What is a PTT radio?
A PTT (push-to-talk) radio lets you talk to one person or a whole group at the press of a button: hold the button to talk, let go to listen. There is no number to dial and no call to answer, which is why guards, control rooms and armed response teams use them.
"PTT radio" covers two technologies. A two-way radio, analogue or digital (DMR), sends your voice over radio frequencies, straight to other radios or through a repeater. A PoC radio (push-to-talk over cellular) looks and works like a two-way radio, but sends your voice over a mobile network's data connection, so it reaches any radio, phone or control room with mobile coverage, anywhere in the country.
In short: two-way radio is a private network that you build and license. PoC uses the mobile networks' coverage for a monthly fee per radio.
PoC vs analogue vs DMR at a glance
Analogue and DMR are both two-way radio: you own the radios and repeaters and license your own frequencies. DMR is the digital version, with clearer audio and more features. PoC replaces the frequencies and repeaters with the mobile network.
| What to compare | PoC radio | Analogue two-way radio | DMR two-way radio |
|---|---|---|---|
| How your voice travels | Mobile data (4G LTE) on a cellular network, through the PoC provider's servers. | An FM radio signal on your own frequency, radio to radio or through a repeater. | A digital radio signal on your own frequency. A repeater channel can carry two calls at once. |
| Range | Anywhere the radio has mobile data coverage, across the country. | Usually a few kilometres between handhelds, depending on terrain and buildings. Further through a repeater on high ground. | Similar to analogue, with clearer audio towards the edge of range. |
| Infrastructure you need | Radios with data SIMs. No repeaters or masts of your own. | Radios, plus a repeater, antenna and a high site for wide-area coverage. | The same as analogue. Linking repeaters across regions adds cost. |
| ICASA licence | No spectrum licence of your own: the mobile operator's licence covers it. | A radio frequency spectrum licence for your frequencies. | A radio frequency spectrum licence for your frequencies. |
| Upfront cost | Buy the radio, or rent it per month. | Lowest per radio. Repeaters and installation are extra. | More per radio than analogue. Repeaters and installation are extra. |
| Monthly cost | A monthly fee per radio for the service and data. | No airtime. You pay licence fees, site rental and maintenance. | No airtime. You pay licence fees, site rental and maintenance. |
| When the cell network is down | No voice until data coverage returns. | Keeps working radio to radio, and through your repeater while it has power. | Keeps working radio to radio, and through your repeater while it has power. |
| Live GPS and dispatch | Usually built in: live GPS and a web dispatcher console. | Not usually. | On some radios, with extra dispatch software. |
| Who can listen in | Depends on the provider: ask how calls are secured. | Anyone with a scanner tuned to your frequency. | Harder to listen to, and many radios support encryption. |
| Best for | Teams spread across suburbs, cities or provinces, and control rooms that need GPS. | One site, simple talk, tight budget. | Large single sites with poor cell coverage, such as mines, plants and big estates. |
Scroll the table sideways to see all three.
Do PTT radios need an ICASA licence?
Short answer: two-way radios on your own frequencies need an ICASA radio frequency spectrum licence. PoC radios on a mobile network don't need a licence of your own, because they use the mobile operator's licensed spectrum. Every radio, of either kind, must be type-approved by ICASA.
Two-way radio (analogue and DMR)
Section 31(1) of the Electronic Communications Act, 2005 says nobody may transmit by radio without a radio frequency spectrum licence from ICASA. Business radio users apply on ICASA's land mobile application form and pay spectrum licence fees for as long as they hold the licence. If you rent airtime on someone else's repeater, ask the operator which licence your radios fall under.
PoC radio
Section 31(5)(a) of the same Act says the licence requirement does not apply to someone who uses the spectrum as a subscriber of a licensed electronic communications service. A PoC radio is a subscriber on a mobile network, just like a cellphone, so the network operator's licence covers the spectrum.
Both: type approval
Section 35(1) says nobody may use, sell or hire radio apparatus unless ICASA has approved its type. Ask your supplier for the ICASA type-approval certificate of the model you are buying, whether it is a two-way radio or a PoC radio.
This is a summary of the Act, not legal advice: check your own situation with ICASA or a legal adviser. Sources: ICASA spectrum licensing, ICASA type approval and the Electronic Communications Act, 2005.
What PTT radios cost
The two technologies spend your money at different times. Two-way radio puts most of the cost up front, in radios, repeaters and installation. PoC spreads it into a monthly fee per radio. Compare them over the length of your contract, not on the price of one radio.
Two-way radio: what you pay for
- Radios, bought once-off. DMR radios cost more than analogue ones.
- A repeater, antenna and cabling if you need more range than radio to radio, and a high site to put them on.
- Rent for the high site, plus power and backup for the repeater.
- ICASA spectrum licence fees.
- Programming, repairs and replacement batteries.
- More repeaters, linked together, to cover a bigger area.
