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Motorola previously had a 19pc stake in Tetra Ireland, which offers a secure communications network used by Ireland’s emergency services.
Motorola Solutions has acquired secure communications provider Tetra Ireland for an undisclosed figure. A source from the company confirmed to SiliconRepublic.com that it now has a 100pc stake in Tetra Ireland.
The deal follows Eir’s decision in January to sell its majority stake in Tetra to Digital 9 Infrastructure, a recently established investment trust.
Digital 9 agreed to acquire a 56pc stake in Tetra Ireland from Eir and hinted at plans to take full control of Tetra for a total consideration of €135.7m. However, this was dependent on an agreement with other shareholders Sigma Networks and Motorola, which respectively had stakes of 25pc and 19pc in the company.
Rising from a minority shareholder to the full owner of Tetra Ireland, Motorola said this acquisition demonstrates a commitment to growing its worldwide managed and support services business.
“Delivering, managing and operating critical [land mobile radio] networks is foundational to what we do,” Motorola Solutions CEO and chair Greg Brown said. “As a trusted technology partner in Ireland for over 40 years, we look forward to continuing to provide the interoperable mission-critical communications that Ireland’s emergency and public service agencies rely on every day.”
Motorola Solutions owns networks and security operations centres around the globe, supporting a wide range of industries including public safety, mining, oil and gas and public transportation.
Tetra Ireland
Tetra operates Ireland’s National Digital Radio Service (NDRS) and has been the exclusive operator of public safety communication networks in the country since it won a Government contract in 2006. The company bid for a renewal of this contract in 2020.
It promises 98pc geographic coverage including mountainous and remote rural locations, making it a useful communication network for Ireland’s emergency services. Around 97pc of Tetra’s customer base is public bodies, comprising around 70 agencies with 24,000 active subscribers.
Tetra network users include An Garda Siochána, the National Ambulance Service, Dublin Fire Brigade, the Irish Coast Guard, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Irish Prison Service, EirGrid, the Irish Naval Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland, the Office of Public Works, Irish Water and ESB Networks.
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