard was developed in the early 1990s under state, local and federal government guidance and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) governance. The published P25 standards suite (TIA 102-series) is administered by TIA in their Mobile and Personal Private Radio Standards Committee (TR-8) and is available for purchase directly from the TIA.
P25 consists of two phases: Phase I 12.5 kHz Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) and Phase II 6.25 kHz Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA). The objective of Phase I products and systems is to support high performance and reliable mission-critical communications while maintaining interoperability among equipment manufacturers. Phase II’s objective is to improve coverage and spectrum efficiency in large urban areas, where it’s most needed.
Motorola Solutions’ P25 Standards-Based Licensing program grants rights to Motorola Solutions' P25 Essential patent families. Since Motorola Solutions’ patent portfolio is large and expanding, additional patents determined to be essential to the P25 standard are occasionally identified. Once identified, Motorola Solutions declares the patent to the TIA, and P25 licensees automatically gain access to these patents without additional cost or administrative burden.
The term of a Motorola Solutions P25 Standards-Based License is for the life of the last-to-expire essential patents, or until the licensee decides to cease P25 equipment manufacturing, whichever comes first. Generally, the license may not be transferred to another party, but Motorola Solutions will consider requests to do so on a case-by-case basis. Grants may include the right to make, distribute and sell P25-compliant TERMINALS and INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT. The P25 Standards-Based License is subject to reciprocity. That is, licensees are required to cross-license any patents they may own or control that may be essential to the P25 standard or that are found to be essential in the future.
The Motorola Solutions P25 Standards-Based License is royalty-free.
Equipment manufacturers entering the P25 marketplace are encouraged to review and become a signatory to the APCO Project 25 IPR Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU process is administered on behalf of the Office of Government Affairs for APCO. Manufacturers should also review TIA’s IPR Policy and contact Motorola Solutions’ Licensing Department to obtain the necessary essential patent rights prior to fielding equipment.
Customers or agencies seeking to purchase or use P25 equipment should discuss essential patent license rights with their prospective vendor/manufacturer. Unwelcome delays, program risk and costs can be encountered if P25 equipment is purchased from an unlicensed manufacturer. We suggest you visit this site periodically to determine if your preferred supplier is licensed.