PoC: Zamatrack's PTT prices
Prices from the Zamatrack store, exclusive of 15% VAT. Each product page says what is included and the contract term.
| Product | Price, ex VAT |
|---|---|
| PTT Patrol Radio BundlePTT app, location, patrol software and 500MB data. Radio not included. | R230 per month |
| PTT Comms Radio BundlePTT app, location and 500MB data. Radio not included. | R140 per month |
| T700L PoC radio, 24-month rental | R295 per month |
| T700L PoC radio with GPS, to buy | R2,400 once-off |
| PTT Dispatcher Platform | R300 per month |
| PTT Industrial Video Dashboard | R450 per month |
| PTT Industrial Video Licence and 10GB monthly data | R580 per month |
| NFC patrol tags | R30 per tag |
Example: a guarding company buys 10 T700L radios (10 × R2,400 = R24,000 once-off), puts each on the PTT Patrol Radio Bundle (10 × R230 = R2,300 a month) and adds one PTT Dispatcher Platform licence (R300 a month). That is R24,000 once-off and R2,600 a month, ex VAT.
Zamatrack also sells the T710A rugged Android radio (IP65) and the TM7 desktop base station. See all radios in the store.
How security teams use PTT radios
Patrols scanned on the radio
Zamatrack's T700L and T710A radios scan NFC patrol tags, so the guard carries one device to talk and to patrol. The radio gives an audible alert for each scan, and managers export the patrol report to Excel. Radio patrol mode suits sites that need basic guard rounds; for live alerts on missed checkpoints, use Guard Patrol Solutions.
Control room dispatch
The PTT Dispatcher Platform runs in a web browser. The control room sees every radio on a live map with its route history, talks to one guard, a group or everyone, and gets SOS and geofence alerts. Calls are recorded for investigations.
Armed response and vehicles
Response vehicles, supervisors and guards stay on the same talk group across suburbs and cities. The radios link with smartphones, vehicle radios and dispatcher PCs.
Multi-site contracts
One talk group can span sites in different provinces, with no repeater to install at each site. Radios are programmed and updated from the cloud.
Read more about GSM PTT radios with patrols.
How to choose: 7 steps
1. Map where your people work
If your teams are spread across suburbs, cities or provinces, PoC covers them without building a network. If everyone works on one large site, two-way radio may be all you need.
2. Test coverage at every post
PoC is only as good as the mobile signal. Before you sign, test a radio at each post, including basements, plant rooms and the far corners of the perimeter. Where there is no signal, plan for two-way radio there.
3. List who must hear whom
Write down your talk groups: the guards on each site, supervisors, response vehicles and the control room. Check that the system runs them all and that the control room can talk to everyone at once.
4. Decide whether patrols go on the radio
A radio that scans patrol tags means one device per guard, instead of a radio and a separate patrol device to charge, carry and replace.
5. Decide what the control room needs
Live GPS, route history, SOS alerts, geofences and call recordings come with a PoC dispatcher console. On two-way radio they need extra equipment and software, and radios that support them.
6. Compare costs over the whole contract
For two-way radio, add up radios, repeaters, site rental, licence fees and maintenance. For PoC, add up the monthly fees. Compare both over the same period, such as 24 months.
7. Check licensing and type approval
Two-way radio needs an ICASA licence for your frequencies, and every radio, of either kind, must be ICASA type-approved. Ask the supplier for the type-approval certificate of the model you are buying.
When two-way radio is the better choice
- Sites with no reliable mobile signal, such as mines, remote farms and deep basements.
- Teams that must keep talking when the cell network goes down.
- Work on one site, where radio-to-radio range is enough.
Some operations use both: PoC for the wider team and the control room, and two-way radios on the one site without signal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PTT and PoC?
PTT (push-to-talk) is how you talk: hold a button to speak, let go to listen. PoC (push-to-talk over cellular) is one way of carrying that call, over a mobile data network instead of radio frequencies. A PoC radio is a PTT radio that uses the cellular network.
Do I need a licence for PTT radios in South Africa?
For two-way radios on your own frequencies, yes: an ICASA radio frequency spectrum licence. For PoC radios on a mobile network, you don't need a spectrum licence of your own, because the mobile operator's licence covers the spectrum. Whichever you choose, the radio must be type-approved by ICASA.
How much do PTT radios cost in South Africa?
Zamatrack's T700L PoC radio is R2,400 ex VAT to buy, or R295 a month ex VAT on a 24-month rental. The PTT Patrol Radio Bundle (PTT app, location, patrol software and 500MB of data, radio not included) is R230 a month ex VAT per radio. Two-way radios are bought outright, and covering a wide area adds repeaters, site rental and ICASA licence fees.
Do PoC radios work without cell signal?
No. A PoC radio needs mobile data coverage to talk. Test coverage at every post before you buy, and use two-way radio where there is no signal.
How far can a PTT radio reach?
A two-way handheld usually reaches another handheld a few kilometres away, depending on terrain and buildings, and further through a repeater on high ground. A PoC radio reaches any radio, phone or control room with mobile coverage, anywhere in South Africa.
Can a PTT radio talk to a smartphone?
A PoC radio can, when the phone is on the same PTT platform. Zamatrack's PTT radios link with smartphones, vehicle radios and dispatcher PCs on the same talk groups.
Can guards do patrols with a PTT radio?
Yes. Zamatrack's T700L and T710A PoC radios scan NFC patrol tags and give an audible alert for each scan, and managers export the patrol reports to Excel.
Talk and patrol on one radio
See how Zamatrack's PTT radios give your guards nationwide group talk and patrol scanning, and your control room live GPS and dispatch.