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October 17, 2004

Australia is buying 1,000 H4855 Personal Role Radios (PRR) from the Italian firm Selenia Marconi Communications. The H4855 has been used by British troops since 2002, and saw action in Iraq in 2003. Troops in the U.S., Italy and Canada also use the system. The H4855 uses a version of the popular wi-fi (802.11) wireless communication system. In the open, range of the radio is up to 500 meters, while in a building, the range is up to three floors. One of the more popular features of the 3.3 pound system is a separate, wireless, push-to-talk (PTT) switch. The PTT can, and often is, placed on the soldiers rifle, so the radio can be activated without taking a hand away from the weapon. The radios are expensive, however, costing about $1,400 each. The radio runs for about 20 hours on two AA batteries. The H4855 is worth the price for patrols, raids and commando type operations. The American army plans to soon equip all its infantry with radios like the H4855.