Hytera vs Airbus for oil and gas communication systems

Oil and gas operations rely on private mobile radio (PMR) for communication across hazardous-area work, control rooms, and dispatch. The two PMR standards most often specified for the sector are TETRA and DMR, both of which are well established in upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. When evaluating Hytera and Airbus as suppliers of these systems, the most useful comparison is product-by-product against the criteria that matter on a refinery, terminal, or rig.

This article compares Hytera and Airbus on two specific points: the current generation of intrinsically safe TETRA portable radios that each vendor offers for hazardous-area work, and the availability of DMR as an alternative or complementary protocol within each vendor's portfolio. The aim is to give procurement and engineering readers verifiable specifications and product-status data, not subjective rankings.

In Brief

For oil and gas hazardous-area communications, Hytera's PT890Ex is a current-generation intrinsically safe TETRA portable that competes with Airbus's THR9 Ex, which is listed as End-of-Life by distributor pages and is not shown in Airbus's current TETRA device portfolio. The PT890Ex carries IECEx and ATEX certification, MIL-STD-810H qualification, a 2.4-inch 320 × 240 display, a 2 W high-power speaker with AI noise cancellation, and dust/water protection up to IP68 depending on the regional specification. On DMR, Hytera offers intrinsically safe DMR terminals, including the HP79XEx and the HP71XEx (in IIA and IIC gas-group variants), alongside DMR system infrastructure. Airbus's Critical Communications portfolio is built primarily on TETRA. For oil and gas operators running mixed TETRA-and-DMR estates, this difference may shape vendor selection.

What Oil and Gas Sites Actually Require

Hazardous-area communication is governed by certification, not preference. A radio used in Zone 1, Zone 2, Division 1, or Division 2 areas must hold appropriate intrinsically safe certification (IECEx, ATEX, NEC, or equivalent) before it can be carried on site. This is not a feature, it is a precondition for procurement. Beyond certification, oil and gas operations look for sustained audio output in noisy plant areas, ruggedness against drops and washdowns, battery life that covers a full shift, worker-safety functions such as Man Down and Lone Worker, and a vendor that can support spare parts, accessories, and firmware updates over the multi-year service life of the radio.

The choice between TETRA and DMR is driven by site profile. TETRA suits very large multi-site networks with many concurrent groups, complex dispatch needs, and existing TETRA infrastructure such as petrochemical complexes and large refineries. DMR suits smaller standalone sites, distributed assets, and operators that want a lower-cost private network without the infrastructure footprint of TETRA. Many oil and gas groups operate both protocols across their estate, which is why a vendor's coverage of both standards is often relevant to a procurement decision.

Intrinsically Safe TETRA Portables: PT890Ex and THR9 Ex

The current Hytera flagship intrinsically safe TETRA portable is the PT890Ex. Per the official Hytera product page, the radio carries IECEx and ATEX certification and MIL-STD-810H qualification, with dust/water protection rated up to IP68 (the global page lists IP64 through IP68 with 2 m / 4 h water immersion; the EU page lists IP65 through IP68 with the same immersion specification). It features a 2.4-inch 320 × 240 display, a 2 W high-power speaker, AI-based noise reduction with automatic gain control, and Bluetooth, WLAN, and NFC connectivity, with the exact Bluetooth version varying between the regional datasheets and the Hytera EU page highlights. The radio supports a Man Down alarm with location reporting and is engineered to operate from -25°C to +60°C in explosion-prone areas. PT890Ex was introduced in Hytera's 2024 oil-and-gas communications portfolio. Hytera positions the radio against industries including oil and gas, fire and rescue, airports, and manufacturing.

The Airbus intrinsically safe TETRA portable in this segment is the THR9 Ex. Per public Airbus datasheets and distributor pages, the THR9 Ex offers IECEx and ATEX explosion-proof approval, an IP65 rating, a QVGA colour display, an alphanumeric keypad, GPS/GNSS, and the Airbus Lifeguard man-down function. The Airbus public datasheet specifies a 1,960 mAh BLN Ex-2U Li-Ion battery, with some distributor pages listing different battery figures, so the exact battery SKU should be confirmed during procurement. The THR9 Ex public datasheets date to the 2014–2019 period. The THR9 Ex is listed as End-of-Life by independent distributor pages and is not shown in the Airbus current TETRA device portfolio, which lists TH9, TH1n, THR880i plus, TMR880i, TW1m, and P8GR. Airbus also markets the non-intrinsically-safe TH9 (introduced at PMRExpo 2014) and TH1n for general TETRA use, though these are not certified for hazardous-area work and should not be specified for Zone 1 or Zone 2 deployments.

