Secure, Wide-Area, and APCO P25 Compliant Communications
Motorola Solutions’ trusted ASTRO systems provide secure wide-area communication, enabling seamless collaboration across diverse organizations. Engineered for the safety of personnel and community, ASTRO ensures dependable connectivity when it matters most.
ASTRO radio systems – which are compliant with APCO Project 25 (P25) – remain reliably accessible even in extreme conditions. They ensure interoperability across various systems and technologies while safeguarding networks and the sensitive information they transmit.
State, local, and federal government agencies are at a crucial juncture in addressing the evolving landscape of conventional radio systems. Conventional networks, long relied upon by users, are transforming. Today’s conventional systems meet not only federal mandates for narrowbanding, interoperability, and IP connectivity but also offer advanced features like text messaging and end-to-end encryption, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of first responders.
In response to agencies ready to modernize their conventional radio systems, ASTRO 25 presents a range of tailored solutions that are aptly sized, competitively priced, and poised for the future. With an accessible upgrade path, agencies can seamlessly transition from their current analog or P25 systems to a contemporary conventional platform. State-of-the-art communication capabilities are now within reach, empowering even the smallest departments to meet the demands of modern public safety.
Motorola Solutions’ P25 solutions revolve around ASTRO networks and systems designed to scale according to users’ present and future requirements. ASTRO radio systems accommodate both P25-compliant conventional and trunking modes of communication.
Conventional Radio Systems
ASTRO digital conventional provides a cost-effective solution tailored to situations with low call density, ensuring the right size and functionality at the right price.
Trunked Radio Systems
Trunked radio configurations optimize channel efficiency, enabling higher call traffic with fewer channels and enhancing overall communication capabilities.
Scalable, Flexible Systems Increase Communications And Stay On Budget
ASTRO 25 systems are scalable for networks of any size, from a single channel to hundreds. They seamlessly integrate with network infrastructure, including radios, consoles, and site equipment. This hybrid approach allows organizations to enhance functionality gradually while leveraging previous investments. Organizations can also add new radios, consoles, sites, or data applications at their own pace, making technology refreshes manageable and budget-friendly.
These flexible systems enable organizations to expand their network by adding more sites, equipment, channels, and features as needs evolve. Organizations can connect to other networks for mutual aid and participate in regional or statewide collaborations. With ASTRO 25, organizations have a platform that grows with you, ensuring you’re never left behind. As Motorola Solutions’ flagship platform for mission-critical communications, ASTRO 25 adheres to the P25 standard, offering a comprehensive solution for voice and data, analog and digital, conventional and trunked communication needs. Engineered with the challenges of public safety in mind, ASTRO 25 is secure, robust, and dependable, designed to operate flawlessly when lives are on the line.
By integrating ASTRO 25 into conventional analog networks, organizations can confidently embrace the future of communications.
The NIST Security Framework
In the current landscape, organizations are tasked with embracing a comprehensive, organization-wide risk-based security strategy centered around the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. This framework underscores the importance of mitigation strategies, ongoing monitoring, and proactive diagnosis and remediation to enhance security protocols. While federal agencies overseeing critical technical infrastructure are mandated to adhere to this framework, its principles offer invaluable guidance for all agencies and organizations seeking to fortify their cybersecurity measures with a more resilient and effective approach.
At Motorola Solutions, we integrate a risk-based methodology across our entire product lifecycle, from development and implementation to ongoing operational support. Our cybersecurity strategy revolves around three fundamental pillars: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. These pillars are fortified by applying protection, detection, and response controls driven by industry-leading people, processes, and technology.
For ASTRO 25 systems, a holistic cybersecurity approach encompasses a suite of services tailored to a personalized experience to fulfill specific requirements:
Motorola Solutions Federal Government Cybersecurity Team Support
CISSP-certified professionals enhance system security during implementation and throughout its lifecycle.
System Staging Custom Configuration
Cybersecurity technicians collaborate with organizations to customize security configurations based on approved engineering alterations, minimizing risks to system operation, performance, and warranty support status.
System Vulnerability Scanning Options
Comprehensive vulnerability scanning services, including System Staging, System Field, and Recurring System Vulnerability Scanning, with feedback reports addressing Nessus “Critical” and “High” findings for Federal agencies.
Security Monitoring Service
Experienced security technologists provide uninterrupted monitoring of radio network security elements, detecting, analyzing, and responding to security events either remotely or on-site.
Security Update Service (SUS) and Security Update Remote Delivery Service
Ensure that third-party software security patches, including anti-malware definition updates and monthly Microsoft Windows updates, are thoroughly vetted before being applied to the live ASTRO 25 system.
