Tait Communications

Tait Communications
Name	Tait Communications
Type	Private
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	1969
Founder	Sir Angus Tait
Headquarters	Christchurch, New Zealand
Area served	International
Key people	Peter Dunphy
Products	Radio equipment, dispatch systems, digital radio

Tait Communications is a New Zealand-based manufacturer and solutions provider of professional two-way radios, trunked systems, and integrated dispatch technologies. Founded in 1969 by Sir Angus Tait, the company has grown from a regional radio workshop into an international supplier for public safety, utilities, transport, and resource industries. Tait’s portfolio spans analog and digital radio, trunked radio networks, and software for command-and-control, interoperable with standards and platforms used by major agencies worldwide.

History

Sir Angus Tait established the company in Christchurch in 1969, evolving alongside contemporaries such as Motorola Solutions, Kenwood Corporation, Hytera Communications, ICOM Incorporated, and Rohde & Schwarz. During the 1970s and 1980s Tait competed in markets served by British Telecom and connected with projects involving Air New Zealand, Fletcher Challenge, and regional authorities including Canterbury organizations. In the 1990s the firm navigated the shift from analog to digital radio alongside standardization efforts led by European Telecommunications Standards Institute and vendors like Ericsson. The 2000s saw expansion into trunked systems similar to deployments by EADS partners and integration with platforms employed by Metropolitan Police Service, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and utility operators such as Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. In the 2010s and 2020s Tait engaged with standards movements including Project 25, DMR Association, and 3rd Generation Partnership Project actors, while maintaining private ownership and family governance traditions stemming from early New Zealand industry patrons like Sir Edmund Hillary.

Products and Technology

Tait produces a range of fixed and mobile equipment analogous to offerings from Siemens, Nokia, ABB Group, and Schneider Electric in adjacent sectors. Hardware lines include rugged handhelds, mobile units, and base stations that interoperate with digital protocols such as Digital Mobile Radio and Project 25 systems used by agencies like Federal Communications Commission-regulated services in the United States. The company develops trunked radio architectures comparable to TETRA Association-based networks deployed by British Transport Police and cellular-grade dispatch solutions similar to Cisco Systems voice platforms. Tait’s software suite addresses computer-aided dispatch (CAD), network monitoring, and remote control features analogous to systems used by Siemans Energy operations and integrated with mapping services like those used by Ordnance Survey and Google Maps partners. Radio designs emphasize MIL-STD ruggedization and electromagnetic compatibility test standards promoted by International Electrotechnical Commission and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers committees. Encryption and secure voice solutions align with frameworks referenced by defense organizations such as United States Department of Defense, New Zealand Defence Force, and interoperability stakeholders including Australian Department of Defence.

Markets and Applications

Key customer sectors mirror procurement profiles of entities such as Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Sydney Trains, TransLink (Queensland), and resource companies like Rio Tinto and BHP. Public safety deployments involve police, fire, and emergency medical services comparable to users like New York Police Department, London Fire Brigade, and Victoria State Emergency Service. Utilities and energy customers include transmission operators similar to National Grid (UK), water authorities like Dŵr Cymru, and mining operators akin to Vale S.A.. Transport and logistics implementations serve ports and airports where organizations such as Christchurch International Airport, Auckland Airport, and global counterparts manage ground operations. Industrial and event management customers follow examples set by Auckland Council civic projects and large venues like Wembley Stadium and Allianz Arena for crowd and operations control.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

The company remains privately owned with governance reflecting original family stewardship similar to legacy companies like Fletcher Building and Trafigura in terms of concentrated ownership. Executive leadership and board composition include figures with backgrounds in firms such as PwC, KPMG, Ernst & Young, and technology executives formerly of Microsoft and Oracle Corporation. Regional subsidiaries and sales partners operate across Australasia, the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, working alongside distribution networks like those for Honeywell and Schneider Electric. Strategic procurement and supply-chain relationships involve manufacturers and vendors such as Intel Corporation, Qualcomm, Broadcom Inc., and component suppliers integrated in global electronics ecosystems exemplified by Foxconn.

Research, Standards, and Partnerships

Tait participates in standardization and industry groups including ETSI, P25 Steering Committee, and the DMR Association, collaborating with universities and research institutes such as University of Canterbury, University of Auckland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Cambridge on wireless communications research. Partnerships with vendors and system integrators mirror alliances formed by Cisco Systems, IBM, and Accenture to deliver end-to-end solutions. The company contributes to interoperability testing events and conferences alongside organizations like GSMA, IEEE Standards Association, and regional regulators such as Radio Spectrum Management (New Zealand), Ofcom, and Federal Communications Commission.

Notable Deployments and Incidents

Notable deployments include regional trunked networks and mission-critical systems used by emergency services similar to implementations by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Queensland Ambulance Service, and municipal fleets in cities like Christchurch and Wellington. The company has addressed incidents involving network resilience during natural hazards comparable to responses by National Emergency Management Agency (New Zealand), drawing comparisons with disaster communications efforts in Canterbury earthquakes and coordination seen in events like Hurricane Katrina and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Operational incidents and field fixes have involved collaborations with standards bodies and OEMs such as Motorola Solutions and Hytera during spectrum re-farming and interoperability exercises with agencies including New South Wales Police Force and Victoria Police.

Category:Telecommunications companies