What is a key characteristic of trunked radio systems?

A key characteristic of trunked radio systems is that agencies share a common pool of frequencies. Trunked radio technology is designed to improve the efficiency of frequency usage by allocating a variety of radio frequencies to multiple users. Rather than each agency being assigned a single, dedicated frequency, trunking allows multiple users to communicate over a range of frequencies as needed.

This approach minimizes the number of frequencies required for communication because channels are dynamically assigned based on availability and need. When a user wants to initiate a call, the system automatically assigns an available frequency from this common pool, enabling better use of the spectrum and reducing instances of congestion that could occur if users were tied to fixed frequencies.

Thus, the sharing of a common pool of frequencies is essential to the trunked radio system's function, optimizing communication resource usage and allowing for flexible and efficient operation among different agencies.