Trunking is a term often referred to in the two-way radio business, but what does it mean and how does it work? Lets cut to the chase and start by what it does for your communication network and then we can get into the basic ins and outs. When you’ve finished reading this you will be armed with the right information for the next time you’re looking for a better two-way radio solution.
Two-way radio trunking is simply a smarter and more efficient use of your frequencies enabling more people to communicate on a network with less busy tones. Rather than assigning a frequency for each talk group (dedicated channels) trunking enables you to communicate on just a few channels, which are shared without hearing unwanted communications.
Trunking organises users into talk groups.
If you can imagine your business network you could probably think of a few groups that don’t need to communicate with each other, however you don’t really want to buy separate channels for each group. Trunking allocates talk groups to free channels only when communication is needed rather than reserving that channel at all times. This means there’s no need to manually coordinate a channel change as all the radios on your network sit in what could be termed a stand by mode until someone in your talk group wishes to communicate. The trunking system intelligently places your talk group on the first available channel.
What happens if I want to communicate across multiple talk groups?
This is absolutely possible with a little expert programing. Radios can be assigned authority.
Is two-way radio trunking right for my business?
It always best to consult with a radio specialist before making any decisions. Some smaller businesses will operate without a hitch on a conventional system however, if you believe you may benefit from more efficient use of your channels leave us a message on our contact page (look to the top menu bar) or give us a call today on 1800TWO WAY.
The video above may provide a more detailed picture of how trunking works.
