[FedCom] ProVoice on Fed Channels?

[tvsjr at sprynet.com]

Wrong. ProVoice is a digital voice modulation type, utilizing DVSI's IMBE vocoder (just like P25) but proprietary framing. In the context of trunking, ProVoice is used on top of an existing EDACS trunking system much like ASTRO/P25 digital voice is used on top of an existing Motorola Type II Smartnet/Smartzone (3600bps) system. This is also why ETrunker operates properly on EDACS systems using ProVoice digital voice modulation. Provoice can handle FIPS-140 compliant DES, but I don't believe they've released an AES implementation at this point. At this point, M/A-COM is putting most of their development into OpenSky, a 4-slot 19.2Kbps TDMA system using DVSI's AMBE vocoder. In short, Provoice is dying.

Every P25 radio I've ever seen, operated, or owned has been capable of operating in analog mode of varying bandwidths. The latest version of Opensky radios (M7200) support OpenSky, P25, and analog (no Provoice).

Don't look for a ProVoice scanner as the algorithm for framing and FEC is proprietary to M/A-COM, and they refuse to license it to other vendors. Thus, to produce a scanner would violate trademarks, resulting in a rather nasty lawsuit.

Seneca, a group project between Motorola and Harris, is a digital voice mode and strong encryption scheme. So far, it appears Seneca is vaporware. It was announced years ago, but at this point I've not seen any further announcements, radios, etc. using the protocol. It makes me wonder if Seneca was killed due to the availability of P25 using AES-256 for an encryption scheme. AES256 isn't Type 1, but it's pretty good, and it doesn't carry all of the inherent problems of CCI-classed encryption.

Federal systems might end up Provoice for one simple reason... M/A-COM turned out as the lowest bidder. Remember, this is the government we're talking about... logic doesn't necessarily apply.

Back to lurk mode.

Terry



 

-----Original Message-----
>From: Ken <rfinder1 at verizon.net>
>Sent: Apr 24, 2006 5:05 PM
>To: Discussion of Federal Government Communications <fedcom at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [FedCom] ProVoice on Fed Channels?
>
>ProVoice is a type of trunking system & has nothing to do with encryption or 
>digital type.  Much of the Project 25 equipment on the m/a site 
>http://www.macom-wireless.com/products/p25/Default.asp can not only work in 
>Pro Voice trunking but also Project 25 Trunking, EDACS trunking, & P25 
>conventional .  Some also can operate in analog NFM mode.
>
>Isn't Motorola Seneca an actual encryption method?
>
>Don't real know why the fed would go with Pro Voice or EDACS vs the typical 
>Motorola P25 trunking system BUT again there may be a technical reason. 
>Unless there's many systems that go Pro Voice, I wouldn't look for a hobby 
>type scanner equipment to come on the market.  Interestingly the feds seem 
>to be a very large user of Sprint/Nextel's IDEN systems.
>
>Ken
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Arthur-Bryan E. Phelps" <aphelps at enter.net>
>To: "'Discussion of Federal Government Communications'" 
><fedcom at mailman.qth.net>
>Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 10:50 PM
>Subject: RE: [FedCom] ProVoice on Fed Channels?
>
>
>> Several federal agencies have awarded M/A-Com contracts for radio systems.
>> So, you just might have heard a ProVoice transmission on a fed. frequency.
>> By 2008 all agencies will be digital (as you surely know).  At this time, 
>> no
>> one knows which system will dominate. Some speculate M/A Com, others
>> Motorola Seneca or some future technology that is lurking over the 
>> horizon.
>
>
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