IRS Selects Harris Corp.'s Multi-Band Radios

The Internal Revenue Service will begin using Harris Corp.'s line of multi-band radios under a new contract allowing the company to provide radios to various federal agencies, the company announced.

The radios work on multiple frequency bands — 100-280 Mhz, 800 Mhz and 900 Mhz — that are used by law enforcement agencies and include capability for 700 Mhz frequencies that could be licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a public safety network.

Harris was selected as one of seven contractors to supply the Department of Justice (DOJ) with next-generation Project 25 (P25) radios under an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a potential overall value of up to $750 million.

Under the five-year contract, Harris joins a group of companies whose products meet established P25 criteria. The IDIQ contract does not specify purchase dates or quantities of equipment from any particular supplier.

"We are excited that the Harris wide range of radio products is qualified under the rigorous IDIQ to supply federal agencies with the standards-based P25 radios they need," said Dana Mehnert, Harris' RF Communications group president.

The IDIQ contract is for the departments of Justice, Treasury, Commerce, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs and other agencies to procure P25 equipment, including digital radios.

APCO P25 refers to a suite of standards for digital radio communications for use by federal, state/province and local public safety agencies in North America to enable interoperable communication. The P25 suite of standards involves digital Land Mobile Radio (LMR) services for local, state/provincial and federal public safety organizations and agencies.