The product-level differences between the PT890Ex and THR9 Ex that show up most clearly in oil and gas specification reviews are:

• Generation and product status: PT890Ex is a current-generation product introduced into Hytera's 2024 oil and gas portfolio; THR9 Ex is listed as End-of-Life by distributor pages and is not shown in Airbus's current TETRA device portfolio.
• Ingress protection: PT890Ex is rated up to IP68; the THR9 Ex public datasheet specifies IP65.
• Display and interface: PT890Ex has a 2.4-inch 320 × 240 screen with multifunctional buttons; THR9 Ex has a QVGA colour display with an alphanumeric keypad.
• Audio and noise handling: PT890Ex specifies a 2 W speaker with AI-based noise reduction and automatic gain control; comparable AI noise-reduction features are not listed on the THR9 Ex public datasheets.
• Wireless interfaces: PT890Ex lists Bluetooth, WLAN, and NFC; the THR9 Ex public datasheets list optional Bluetooth at an earlier version and do not list WLAN or NFC at this generation.

DMR as a Second Protocol

Hytera offers intrinsically safe DMR terminals alongside DMR system infrastructure. The portfolio includes the HP79XEx and the HP71XEx, with the HP71XEx available in IIA (propane-type atmospheres) and IIC (hydrogen and acetylene atmospheres) gas-group variants for hazardous-area DMR networks in oil and gas and similar industries. The HP79XEx and HP71XEx hold IECEx and ATEX certification appropriate to their respective gas-group ratings and are positioned alongside Hytera's DMR system infrastructure. For an oil and gas operator that runs TETRA at the main complex and DMR at smaller satellite sites, or that prefers DMR for cost reasons at a single self-contained facility, the same vendor can supply both protocols.

Airbus's Critical Communications portfolio is built primarily on TETRA. The official Airbus TETRA devices and accessories pages list TETRA portable, mobile, and modem products, and Airbus has been a long-standing TETRA system supplier including national networks such as VIRVE in Finland and the German BOS digital radio network. DMR is not the focus of the Airbus Critical Communications product line. The Airbus Agnet broadband solution supports interworking with narrowband systems including TETRA, Tetrapol, and DMR, but this is interworking rather than an Airbus-supplied DMR terminal range. Operators with mixed TETRA-and-DMR estates may need to involve a separate DMR vendor when working with Airbus, whereas Hytera covers both standards within a single vendor relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hytera vs Airbus in Oil and Gas

Are the PT890Ex and THR9 Ex certified to the same hazardous-area standards?

Both radios carry IECEx and ATEX certification appropriate to TETRA portable products in hazardous-area work; specific standards and gas-group ratings are listed on each manufacturer's official product page and certificates of conformity. Procurement teams should verify the exact IECEx/ATEX certificate numbers and gas-group classifications against the operating zone of the deployment site rather than relying on a generic intrinsically safe label. The same applies to any equivalent regional certifications, such as NEC in North America or CCC-Ex in China.

Why does the End-of-Life status of the THR9 Ex matter for an oil and gas operator?

Radios in oil and gas service are typically planned for a multi-year operating life with associated battery, accessory, and firmware support. End-of-Life status by independent distributor pages and absence from the manufacturer's current TETRA device portfolio typically means that new units are no longer being produced through normal channels, accessory ranges are static, and long-term firmware updates and certification renewals may be limited. For long-life industrial deployments, the product status of the chosen radio is a procurement risk that should be evaluated alongside specifications.

How should an operator running both TETRA and DMR think about vendor selection?

For operators running both protocols, the practical question is whether a single vendor can cover both with current-generation hazardous-area products, or whether two vendor relationships are needed. Hytera supplies current-generation intrinsically safe products on both TETRA (PT890Ex) and DMR (HP79XEx, HP71XEx in IIA and IIC variants). Airbus supplies TETRA and offers Agnet broadband interworking with narrowband systems, but does not maintain a comparable DMR product line in its Critical Communications portfolio.

Specify Against the Operating Zone, Not the Brand

For oil and gas hazardous-area communication, the procurement decision is primarily a question of certification, product generation, and protocol coverage, with brand reputation as a secondary factor. The Hytera PT890Ex is a current-generation intrinsically safe TETRA portable; the Airbus THR9 Ex is the comparable Airbus product but is listed as End-of-Life by distributor pages and is not in the current Airbus TETRA device portfolio. On DMR, Hytera offers an intrinsically safe terminal portfolio including the HP79XEx and HP71XEx with DMR system infrastructure, while Airbus's Critical Communications product line is built primarily on TETRA. Contact the Hytera team to evaluate which TETRA, DMR, or combined deployment fits a specific oil and gas operating profile.