Project 25 sets standards for law enforcement radios.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Security Beat

Project 25 is a new federal initiative established to allow federal law enforcement entities to talk to one another by radio. It is a set of standards for "over-the-air protocol." The project was established to smooth communications difficulties, such as when one law enforcement entity, like the Secret Service, cannot communicate with another agency like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, because both agencies have their own encrypted radio systems.

Defense contractor Thales Communications Inc. is providing a radio that was developed for the Defense Department. "We took our defense radio and developed it for public safety," said Mitch Herbets, chief executive officer of the company, based in Clarksburg, Md. Thales Communications Inc. is a $10 billion communications...