Motorola to provide secure radio system for 2004 Athens Olympics

Motorola Inc. has won a $25 million contract to provide a secure two-way radio communications system that will be used by public safety agencies during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the company said.

Under the contract, Motorola of Schaumberg, Ill., will work with San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp. and New York-based Siemens Corp. to provide the communications system. The SAIC-Siemens team was selected to provide the command, control, communications, computer and intelligence equipment and services for the upcoming games.

SAIC announced in May that it won a $300 million contract to provide components of the security infrastructure for the Athens games.

Motorola's contract contains a 10-year provision for the supply of services and support. Following the games, the Greek government will continue to use the systems for its public safety organizations and also will consider adding additional government agencies, the company said.

The public safety communications system that Motorola of Schaumberg, Ill., will provide for the Athens games will be based on the Terrestrial Trunked Radio standard, known as the Tetra standard.

The Tetra standard is the only digital Trunked radio standard that is defined by the European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute to meet the needs of professional mobile radio users, according to the company. The company's system, which is an IP-based Tetra system, will employ the company's level three-encryption security.

Motorola, a provider of wireless, automotive and broadband communications, has about 97,000 employees and annual sales of $27.3 billion.