DCRS Enhancing Communications during Social Distancing

Communicate safely and effectively with Two Way Radio

As countries begin to relax lockdown restrictions put in place to tackle the covid-19 pandemic, many workers will be returning to shops, offices, and factories after weeks and months in isolation

These returning workers will still be required to maintain social distancing as they try to perform the tasks their role requires, potentially causing communication issues and affecting efficiency levels. This “new normal” may continue for many months after the lockdown ends and businesses will need to find ways of maintaining clear communications between colleagues while keeping a safe distance apart. Whether you work in a small boutique or a large office complex, two-way radio can provide instant communication between individuals and teams across your whole facility. Two-way radios can also assist in making workers more efficient through automated dispatching via work tickets and location-based tracking systems.

What is two-way radio?

Two-way radio is a technology that allows individuals to keep in contact with each other using radio waves. Each user is given a radio handset which sends and receives audio and data sent over these radio waves. A two-way radio system can be as simple as two radios connecting directly to each other, or as complex as an encrypted network that covers an entire country.

Licensed or licence-free radio

Your choice of licence-free or licensed radios will depend on the functionality your team requires and the area of coverage. For small shops and offices, you may be able to use licence-free radios. Licencefree radios use 16 frequencies reserved for radio-to-radio communications (pmr446) but these channels can become congested in busy areas such as town centres and shopping centres where multiple businesses may be trying to use two-way radio as well. In these circumstances, or for larger facilities or multi-site operations, you will need to upgrade to a licensed system. Licensed systems provide dedicated channels for your operation which can start from one-channel in a small geographical area up to multiple channels spanning an entire country. Motorola solutions partner network exists to help you manage the licensing and installation of a larger system. We have partners all over the world who can get your system operational quickly and professionally

Faster than phones

By setting up each of your teams on a separate channel, group conversations can happen instantly with the press of a button. Any team member on the channel will receive crystal-clear audio thanks to motorola solutions’ 90 years of design experience. Group conversations are the norm with two-way radios without the struggle of conference calling software and bandwidth issues.

No downtime

Two-way radios can communicate directly with each other, or through repeaters installed at your facility to extend the coverage area. By putting you in control of the system infrastructure, you can reduce your risk of losing communications through telephone networks.

Efficiency features

Many motorola solutions radios come with a display and keypad, allowing workers to communicate with text. Programmable buttons can be used to send pre-programmed messages, keypads can be used to craft non-standard messages, and work ticketing systems can be connected to the system to dispatch work orders to your employees. Models are also available that can be located and tracked inside and outdoors. Being able to visualise where and when groups of employees congregate means you can make changes to ensure social distancing is maintained, while also being able to serve customers better by locating the closest, qualified employee to serve them.

Two-way radio technology enables your teams to keep communications flowing once they return to work as lockdowns are lifted.

By keeping your employees connected through voice communications and data services such as work ticketing you can maintain and even improve the efficiency of your workforce. Motorola solutions experience in developing industry-leading radio solutions coupled with our professional network of partners makes us the perfect solution to your post-lockdown communication needs.