At IWCE 2025, Las Vegas, NV
March 17, 2025
In a world of interconnected LMR and multiple LTE push-to-talk systems it has become increasingly apparent that there is a need to simplify the identification of talk groups on different systems. Catalyst has invented a talk group naming structure designed to simplify the identification of talk groups that might be patched together for mutual aid and other coordinated activities and has also invented a tool to simplify their management.
The challenge of Talk Group administration in multi-network communications systems was identified as early as 2018, when NPSTC – the National Public Safety Communications Telecommunication Council (NPSTC) recognized this issue and published a report “Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) Considerations for Interoperability Talkgroup Naming and Management.”
Catalyst is extending the recommendations of this report to simplify the identification both by humans and machines and accelerate the configuration of consoles and Broadband Interoperability Platforms (BIOP) as well as the subsequent management of talk groups on these tools.
Catalyst has invented a method for constructing Display Names of interoperability talk groups making it easily recognizable to both the BIOP Operators as well as subscribers on broadband PTT systems what their chosen talk groups interoperate with.
This new extension to the talk group format is called the Catalyst Interop Format™ and leverages the common @ symbol to distinguish between local talk groups and talk groups on a different, neighboring system. The following example explains how two agencies would facilitate interoperability utilizing this convention. In this example the agencies can be on the same broadband network or two completely different broadband networks:
- The city of Springfield has two “home” talk groups named City_PD and City_FD configured on the City’s Broadband PTT network.
- The surrounding county would then create two interoperable talk groups using the Catalyst Interop Format named City_PD@(Springfield) and City_FD@(Springfield), making it easy for anyone selecting these talk groups to see exactly who they are communicating with on the city’s system.
Catalyst’s Broadband Interoperability Platform recognizes this format and walks the system administrator through the creation of patches for these two talk group pairs. The administrator can enable these patches for immediate interoperability or make them available for a dispatcher to enable at a later date.
Catalyst provides additional tools for managing Fixed Interoperability Talk Groups and Dynamic Talk Groups. Using this naming convention simplifies the dispatcher environment because they can easily identify and manage talk groups on different systems that might need to be connected. At IWCE, Catalyst will promote the use of this naming convention innovation and recommend that users begin using this system now to simplify interoperability in the future as it’s difficult to change talk group names once they are set up and established in the field.
Stop by Catalyst’s Booth 1037 for a discussion of the importance of using a simple and universal Talk Group Naming Convention when interconnected and patched push-to-talk systems are expected to become more prevalent.