ASTRO 25 Core
Crafted to meet the exacting standards of public safety organizations, ASTRO 25 systems are a beacon of reliability even in the most daunting circumstances, ensuring unwavering support when every moment counts. These systems are the epitome of Project 25 (P25) compliance, globally renowned for their steadfastness. At the heart of this reliability lies the ASTRO 25 Core, the pinnacle of system control, offering unparalleled command over mission-critical communications and the flexibility to adjust to evolving needs.
In the face of urgent calls, effective response hinges upon a communication system finely attuned to your organization’s unique demands—a system that users can depend on for instantaneous and ever-present communication, regardless of location, while ensuring their safety. This is the driving force behind the creation of ASTRO™ 25 radio systems.
Mixed Fleet
The ASTRO 25 Core accommodates trunked and conventional communications, catering to single-zone or multi-zone setups. This capability enables seamless support for a diverse fleet of radios, facilitates mutual aid activities, and streamlines the transition of radios from one generation to the next.
Redundancy Options
All core hardware, including servers and transport equipment, is provided in pairs, ensuring redundancy. Software redundancy and geographic (DSR) redundancy options are also available. Software redundancy installs a secondary instance of applications on paired hardware to mitigate hardware and software failures, while geographic redundancy offers maximum protection against catastrophic events.
Wide-Area Service
ASTRO 25 systems are highly scalable, delivering reliable P25 coverage locally and statewide. With SmartConnect and appropriately equipped APX radios, ASTRO 25 extends coverage indoors and beyond P25 by rerouting voice and data over LTE, Wi-Fi, and satellite services.
System Management
The ASTRO 25 Core hosts native system management applications, including fault management, configuration management, and performance tools, for seamless daily operation.
Design
Motorola Solutions’ design engineers tailor the configuration of ASTRO 25 to align with your organization’s objectives. The architecture’s inherent flexibility allows for adding new functionalities as needed, ensuring the chosen configuration can adapt and grow alongside requirements.
ASTRO 25 Core Components
The ASTRO 25 Core comprises various electronic components housed within a single open rack or enclosed cabinet:
Server: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Proliant DL 380
Direct Attached Storage: Seagate (Dot Hill) 4525 DAS
LAN Switch: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Aruba 2930F-48 port
Backhaul Switch: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Aruba 2930F-24 PortEdge Router: Juniper SRX 1500
Firewall: Fortinet 101E
Servers
Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) servers host ASTRO 25 radio call management, data control, authentication, security, and system management applications. For redundancy, servers and data storage units are deployed in pairs.
Transport
A combination of routers and switches facilitates connectivity to RF sites, dispatch consoles, feature applications, and other P25 systems. Transport equipment is deployed in pairs for redundancy. Depending on each system’s unique transport configuration, additional transport equipment may be necessary.
In Conclusion
Motorola Solutions’ ASTRO systems (available from MCA) offer secure, wide-area communication solutions compliant with APCO Project 25 (P25) standards. Engineered for safety and reliability, ASTRO systems ensure seamless collaboration across diverse organizations, even in extreme conditions. With features like digital voting and compatibility with mixed fleets, ASTRO systems accommodate evolving communication needs while enhancing efficiency and connectivity.
Moreover, ASTRO 25 systems boast robust cybersecurity measures, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of communication channels. Supported by a comprehensive suite of services, ASTRO 25 systems provide uninterrupted support for mission-critical operations. Whether in conventional or trunked mode, ASTRO systems deliver scalable, flexible, and dependable communication solutions tailored to meet the unique demands of modern public safety agencies and organizations.
As a manufacturer’s representative and Platinum-level channel partner, MCA operates as an extension of Motorola Solutions, helping public safety agencies procure and implement APX radios supported by ASTRO® 25 infrastructure with confidence. From system design to device provisioning, we collaborate closely with Motorola’s Public Safety team to ensure every deployment is accurate, compliant, and built for long-term mission success.
About MCA
MCA is one of the largest and most trusted integrators in the United States, offering world-class voice, data, and security solutions that enhance the quality, safety, and productivity of customers, operations, and lives.
More than 65,000 customers trust MCA to provide carefully researched solutions for a safe, secure, and more efficient workplace. As your trusted advisor, we reduce the time and effort needed to research, install, and maintain the right solutions to make your workplace better.
Our team of certified professionals across the United States delivers a full suite of reliable technologies with a service-first approach. The MCA advantage is our extensive service portfolio to support the solution lifecycle from start to finish.
