Sepura chosen for top bike race in Northern Ireland

11 June 2008 – Northern Ireland’s biggest sporting event, the Kennedy International North West 200 Motorcycling Road Race, used Sepura TETRA digital radios for its communications. The contract was secured by Sepura’s partner, Arqiva Ireland

The race, which each year attracts crowds of around 150,000, featured the world’s top riders, competing on one of the world’s fastest courses.

Sepura radios were used by race organisers, medical and emergency teams. The reliability of the TETRA service meant that communication was maintained at all times – a factor not possible with the analogue technology used in previous years.

Jonathan Hamill, Sepura’s Sales Account Manager in Ireland, said: “Sepura responded quickly to deliver under this contract, illustrating our dedication to meeting and exceeding customer needs. TETRA delivered a vastly improved service for this event – up until now the race deployed analogue radios, which had severe limitations.”

Mervyn Whyte, Clerk of Course, said, “The triangle circuit at North West 200 is one of the fastest in the world with some riders reaching speeds of over 200 miles per hour, so ensuring the health and safety of both the participants and spectators was our primary concern. Having a robust communications system in place was essential for the safe running of the event.”

Pat Walls, General Manager of Arqiva in Ireland, said, “Behind-the-scenes management and logistics are crucial in delivering a successful event and the team will now benefit from a digital Private Mobile Radio (PMR) network, which will enable them to maintain secure contact with their teams at all parts of the race site, whilst also having full control over who can use the channels at any time. This is another example of Arqiva providing a mission critical communications solution aligned with our customers’ operational requirements.”