Push-To-Talk Over Cellular vs. 2-Way Radios
, by Joseph Gabriel, 1 min reading time
When selecting radios for your workplace, you’ll probably choose between push-to-talk over cellular and two-way radios. Here are the details you should know.
Communication is essential, and any growing company, regardless of industry, will eventually need to invest in radios to help their teammates keep in contact and coordinate in real time. If you’re in the middle of this process, you might be feeling overwhelmed by choices. In particular, you may be trying to decipher the differences between push-to-talk over cellular and two-way radios. To help you better understand what each type of radio has to offer, let’s talk about what defines each model.
What Are Push-to-Talk Over Cellular Radios?
As you may have presumed from their name, these radios are similar to cell phones. Using 4G and LTE technology to provide group communication services, these radios no longer rely on repeaters and base stations to expand their area of coverage. As such, you can communicate over longer distances reliably because the radios don’t use traditional radio waves. Industries like trucking especially benefit from this because not only are they communicating over long distances, but they’re constantly on the move and thus need reliable communication no matter where they are.
What Are Two-Way Radios?
To compare push-to-talk over cellular radios with two-way radios, let’s examine how two-way radios function. These are your more conventional radios, with brands like Motorola portables being the most tried and true across many industries. These radios are more traditional, but they have been perfected over decades. Providing instant and intuitive communication to entire teams is a great option for businesses and industries where range is not a concern.
Which Should You Choose?
As we’ve established, a primary factor to consider when choosing between the two is what range you need to be communicating with. For long distances, cellular radios are typically preferred because they don’t need to rely on repeaters and other accessories to communicate reliably. While push-to-talk over radios are a larger investment than traditional two-way radios, you’ll save money in the long run by not needing to buy extra equipment. When range is not an issue, traditional two-way radios are a good and reliable choice for team-wide communication.
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