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Project 25 (P25) is a set of standards produced through the joint efforts of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International (APCO), the National Association of State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD), selected Federal Agencies and the National Communications System (NCS), and standardized under the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).
P25 is an open architecture, user driven suite of system standards that define digital radio communications system architectures capable of serving the needs of Public Safety and Government organizations. The P25 suite of standards involves digital Land Mobile Radio (LMR) services for local, state/provincial and national (federal) public safety organizations and agencies. P25 open system standards define the interfaces, operation and capabilities of any P25 compliant radio system.
A P25 radio is any radio that conforms to the P25 standard in the way it functions or operates. P25 compliant radios can communicate in analog mode with legacy radios and in either digital or analog mode with other P25 radios. The P25 standard exists in the public domain, allowing any manufacturer to produce a P25 compatible radio product.
Although developed primarily for North American public safety services, P25 technology and products are not limited to public safety alone and have also been selected and deployed in other private system applications, worldwide. The Project 25 users’ process is governed by an eleven-member steering committee made up of nine U.S. federal, state and local government representatives and two co-directors.
Project 25 has four main objectives:
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