Two Way Radios vs DECT Phones
Many companies use DECT phones for their internal and external communication. In many scenarios DECT phones are often used to replace two-way radios / walkie talkies. That’s why we decided to investigate this matter to see the differences between these technologies and how both of these communication solutions can benefit their users.
DECT Phones
DECT stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Communication. In a nutshell, DECT phones access a fixed telecom network via radio signal. The DECT phones have a base station and a gateway connected to a fixed telephone network, allowing one or more telephone handsets to communicate with the network (or with each other).
DECT phones have been invented mainly for household use, however, DECT phones are also used by some companies of different sizes.
The coverage of a typical DECT phone is about 100 metres (110 yards) in open territory and it gets much smaller indoor.
As it was mentioned above, the coverage on the DECT phones isn’t that great and if the company using them is a larger size, they have to increase this coverage either by adding more base stations or by connection via an IP network (called Voice over Internet Protocol).
A big advantage of DECT phones is the fact that they are connected to the telephone network hence you can call out when needed.
Two Way Radios
Two-way radios are based on transmitting a radio signal and offer large area coverage. Typical licence free radio can cover up to 0.5 miles in open territory and typical full power licensed radio can cover up to 2.5 miles. This coverage can also be increased by base stations and Voice over Internet Protocol, giving users the ability to communicate throughout a whole floor, site, or even multiple sites instantly.
Two way radios are designed to sustain drops and falls. Depending on the model, radios can be fully waterproof and dustproof. Newer models are compact and lightweight to suit any environment including retail, hospitality, or security, where a need for more discreet communication can arise.
With new digital technology, two way radios offer advanced features such as All Call, Private Call, Text Messaging, GPS Positioning, and additional safety applications such as Lone Worker or Mandown. Software applications such as Trbonet are also available for ease of operations. Furthermore, modern technology such as Wave from Motorola allows handportable radios to be connected to mobile phones.
Radio systems are in general a very cost effective communication solution, and also don’t carry any ongoing telephone charges.
To sum up DECT Phones vs Two-Way Radios
DECT Phones
- accesses a fixed telecoms network via radio
- designed for household use
- coverage 110 yards (0.06miles)
- no advanced applications
- ongoing telephone charges
- connected to telephone lines so you can call out
Two Way Radios
- use radio signal to communicate
- designed and rigorously tested for industrial and commercial use
- large area coverage
- advanced applications available
- safety applications available
- software applications available
- connection to mobile phones available
- no ongoing telephone charges
So after careful consideration, one would choose two way radios over DECT phones as they, in general, offer more flexibility and additional features. Obviously, it still depends on the particular user’s needs.
But don’t just take our word for it, one of our clients, Nestle Distributions, has this to say about DECT Phones vs Two Way Radios: “At Nestlé we used to spend a great deal of time and money by using mobile and DECT phones. We found ourselves in a position where the cost of such devices was getting too expensive and when there was a problem with them we had to wait too long and spend too much getting them replaced….. (Using two way radios) Not only saved us lots of time but it also saved us money as well.”
If you need more information about our radio systems designs and installations don’t hesitate to get in touch now. Our ‘Support Heroes’ Team is here to help.