Qualcomm’s T2 Untethered TrailerTRACS Goes Dual Mode

Aeris.net announced Monday that Qualcomm is building Aeris’ MicroBurst short data packet messaging service into its T2 Untethered TrailerTRACS

asset management solution.
Aeris.net’s MicroBurst service provides short-burst data transmission using both digital networks and the analog cellular infrastructure.
Qualcomm introduced T2 Untethered TrailerTRACS at the ATA convention in Las Vegas in October. T2 as introduced worked over the Sprint wireless network, which licenses its CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology from Qualcomm.
Sprint’s digital footprint of CDMA service, like that of most wireless providers, has grown substantially in recent years, but still does not have the reach of analog cellular which was built under regulatory protection during the 1980s and now extends into far-flung parts of the country. Aeris.net uses an available portion of the analog cellular control channel to send data in short bursts that are compatible with digital systems, including CDMA. Short-burst data transmission is an appropriate technology for trailer tracking, which normally provides location and status information in small data packages – or short bursts.
The benefit for Qualcomm’s T2 is the vast coverage provided by the old analog network – frequently called the AMPS network, for Advanced Mobile Phone Service.
MicroBurst complements CDMA service, which, Qualcomm’s primary trailer tracking communications mode in the U.S. market. The combination of communications modes supported in the Qualcomm untethered trailer tracking solution provides an optimized solution for coverage, capacity and cost.
New dual-mode (analog and digital) radio modules will automatically select the optimum mode based on what is available in a given location.
According to the Aeris.net press release, Qualcomm is the first customer to embrace the multimode MicroBurst service.