Police Nationale Congolaise, DRC

The customer

The Police Nationale Congolaise is the national police force in the Democratic Republic of Congo - the third largest country in Africa.

The challenge

The first democratic elections since 1970 were held in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) late last year after decades of civil war. The Police Nationale Congolaise (PNC) was charged with the responsibility of maintaining civil order during this time and required simple, cost-effective yet high quality communications. Financed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), a radio communications tender requirement was published and released into the open market. Tait's authorised dealer Emcom Africa responded to the tender, offering Tait portable and mobile radios.

The solution

The PNC were very impressed by the high audio quality and ruggedness of the terminals and sought consultation from the South Africa Police (SAPS). After positive feedback from the SAPS and extensive field trials in the Congo, the PNC chose Tait products to be used on their existing radio network. Although tight timeframes for the rollout of these 10,000 radios proved to be a challenge for both Tait and Emcom, the terminals were manufactured, airlifted across the DRC to remote locations and set-up in time for the election process.

The outcome

The PNC were highly satisfied with the performance of the Tait radios throughout the election process. They commented that the terminals allowed for steady and reliable communications at all times. Emcom is now in negotiation with the PNC to further expand their Tait radio communications system.